Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-08-21

After we Mad seen the great wonders
" Faris, we were allowed to Rratif
our Feminine thirst for shopping. W3
wen know that many a wonan's heart
dhrobs with envy when she thinks of
our opportunity to secure loves of bon+
nets, dreams of dresses. and the thout
SAND and one airy trifies so dear TO the
lemaie heart. But let no one be undtd.
the delusion that beautiful things ceh
De had in Paris for a song. Nay, ma I
a good article brings good price 4,
| Paris. as in New York, and lust Us
charming creations can be bought In
the latter place for the same mondy.
| We admit there is halo surrounding
the chapeau personally purchased in
Paris which cannot be seen shining
| around the one bought at home. eveh If
| imported; but hats are difficultj %
carry in a trunk CIR in ones hand, and
woman with bandbox has long}a ago
gone out of fashion. So with Spartan
courage we bore the wolf-like gnajxing
Of wanting everything, and said lit
doesn't hurt Q bit" when we Whilst
| those tempting costumes.
Truth to TELL we failed to see the ad-
vantage gained by one Womanl VINO
bought for. herself and daughters twelve
SILK skirts at exactly the price a$ked in
Portland, planning for each to wdar tour
on their way through the CUSTOM house,
and anxiously asking if they wbuld be
| searched! The glory of the Bon Narche"
| Is past, the Grand Magazins du Louvre"
| nave eclipsed it. Here skirts ftrimmed
| from top to bottom, reign. with blue ana
| green the combination most approved.
| What dainty lingerie. what exquifite hand
| embroidered mouchoirs, the quahtity I'M
limited from which to make selection.
| The smaller shops are far the ibest and
most bewitching in their lbvellness.
However. we bought with a pound of
candy and six yaros of ribbon all the ex-
perience of Paris shopping that we
| wished. We learned one lesson thorough
ly during the first hours of our stay in
| France; while ascending ITO our room we
kept repeating to ourselves 'quatrierne
etage-quartrieme etage. and as we
Ineared it plucked up sufficient courage To
| repeat our little phrase to the porter d.
belt in a somewhat husky voice. All
| right. Madame, fourth floor was tile
unexpected shock. and feeling at same
time relieved and foolish, we resolved that
| forever after we wouh preface all re-
marks with DO you ispeak EnglishY"
| Accordingly, while on our shopping tour,
after walking the length of the ribbon
counter, our eyes fell on one young maj
| who looked a shade less volatile than his
companions. and to him We addressed DIR
now familiar formula, DO YOU" ed.
| Mon! nOn!' was the emphatic rejont-
er.accompanied by most negative shaLe
of the head. and echoed down the line Ny
| twenty more young men. For the NEXT
| hour that ''gentlemaH of France fou9d
life a burden. Beyond belief are the
mutual misunderstanding as to prize
| and width that are possible and must be
| explained with but a single word aid
shrugs and gesticulations without nuh-
Der. We finally secured what we waptdd
but at the cost of nervous force Elc{l-
culable. Spent in purse-we paid mj.e
than double its value-exhausted in Dolly
and mind. We We're supported to the
door. where n waiting vehicle conveIad
purchases carefully preserved for future
: use at home. DO they not have Engllsh
speaking cerks?" we hear across tne
: water They do of course; but wien
shopping, what is one among so man?P
Our visit to the Luxembourg was mbst
enjoyable one great reason being thy ii
is within ones power to gain some Yea
of it's contents: though it would tlke
days to see all the beauties of Detaifles'
l great picture of the ''Capitulation. 1t
r hangs low, so that it can be seen Two
, rooms away, and the effect of life is MIR
a vellous One hears the measured tramp
of men moving slowly along, with anns
/ retained for bravery. but with hslds
n bowed low with grief. More touching
: | than scenes of war.more fascinating tan
Bonheurs beautiful cattle. was the pic
:, ture that spoke of the utter abandonment
v to grief of one whom death had deprived
Il of the sole treasure, ana who strtken
sought at the feet of the Mother of Sor-
v rows sympathy and sustaining strerSth
Il All this we found in Bougereau's don
soling Virgin The Luxembourg is
- possible the Louvre impossible-wit4 its
immense galleries filled with vast tseas-
- ures of marble and painting-impoAlblt
to any but those with weeks of tint a
IL their command. The miles on mills OF
III glance at but studied long Murnlo's
e, Assumption and the inscrutable fac
re of Mona Lisa. Even the most enthlAias
- tic love of pictures cannot prevenJ th'
~, eyes from firing, or the head from asllns
~ with long looking. So one afteHoor
II eight of us decided on a change of Plan
le and set forth to see Paris alone. VIZ no
"A ticed that the guide secured.at one q thu
:. many small stations circular piegf o.
II cardboard, each containing a number
j. and which We're distributed to our hrty
IL, AS numbers were called the person bold
", ing that number took her seat; nv
: mounted to as many vacant seats . TO-
III of the bus. and three mournfullJ sd
IL within. feeling injured that they mus
l.. pay double for what they did not want
y Surely eight small cards. five woHfn OF
-. top of a bus and three inside. sens
ne very harmless combination: but tf sc
r, quel will show how true it is one qnno
,y Judge by appearances The horses poo
= skinny beasts-ambled along, urgf on
by the incessant crack of the dfver
~ long lash which sounded far MOP hE
l. the explosion of cannon crackers pan
y. thorough bred whip. Then camp tn
foot. foot of the conductors horn, tstea'
Is of the usual bell, bewildering us u mix
rs ing February 22nd with July ATM untl
a J.. it became difficult for loyal pnlte'
!, States citizen to tell which instru1ent O
torture was peculiar to 1.-The day 4s cele
h brate.'' We casually remarked It mrs
Il how affable were French conductlrs, 10
" every time ours paused before rs w
80 would proffer him the round tickets
> which he smilingly refused by apeclde'
r. shake of the head. We thought pecu
). D.. liar. but one popularity more pr les
III hardly signfied where there are s many
After leaving our trio, he would tlnd III
way up stairs. repeating the perfrmanc
c:- with the remainder of the paFy W.
ed noticed each time that the sme grew
~, beautifully less but we were Got DIS
- turbed The third time he d$cendet
we realized something must be dfe; on
go of us said He wants to COLLEGE doup
en- fare. there is no doubt; it is 5ot IN
!, | money we mind. but the princ4ie; 10
q the sake of that let us be firm AM
. with pride we write it, we were irm;
OF was rather trying situationEne pu
II, 4 was filed, every eye was uponrs' I'M
-, | conductor bombarded us with Not an'
:" shell sentences in French, and It II neon
II ceiva BILE until one has heard it. TN RAPID
a. icb Erpnc1WOnSut