The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1895-02-07
THE RAG FAIR
IN Paris.
The Women of the Halles-IIiSiOriC
Corners in the French Capital.

For 10 days after Christmas the Rag Fsi
| holds supremacy at the 4" Halles," the mos
| famous market OF Paris All the rsg-picker
| collect their treasures together and exhfbi
them for sale at this time. The regular marke
people keep their stalls open as usual. and tn
newcomers select places along the curbstones
and spread out their wealth of trash-for it i
| principally old nails, broken plates cup sDs
saucer, or andirons with one half missing. tha
| we find most frequently. Center Market II
| Washington has a fringe of old colored nam
mics. who sell their bundles of herbs ant
| whose sweet potatoes so delicious because
their owners keep them buried way under TIT
| hearth to keep them warm but some Of thes,
| Partisan venders who have their place a. tht
| Halles during this short season each year ART
far more foriorn and worthy Of pity than oui
coiored hucksJers. / must not give you TIT
impression. however. that there Is nothing
worth buying; there were some dainty llttis
miniatures that cost 80 francs $50; bronzt
statuets at exorbitant figures; a precious bi
of carved ivory or mosaic box; even an ocea
sonal oil painting; old engravings. canoes
without settings; medals, coins army buttons,
and sometimes a piece of beautiful SeVres or
Dresden china. These gems were, however. oil
rare intervals, and the owners placed high
prices upon anything of the least value. One
poor man had huge heap OF old books, and
was selling them for four cents apiece / found
some Legends of Paris" and the man had to
go to a neighbo to get 20 cent piece changed.
There was beautifully embossed little jewell
casket, the little angels in bas-relief being
dainty and most perfectly formed; it could
have been replated, and would have been n
yeritabe treasure box for dressing stand, but
the owner wanted many francs for it that
my purse would never have stood the strain.
shook my head mournfully, and moved away.
The poor old creature called after me that she
would tako whatever would give. l had not
the heart to beat her down from her price /;
though. travellers always tell you never to give
what is first asked. Ia this case think people
would be doing charity to give what they
can afford. as most of the vendors were objects
of pity. The ground on which this market
house stands is historic spot, having been
used as q place for selling provisions during
the time the Romans occupied Paris; or, as it
was then called, Lutetia Parisorum.
The HalIes CentraIes, Center Markets. are 10
large pavilions. covering great space ofground,
aud are rooted in, even the streets passing
through the market being covered over. You
can easily imagine that to supply food to the
whole Of Paris enormous quantities would have
to be imported from distant places as well as
from France itself Algeria sends huit, fish,
meat. and vegetables. Much of the traffic is
carried on in these markets by women, though
there are men also who have stalls. But tho
women of the Halles" are noted every where
for their ferceness, and If / am not mistaken
even poor Marie Antoinette suffered from the
insults of this degraded type Of womanhood.
who have always been conspicuous in the revo-
lutiOns which have so often disturbed Paris. A
Christian church and cemetery were once close
to this vicinity; but nothing now remains 10 re-
mind US of the Church of the Holy Inpocents."
built by Louis le Gros but the Fountain Of the
Innocents, which was originally attached to the
back of the church, but which has been re-
modelled and now stands by itself. John
Evelyn. in his diary, speaks of it thus: "JOyn-
ing to this church is a CONF on fountane, with
good relievas on it"
All this neighborhood is intensely interest
ing to any one who cares for hunting up the
curious old places in Paris. and the city is full
of such. square or two from this market is
the "Bourse de Commerce" a stock exchange.
which was originally the corn exchange. This
spot is as romantic In its history as any land
marx in Paris
In the 18th century Queen Blanche of Cas-
tile resided here in a building called the Hotel
de Nesle. Why she did not reside with her
royal son at the PaIais across the river, on the
island, never heard. She was near enough the
Kings residence to walk across the bridge to
20 to church in the Sainte Chapelle, and the
place where she knelt in the sacred edIiee IS
still pointed ont. The floor of the alcove where
she prayed so devOutly during divine services
is mosaic of 6ne work, the castles OF Castillo
being prominent among the lilies of France.
On the other side Of the church. facing the
Qneen, was the space reserved for the King.
and crowns of lilies mark the spot where this
devout monarch so often invoked the help of
heaven for his beloved France.
To return to the Queens hotel, however.
Hare in his delightful book on Paris" says
that it was to this home of the Queen that one
Thibault, Prince and Troubadour, or,
rather, the poet king of Navarro, would come
to pour forth in song his worship of her Majesty.
Wearied with his devotion Queen Blanche per-
suaded him to Join the Crusaders and to fight
with the rest of the nobility for the rescue Of
the Holy Land.
The disconsolate lover grasped this oppor-
tunity TO prove his devotion to his fair lady.
Ever since / read the story / have wou-
dsred what became of him. whether he was
killed or returned home. II he did come back
It must have broken his heart when he learned
that the gracious lady had died on a bed OF
straw, such was the poverty Of the royal family
at the time.
After belonging to various princely heirs it
was given by Charles VI (the poor crazy King.
who amused himself playing cards. TO his un-
worthy brother the Dnke Of Orleans who left
this house one evening never to return, as the
Duke was murdered while on his way to see
the wicked lneen lsaDeat. by the hanQS or DIS
first cousin. the Duke of Burgundy.
When Catherine de Medicis bad wearied OF
the Tuileries. after finishing its principal
facade, she tore down the historic Hotel de
Nesle, and employed the most famous architect
Of the time to erect on its site q grand and i'm
posing palace that would suit her fancy more
than the Tuileries. Its name in history is the
Hotel dc Soissons from subsequent owners.
Here Catherine, who was astrolOgist, erected
an astronomical ohser rvatory. and when passers-
by mt night saw light burning they would say
that the Queen was consulting the stars; it |
was a bad sign. All that remains to mark the |
site of either enc of these palaces is q futed |
column. said to have been erected for the |
Queens astrologer in her observatory.
The beautiful church of Saint Eussache, |
which is close to these markets, is considered
Dns Of the finest in Paris. and it impressed Us
with its tall columns, beautiful arches and |
stained glass windows. 1t dates
from the 18th century, and during the French
Revolution was turned by those modern pagans
nto Temple of Agriculture. The magnificent
tomb here erected to Colbert, the Minister OF
Finance under Louis XIV, is work of art, |
Ind is fitting memorial! to just and honor |
.ble man. We owe the wonderful Gobelin |
apesfries to this great man, as he it was who |
persuaded Louis XIV to buy out the firm Of |
yeavers and to establish it as a Government |
HENRIFTTA DJJ HAMrr