Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1897-06-01
FROM PARIS, FRANCE, TO PARIS,
MAINE.
No. @.

L
MAINE.
No. Is.
FAREWELL TO PARIS.
II (From our Special Foreign Corrcspondcnt)
| NEW YORK, N. Y, U. 8. A.
April II, 1897. I
"God bless our native hillsl
Il Green woods and sparkling Yills,
| This glorious day
Wherever we may roam,
We Ind no place IKE home;
No other sky fair.
| No swectcr summer air,
Than here today"
Though II is at last with reluctant feet
that we turn our steps from the gay cap.
ital, and leave friends so dear, who have
made this memorable sojourn so frsught
with intense interest and pleasure, yet II
Il towards the Homeland that the heart
turns, and to the home friends, never
before so dear, that the eyes look long
ingly through misty tears, that come
with thoughts Of by-gone years.
There IL no place like the old place. where you
| ana were born,
Where We lifted up our eyes 10 the splendors OF
the morn
From the mix white breast that warmed US
from the ciipging arms that bore.
Where the dears eyes giisscncd DER us. that Will
look on Us no more.
''Therc Is no friend like the old friend. who has
shared our morning days,
| No greeting Ike his welcome. no homage Ike bis
Fame is he scentless flower, with saudy crown
| OF gold.
But Friendship IL the breathing rose, with sweets
| In every fold"
We could tell you much more Of inter-
est about fair Psris-something Of the
gaieties and dissipations OF Mardi Gras,
that three days festival before Lent,
when all Paris is out for clark" and an
hilarious time. We have been unable to
find any reason for this custom. except
that the people think they have to behave
for the next forty days, and so make up
for 1t beforehand In this way.
In the morning they have procession
which resembles very much our Fourth
OF July parade OF fantastics. The trees
on the boulevsrds are streaming with
bright colored paper ribbons, and
you wade through drifts Of confetti
|
green, yellow, red, purple and white
paper which every one pelts you with II
you dare to step outdoors. For three
DAYS and nights this war OF the elements
Of spirits (of all kinds) goes on. II Is
mostly good natured war, but when
the crowd takes your horse, carriage and
coachman, IL you happen to be riding In
a cab, and tosses them up and down in
the air, and flls your neck, hair, sleeves,
eyes, ears, nose and mouth full Of con-
fetti, or gets you inside "ring around
the rosy" and won't let you out, pulls
out your hair-pins, and leaves your gold
eh hair hanging down your back; or, II
you happen TO be man, they pull OIL
your coat, smash your silk hat and pin
grotesque and vulgar images on your
clothes-then 1t ceases to be joke.
Three weeks after that they have an-
other day called Medreme, the day Of the
Blanchisseres, or laundry women, who
have q grand parade, and the one most
comely TO look at, and most deserving,
IL crowned queen, and the President OF
France gives her $3.50 In gold and gold
watch. More confetti than ever Is
thrown on that day-you can buy it
cheaper.
Then we might also tell you OF the
very interesting visit TO the charming
princess In her high tower" who serv-
ed us with five o'clock tea In the glass
dome at The top OF the Paris Observa-
tory; and OF the never-tO-be-forgotten
evening twilight, when with this delight
full companion by our side, on the ex-
treme top pinnacle Of this high altitude,
we watched the sun go down. over the
tops OF the trees aud spires Of Paris, and
saw Venus light her torch, the glorious
evening star.
No one can gain entrance TO these
charmed precincts, except by special in
yitation from Miss Dorothy klumpke,
the talented American girl who Is the
presiding genius over this most celebrat-
ed Astronomical headquarters In the
world. She gained the position in COM
petition with fifty men, and Ia the only
woman ever admitted TO the Paris OBJ
seryatory. She wears her distinguished
honors with perfect unconsciousness,
and In manner and character Is most re-
firing and modest-the most admirable
characteristic OF all In this wonderfully
gifted personality. Fear she has none,
and spends her nights In her elevated
chamber alone, making observations and
studying the stars. .
And Of the last night OF farewell, when
TO .speed the parting guest" the house
was turned into bower OF flowers
violets and the yellow daffodil, the Ia
yorite color of the one who was TO depart
on the morrow. Colored lights flashed,
and music and dancing and songs OF rev.
elry and mirth were INDUCED In till
morning dawned-and Sunday morn
ing ut that, for all their festivities
are conducted on Saturday or Sunday
nights. Three counts were among the
invited guests, and countless fair women,
In ravishing costumes, all In In honor OF
the Partisan from Maine, who TO all ap-
appearances must be q bigger Making
gun In Paris, France, than in Paris,
Maine.
And at last the sad ride to the railway
station, and the lingering, reluctant part
ings, and the long, lonely ride through
the country, bordered on each side by
thousands of green acres and tillage,
with not house ip sight for scores OF
miles, making US wonder where the peo-
ple liued who titled this vast area Of soil.
We pass Clermont, the ancient city
from which started, just 500 years ago,
the first Crusaders on their pilgrimage
to the Holy Land. Their priests had
told them that this object, II attained,
would secure the eternal salvation OF
their souls. They imagined that in the
meantime the Lord would feed them on
| will Not Perf0rmMiracleS