Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1897-05-25

making Il look like receptacle Of eter-
nal sunshine. It WAS from the tower OF
this church that the signal for the mas
sacre Of st. Bartholomew rang out, Aug.
"a, 1875. In an instant light sprang into
life from every house In sight. Every
one that was out was murderer. As
before stated, Queen Catherine was the
instigator OF this order, that every
Protestant should be murdered In cold
blood. When the morning OF the second
day dawned, It revealed the streets paw
ed with human faces turned up to the
sky, and when the hideous, inhuman
human butchery was over, scarcely u
Huguenot was left to tell the tale.
st. Sulpice is chiefly interesting from
the fact that Fenel0n, that famous French
preacher, and the author Of that beauti-
ful classic "Telemschus," presided here
about 100.
st. Chapelle Is the jewel Of Paris-a
small church built entirely Of stained
glass. As you stand 10 the Interior and
look all about you, you seem to be sur
rounded by pictures made OF jewels OF
all colors and shades, with the sun shin
ing through. Paris surpssses the world
4 III us DtauttIut sttIutu kiasS.
But the most impressive building of
any description In Paris, is the church
OF the Madeleine, or church Of st. Mary
Magdslen, built In the style ofa Greek
temple. 1t stands on basement % feet
high, surrounded by an imposing col.
onnsde OF massive columns 60 feet high
and inches In diameter. 1t has no
windows. Steps 90 up all around the
platform. Notre Dame with its elabo-
rate decorations cannot compare with
this majestic structure, plain TO dignity.
The interior contains the finest altar
piece In the world, representing Mary
Magdalen borne into Paradise by two
angels.
The most costly church is the Dome
des Invslides, so called from It's connec-
tion with the Hotel des Invalides, or SOL
diers' home, built for Napoleon's dis
abled soldiers. Underneath the gold
dome Of this church Is the tomb OF the
great warrior.
But the most beautiful piece Of arch
itecture In ell Paris, according to our
poor judgment, Is the Tower of st.
Jacques, a square tower 200 feet high,
which once belonged to church which
was demolished, but the tower left
standing. With It's protruding gargoyles
fantastic and sometimes hideous figures
which are put on every church to keep
away the evil spirits) and It's pictur-
esQue formation, standing alone against
the sky, II makes picture Of the most
striking beauty.
On the top Of Montmsrtre q high hill
In the centre Of Paris, noted for It's
quarries Of gypsum, from which when
calcined, plaster OF Paris Il obtained,
and also, from It's having witnessed the
final struggle Of the Communist rebel
lion. n period OF horrors almost without
parallel In the cheQuered annals Of Paris
church Ia In process OF construction, and
nearly finished, which will surpass any
thing OF the kind In the world. The
Parislans are bound not to be outdone In
the way of magniflcence, and all OF US
poor victims who come over here, have
to help pay for II, for the enormous
prices charged foreigners for everything,
are indirectly the causes by which the
Golfers Of the government are enriched
but the old saying Is that "those that
dance" etc. So II we sit on their seats
under the trees, we must pay for IL.
Each seat Is taxed two cents, and
woman comes around to collect the pay,
before you have n chance to get out Of
the way.
Before having been here long enough
10 become initiated into quite all the
mysteries OF Paris, while out for an
airing one day. it occurred to us to sit
down on one OF the chairs that line every
park and boulevard. Presently woman
came along and accosted US. All our
persistent reiteration that we did not
compreheade Francois did not satisfy her,
so We got up to walk away, when she
undertook to prevent. OF course we
knew she wanted money, but unfortunate
" that commodity had been left at
home, so, seeing her request not likely
to be complied with, she called the near
est gendsrme, who proceeded to walk Us
US off to the police station. On the way,
az luck would have 1t, we met friend,
who, perfectly aghast, asked:
"What have you been doing"
Just drawing plain, everyday breath
that Is ALL" was the answer.
"why, why, what Is this officer going
10 do with your she then asked.
ASK him." We say, which she did, In
the language he could understand, so he
told her the story, and she beamingly
gave him the two cents, thus rescuing
us from the jaws Of justice. But we
don't begrudge the tax, for It Is worth 1t
to sit here now, under the trees, and
watch the living, moving panorama Of
walking, driving, laughing humanity,
who lice out doors, and don't seem to
have q thing to do but have a good time
and enjoy life In their beautiful city.
Seeing everything with the glow OF
sunshine and warmth upon II, makes Ii
look far differently, and you lose sight Of
all that shocked you at first, for custom
will accustom the whole world. Were we
not loyal to our own incompatible town
of Paris, we should feel like saying there
Is nothing so charming In the world,
and that Paris Is paradise, the Arc de
Trionphe dream, the Champs Elysees
a Champs Elysium, and the whole en-
semJle such an intoxication and delirium
that you don't want to do thing but to
sit here and just lire. We can no longer
sympathize with the friend who came
over here in the winter and who said
while stopping In London that he
thought II the most gloomy and home
sick place he was ever In, but after COM
ing to Paris, all he wanted was to get
back to London! We can assure you
now, strange as 1t may seem, that all
you will want will be to stay in Paris!
There are flowers, flowers everywhere,
In the flower markets, on the streets and
in the baskets and carts Of the flower
girls, and though they are not the old
fashioned roses, the marigolds, the sweet
marjoram, the bleeding heart and love-
lies-bleeding Of the "old home down on
the farm" to which the heart turns more