The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-04-29


Paris as It Is. by Katharine de Forest,
is one Of the best guides which one could
have in visiting that fascinating city. In
il may be found descriptions OF the man
ners. customs. character and institutions
Of the people as well as OF the city itself,
and anyone who intends to visit ihe Expo
sition will do well to buy and read it
forthwith. 1t is so chsrmingly written
that the reading is not likely to be a diff
fcult task
The author thoroughly appreciates the
peculiar qualities which make Paris the
delight OF the cosmopolitan traveller and
Of people from all the countries of the
earth. She writes Of the city as Of a sec
ond home and with the assurance Of one
who knows the subject thoroughly The
following description Of the city as seen
on entrance is a fair example Of her style
Of word-painung:
Paris is like a fruit divided into two halves
ly the cleaning steel of the river, and over each
half 800 either side rises o height which augnents
the impression Of imm,u-ity. On the lett bank il
Is ice Mountain OF Saiutc GeuCyicVc. crowned hy
the Pantheon. with ats belt Of columns, on which
rests its enormous dome. On M right is the
white church Of the Sacre Occur. cleaning the
lI ut Mont MaTtre like some celestial vision.
Il IS az its threshold rather than from the EifTe
tower or anywhere else ! think, that you get
The most poignant impressions Of Paris as
whole ID lies spread out before You. with its
setting o. distant bills, lis sWirmlnE eXplnse
o. houses, dominated here and there hy palaces,
and broken by the green Of gardens; and from
that distance ihc sounds OF the city come 10
you onIy as one great suppressed murmur-a muir
muir pallitaaHg with the life OF this great heart
% the cid world.
The author is Of the opinion that one
chief source Of the charm Of Paris is the
gayety Of temperament which leads the
French people TO assume that a certain
share OF enjoyment is an inalienablc right
Of man. She says.
Elsewhere men either burn themselves ont with
work or they vtEetato u is only in Paris that
they establish 90 equilibrium between effort and
relaxation This is the reason why the Parisiaus
always get the credit of being idlers and iouusers
iu spite Of tine fact that The output Of uluduC
iiou there is enormous.
She also says that you must study TIE
streets OF Paris il you would understand
her. and as the street Is accessible to
every foreigner this is undoubtedly enc
reason for the bewitchment Of so many
foreigners with the city on the Seine
After this Introduction, the book is d.
yidad into three parts; The first deas with
the life and people, the second with the
rulers Of Paris. and the third with the art
life and its institutions. One Of the most
interesting Of the earlier chapters is that
which deale with tho academirfans and
there are two on three anecdotes herein
contained which sound considerably more
like comic opera than real life. one con-
Germs the great chemist, Ampere, and
dates from the days when Academicians
wore their uniform OF green coat. embroi-
uered Win laurel leaves ana mOJheI-oi-
pearl sword, into society. II is as fol-
lows.
he mao gone 10 -"lFns 10 lecture hPon sun
Jet very near 60 il- heart. aud mad So warned
nP "iih hls Own tg4n'H'' aa ehufeF 10 forget
iia huii'"io'iss at 81 once s"uaeh con
S'I.us-ts' vl i'1'.t i'--I,a over A!Hi' aHu "t
romeo aIluN- 20 mo- 10 JUS a''"ll'lH'eHt thtt
ne room was tutii'iA empty except LOT single
person. me mi,ifes ul nc mouse IAIquliiy asleep
on sofa before hin- lhe most delicate thing
quietly, without waking hei, bot a. 'li-iuek Would
have IT, d 50 happened mat exactly between the
womau's back and The cushion Was Tie swami
sword which he laa pug ih're 50 a. 20 be more
al case WINE i'ih.hE' ihs eA--eh, AmpeIt up
tned over 90 ihe @aia. a'd hneriinE down, ulcd 70
Withdraw th!s s"iil MiUpui disturbing ms idI
iutHl. sluutHl}- !" DDS horror. inc piadr came
away. while ne sHe4ih STAYED, ana mear"hic
the sleeper a"'ht ahd began 90 scream igudIy al
seeing Amp'Te the peaceful. Amp7rc, Oh his knees
thing was explained, but you can fancy how Paris
laughed the next dag.
.-..t--- s....;,,...t,,,- ,h,4,. a.. .h,+ -,
-.
me N"liouit iaii'als'- Inc iil'i ~ N''i'ii
Is eNquisitely sympathetic and tehciious,
What an old, old thing the drama seems, 10 be
sue, the nrsl lilne you % mere ron iee' 4s
o-il-.s VA s,I, w., -;,,, ~. a.. ~, ,i,,