The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-06-16

brought TO its very ultimate Of design
and decoration. There is certainly no
other staircase in the world which APP
proaches that of the Opera in beauty.
and. turning to another unique feature.
there is no other Place in the world
which is like the Foyer de la Danse,
where the favored few who are admitted
may chat with the ladies of the ballet
between their entrances.
THE PARIS THEATER.
Americans. while sitting in the awk-
ward seats of European theaters and
gazing at the diney decorations and adj
vertisement-plastered drop curtains.
may comfort themselves with the reflec-
ton that we do these things better at
home. Setting aside a few great opera
houses, there are no theaters in Europe
and this includes London. of course
which can compare with those of New
York. Such playhouses as Gotham's
Empire, Garden, Palmer's and Fifth Av-
enue are infinitely superior to those you
will find while you are the guest of the
press in foreign parts.
Even in music halls America leads the
world. The famous Empire and Alham-
bra of London, and the Folies Bergeres
and Coincide Parisienne of Paris pale
into insignificance beside Roster & Bal 5
palace, and, with the single exception or
the splendid London ballets, offer per-
formances which in the main are decid-
edly inferior to those given by this firm
of New York managers.
There is little that is interesting TO the
male sex about the Paris stores. except
the bills sent home with the goods which
the ladies are sure TO buy. Tney are
the shopping womans paradise The
two principal stores arc the Bon Marche
and the Louvre. A mere man, like the
present writer, has no right to catalogue
their beauties or to invade the wonders
or their sacred precincts in any way.
am told. however, that there are some
things which they sell which are ridicu-
lousy cheap, and others which. though
high-priced, are superlatively fine. OF
the first class may be mentioned certain
garments which are intended to blush
unseen. French lingerie is wonderful
and not high-priced. OF the second class
may be mentioned Il really beg your
pardonD corsets. They cost less than S.
pair but they are marvels. That Is,
so L am told.
| may, perhaps, make few remarks
on buying things in general in Paris,
however, without meddling with things
which do not concern me. Remember,
that Frenchman or a Frenchwoman al
ways expects to be beaten down. 1t was
my privilege to witness a shopping cpl
sode between a woman who knows Paris
thoroughly and another who had mys-
teriously beautiful petticoat for sale.
The first price was forty francs. That
day it was reduced after incredible bag
Cling to thirty-five. Then my friend LETT
the store in apparent disgust, the
Frenchwoman meantime declaring, al
most with tears in her eyes that she
would be ruined If she sold at even that
price The next day we called again.
My friend cheerfully began the bargain
ing where it had left off the day before.
and the Frenchwoman submitted without
a word of protest She evidently ex-
pected it, This time the price was final-
ly worked down to twenty-five francs.
Again my friend went away, and again
the saleswoman approached the stage of
tears. On the third day the petticoat
was sold for twenty francs-precisely
one-half what was at first asked Tor IT,
SAMPLE OF FRENCH SHOPPING.
Whether or not that was a fair sam
pie of French shopping I don't know,
but believe that 1t is generally posi-
bic to get a reduction of at least one
third, except at the biggest of the stores,
where one price is set and maintained
1t will interest the ladies to know that
they should go to the Latin Quarter for
real bargains in lace and the mysterious
things into the composition Of which lace
so largely enters.
The Paris shopkeeper has no hesita-
ton in cheating a foreigner. Their wiles
are shameful and often successful. They
will even give you the wrong change if
you give them any excuse for bellevlng
that you are not familiar with the money
system. 1 shall not forget one episode
of that kind.
;,~ ~
tobacco store. They were counting over
their change in puzzled sort OF a way,
and 1 quickly identified. them as Ameri-
cans One of them, looking up, recog-
nized me as countryman, and called
me, with distress in his voice.
II went into this place. said he, and
bought four cigars. / gave him one like
that (holding out a twenty-franc piece
and he gave me back all this truck.
His hand was full of small silver and
copper. Now, did he cneat meG "A mo-
ment'S examination showed that the
shopkeeper had charged franc and a
half apiece for the half-franc cigars. He
disagreed without the slightest hesita-
ton and with no sign Of shame when he
saw that the Americans had found a
man who knew what was really coming
to them. ~
Paris is without appare ntly any class
analogous to the unemployed working
men who parade the StTSctS VI 1<oHdoii.
1t is not, however, uncommon TO see a
day laborer who is without employment
wandering about looking for work and
eating his meal of dry bread-he carries
a loaf under his arnl-with a clasp knlIe
as he goes along.
/ might keep writing OF these little de-
tails of Paris life for a month and be as
far from exhausting them as am now.
You will enjoy Paris. 1t is wholly dlf-
ferent from New York. and its novelty
will please you. Whether or not you ever
return TO Europe after you visit 1T you
will still have learned enough about
Paris during your week in France not
only to fill you with interesting food for
reflection and for gossip with your less
fortunate friends, but to broaden your
point Of view and make you bigger and
more useful man or woman than You
were before.
An OutgrOwn Phrase.
New York Sun.