The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-05-22

The fact Is, the French tried to Guido
our Chicago Exposition, and It is becom-
ing apparent to all that French love OF
display Is not commensurate with Ameri-
can energy and fertility u resource.
Meanwhile the French Salon, not far
from the Exposition is attracting the
lovers Of Art who are disappointed in not
being able yet TO see in the Beaux Arts
building the best work Of all the nations
done by artists and sculptors in the last
ten years. The Salon is held In large
temporary building back of the Invalides
arranged purposely for this years exhi-
bition. 1t presents q very large and in
teresting collection, many of the subjects
having won medals and honorable men
tion, as well as those by older artists who
are outside of competition and whose
pictures are marked III. c." Out Of
these pictures in the Salon, selection is
made for the Luxembourg and after
the death Of the artists whose pictures
are in the Luxembourg Gallery, selection
Is made from them for the Louvre.
The Louvre has lately undergone rear
rangement Of its finest pictures; and now
we do not find Murillo's Immaculate
Conception and Holy Family In the Sale
Care. but In a room near the entrance,
with other fine subjects; and the most Of
the works Of Rubens, including the Marie
di Medici series, are placed In "A compart-
ment by themselves.
Paris is now something dreadful In Its
noise and excitement, and il is almost
impossible in the busiest places, to cross
the streets,
The police force is decidedly conspicu-
Gus by its absence, doing its duty in a
very remiss manner in every part except
the places near the Exposition grounds.
This extends over such vast territory
that the force is rather poorly represented
even in that vicinity.
In the meantime it is great relief to
escape the general excitement and get off
by ones self smong the various more dis
tant points Of interest. In this respect
the Latin Quarter Is now one of the most
desirable parts of Paris, since compare
tive quiet and freedom from hustle
reigns there.
People at present are not amusing them
selves so much as usual by drowning and
suicide, for one day only three of the un-
fortunate put in an appearance at the
Morgue. This is probably because in the
city there is so much of active interest
and life that few have time to get NOR
bid. OF the three rather respectable look
ing individuals on exhibition one was a
woman who had no doubt taken her own
life in moment of distraction, as her
face indicated supplemented lunacy.
One of the others had the appearance of
a man of n good deal of character, while
the third might have been thrown by ac-
cident into the water in "a state of intoxi-
cation, or Judging by the bruises ON his
face, he might have been knocked over
board.
The NotreDame with its majestic
facade looks as grand and distinguished
as in the days of Trilby, when the Laird,
Taffy and Little Billee looked out upon
1t from their studio window. The statue
of the Virgin long ago replaced he one of
Liberty, which the revolutionists of 1872
set up there when patriotic hymns We're
sung by the National Guard instead of
tlit lilhNit III itH PifNAhNN'
today. When one looks at the beautiful
choir with its finely wrought carvings, he
can hardly realize that the Temple OF
Philosophy adorned with the busts of
Voltaire, Rousseau and others then desc
Grated the sacred place.
This Latin Quarter is still the haunt
of artists, and studios to let and already
occupied, are tucked round in every cor
ner Of the environs, and the surroundings
of the Odeon and the Luxembourg be-
speak the artistic soul. Little Billee'
lodged in the Hotel Coineille, which is
still the same peaceful inn overlooking
the Luxembourg Gardens. IL is rs easy
to imagine him winding his way from
the studio in the square Anatoles des
Arts through that part of the Latin Quar-
ter, musing all the time on his love for
Trilby, as though he had lived in reality,
instead of in the mind of Du Maurler.
When you get tired of that part of the
Isle de Cite, all of which was the old
Lutetia Parisiorum of Caesars time, you
return TO the places along the quay.
First you visit st. Chapelle, the ancient
palace chapel, crested in the 18th century
as a depository of sacred relics brought
from Jerusalem by Baldwin, son-in-law
of Jeanne de Brienne. st. Chapelle Is
a gem of Gothic architecture and old
stained glass and beautiful groined vault
ing with IA polychrome finished wall.
You pass out of the chapel through the
Palais de Justice and see the barristers in
black gowns with their green bags for
their briefs.
Above all, il it is Thursday, and you
feel inclined, you follow the steps of the
of sightseers along the quay |
to the Office of the project of police, where |
permits are given for admission to the
Conciergerie. 1t is somewhat arduous
task to go all the required distance and
then mount the three long flights of stairs
to the top of the building for "A small |
niece Of naDer which only saws admit |