The Globe-republican., 1895-06-21

mOUclS are uOSlky
W@@sgg to be found, and
& surrounded on all
TA!aH@I sides by cafes and
concert saloons, is somber and dismal
looking building, the front of which is
painted handsome black. A boy in
deep mourning stands upon the side
walk an1 distributes cards, says the
Paris correspondent of an eastern pa
per. The door is hidden by black
hangings sewn with silver tears. You
push the hangings back, and step into a
spacious, darkened room, where a few
candies give an impressive twilight. A
dozen collins on supports replace the
ordinary cafe tables. It is the Cafe of
Death, the latest thing in Paris of the
fin de steele order. Thursday nights
are reserved for the beau monde; each
glass OF beer is two francs and you
may kiss the undertaken free. On Or
binary nights the book is 13 sous. The
name Of this establishment is not really
the Cafe de la Mort, although all Paris
calls it so. When first opened it wac
under that name that they gave you
beer to drink from imitation skulls.
But the police paid them visit, ordered
that drink should be served in plain
glasses, and suppressed the name of
death. So now it's title is officially the
Cabaret Tor drinking shop) du Meant
Meant is French for nothingness. You
Sit beside your. coffin in the big black
room, and you see sitting here and
there in philosophic attitudes big skele-
tons that yawn and snap their jaws at
intervals. Death scenes and midnight
orgies decorate the walls, on which
may be seen the following suggestive
sign: "The lady clients are desired to
scream tout doucement," that is, very
gently, very softly" The walters are
costumed as undertakers' men, in
black coats of an ancient cut, tall oil
cloth hats, and with bands of crepe
tied around their arms Beyond this
room is another one, called the chamber
of TRANSPORTATION, to which admittance
is gained by ticket, given you when
ordering your beer. The crowd moves
onward underneath an archway into a
black vaulted passage. Here women
often have attacks Of hysteria, for as
the alley widens into what looks like
a burial cellar underneath a church
there strikes upon the vision scenes in
the far-off perspective underneath the
arches and between the pillars-vague
glimpses Of gray skeletons engaged in
or the dance. The pas
sage narrowS and there is a door. You
knock. A bell strikes three. There is
a voice: What do you seek, my broth
err" You respond: Il wish to die"
There is a rafting of chains and you
are in the chamber of TRANSPORTATION.
The attendants are clothed in monks
ncSes with hoods. You take your seat
and curtain is drawn aside. Down, a
long vista, brightly lighted, is seen an
open coffin standing on one end. Some
'na is then asked to step from the audi |
snee. to sacrifice himself for the others.
One sof the spectators steps up, half |
ashamed, half-smiiing, ;half-repugnant,
'ainly curious and supremacy anxious
o shine in the eyes Of the community.
He is lied off to feappear beside the !
'offin IN the distance. A parlor organ t
strikes I'D a distressing hymn tune as +
hey make the man stand in the coffin.
Undoubtedly it is the same man smil- |,
ng in a ssickly fashion to his friekds
lown in che audience. The trans
IN him that will stoon take
lace is brought about by magic lantern 5
fleets. as il dissolv;ng views. The |.
nan standsin the coffin and they tuck
sheet around him. leaving only his
ace uncovered. The attendant disap-
ears. The nan looks at you from his
ofin. AS he looks at you mis- face
rows winter. The horrid parlGr organ
pes on with ID; frightful tune. Green
ghts begin to play. There is q smell
phenol sud oil bones. Sometimes a
III or a woman in the audience has ,
cris de nerfs at this point. and is led ,
q Sobbing. hut the spectators for the |
lost part Sit still, staring blankly at ,
be white face in the coffin The face ,
lkes on a greeRish-y yellow tint, it soft ,
Is, seems to deconn2ose, then hardeas,
) the eyes grsw big and black. The i
Ny. covered By the sheet, begins 10 t
line through dfmly-a yellow mass =
lat Loses flesh, that shows it, bones. 6
be sheet is disappearing. The Light
'ows more intense. Tie coffin holds
a. IL