Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1897-04-06
FROM PARIS, MAINE, TO PARIS
FRANCE.
No. 10.

No. 10.
LIVING IN PARIS.
(Frcm our Special Foreign Correspondent
PARIS, FRANCE, March l6, 1897.
The problem Of living In Paris is the
greatest theme that confronts an Ameri-
can who comes here. We shall not be
likely to forget ocr first days OF expert
encing the joys OF boarder's lie 10
Paris. The boarding place that had
been previously engaged through cor
respondence, was called an English
Home" for students and governesses
Great stress had been laid on the luxury
Of q private room, which had been prom
ised, so one.night after dark we proceed
ed towards our future abode.
The cabman who takes luggage from
one place to another, Of course Will cot
load the trunks, SO middle-msn must
be provided, la order to put more money
la circulation, for foreigners invariably
think Americans are made Of money. so
they study up all sorts Of schemes to
get II away from them.
IL the place you happen to strike has
no concierge, or what we call janitor, you
must hunt up some kind OF man to
take your trunks into the house, and II
you happen to be stranger In strange
land. aud can't parley F'rdncdis, very
likely you will have to take your trunk
of yourself and carry It up more or less
flights Of stairs-mostly more-He've
only had six so far. We were fortunate
enough 10 have an interpreter In our
party, who after several futile attempts
Ia seeking man, at last succeeded In
finding one. All your other luggage,
steamer trunk, gripsack, umbrella and
steamer wraps, yeu must carry up your
self or pay another fee, so we shoulder
our knapssck and march.
Somehow, by instinct or other super
natural or astrological power, We find
our way to back entrance, after going
through hole in the high board fence
with which every house is surrounded
here, and through damp, dank, dark
court into narrow back alley way, and
at last emerge into bick yard, where
a, the back door stands the matron OF
this imposing habitation, with candle
In her hand. She escorts US down
through what reminds US OF "Old Grimes
cellar door," and up through another
narrow passage way, from which on our
side room opens, where many females
Of certain aud uncertain age are con-
fined; some knitting, knitting, some
only sitting, sitting, Others trying to
sew on some necessary article OF APP
parel, perhaps one or two trying TO
read, but anon their eyes would wander
aimlessly around the room; some nurs-
ing cold or hollow consump;ive cough,
wrapped in thin and threidbare gar
ments, but none of them rocking 10 and
fro, to aud fro, for a rocking chair Is too
much of luxury for Paris, but all OF
them with that detected, unhappy, sor
ron full. discouraged aud hopeless look
born OF privation, want and suffering.
Our thoughts travelled to our own
warm though not luxurious covering,
aud we mentally resolved that II we
we're doomed TO make one OF this num-
Der OF hopeless, pitiful creatures, that
this girl should have our fur lined cape
one should have our steamer rug 10
wrap around her, aud the other one
should have our warm woolen shawl.
At last we reach our room after crop
ing up a stairway, narrower and dirtier
than the stairs that 60 TO your hen loft
in the barn. We Rnd it contains two
beds, each Of which would comfortably
accommodate a knife-blade II turned up
edgewise, and the space between, which
Was the entire territory OF the room,
was about wide enough for you to walk
through, IL you didn't mind such little
thing as skinning your shins.
On one of the beds sat q grim-visaged
female, apparently waiting our advent In
order ito kill US with look" for dar-
ing to invade her precincts, but she
need not have wasted all that ammuni-
ton, for we felt like saying 70 her that
We did not court her society any more
than she did ours, and inwsrdly vowed
that We would not stay in that house
one night for all of Paris and part OF
Woodstock, Pinhook, Hungry Hollow,
and the Darnit ''deestrict" thrown In;
so We turned 10 the proprietress OF this
elaborately embellished apartment and
asked, "where WAS our private r0om!"
"This Is a private room," she blandly
replied, when we stared at the attenu-
sted apparitiou opposite, wondering how
anything could be private with the eagle
eye Of this female dragon-fy in reserve.
We should positively have died OF fright
before morning II We had stayed In the
presence Of this ogre, and then this tale
would never have been unfolded!
We afterwards learned that their "pri-
vate rooms" were for two or three peo-
pie, while the others all had to occupy one
room. On our way out We cast one
more plying glance upon the forl0rn
group within, never wishing more fer
vently for riches, with which to endow
an institution for the comfort OF these
poor privation-haunted girls.
Our next venture was ut another so
called ''hOme" for American girl stu
dents. Though we found 1t q vast con-
trast to the first one, yet In the way OF
appointments and luxuries the room we
were assigned to you would not put
your dog in; but as 1t had the grace to
be clean, we resigned ourself to our sur
rouudings, only too glad to fnd some
place where phantoms Of memory would
not haunt Us, for We were very sure
they would be scared out Of here. 1t
was homesick night that folded itself
down upon US, and but for the little an
gel In the next room, who, though an
entire stranger, came and tucked Us into
our narrow bed, and brought warmth
and tender hands, and with soothing,
comforting words made US feel we were