Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1900-07-26
Saint Narg's Beacon,
EXPOSITION LETTER.
I From our Regular Correspondent


teresting are the people Of country
than are their monuments, cathe-
drels. museums, or evenstheir In
ternational Expeditions. But how
can writer tell about the people of
a country or portray them, or catch
the million evanescent flashes by
which they show all the littleness
and greatness of their character i?
The French are said to be shallow
and volatile race, but is M. Taine
shallow Can any one after read
ing "Lourdes, /" "Rome," "Paris"
and his stern heroic defence of Drey-
fus call lola volatile? There are
hundreds of Frenchmen no less Sc
rious and scarcely less distinguish
ed. And for every great writer of
the other sex in our language it
will not be difficult to mention q
DE Stael or Sand. These are ex-
ceptions, of course, but the French
men have not written without
readers, and their great scientists
and philanthropists are not without
honor in their own country. New
ertheless, outside their books, or
paintings or statuary, we do not
like the French, nor do they like
US. This mutual antipathy, how
ever, does not perhaps prove more
than mutual ignorance and preju-
dice. We do not like anything I'M.
like ourselves. Think Of our vani-
ty in this! The best way to under.
stand the people of country is to
let them talk and reveal themselves,
and | shall, with your permission
give your readers some literal spec
linens of French journalism. For
a week, King Oscar Of Sweden has
been in Paris. Last Sunday he
went with the President to the
Grand Prix, or biggest horse race
OF the season, and during the week
he has been "doing" the Exposition
and the following is literal report
from Paris paper Of his last day
in Paris
"The King Of Sweden and Nor
way concentrated the last day Of
his sojourn in Paris to visiting the
Pavilions in the street Of Nations
of the Exposition. The Spanish
pavilion was invested with o pecu-
liar grace and solemnitY by the pres.
ence Of the Infanta Eulalie who in
sisted upon doing the honors Of the
occasion to Oscar the second in the
Palace Of her country on the Seine.
That one respectfully kissed the
hand Of the princess who saluted
him with a gracious bow. The
princess had around her NJ. de Le-
on y Catillo, AMBASSADOR of Spain;
the Marchioness Aroo Hermoso,
her dame of honor the duke de
Sesto, Commissary General Of the
Spanish Exposition lie Compile de
Belloncia don Juan, le marquis dc
Villalobar" mo wonder the coun,
try 10 IN decadence when 80 much
time is lost in remembering and
giving such titles. "The King par.
ticalarly admired the magnificent
tapestries of the 10Th century which
cover the walls OF the different SO.
looms" (He missed the best thing
If no failed to see Boabdil's sword
and tunic in the second story front.
mn the German Palace, the King
of Sweden was more than once sur
prised. at is magnificent" he
said transtixed by the rich repro.
duction of the famous salon of Sans
Souci, and he added with an exac-
titude that was somewhat cruel
"France has not as beautiful col
lection of the French school OF that
period"
In Finland the King was received
with significant cordially and one
of the Swedish Commissioners was
overheard to say, "our lost province
is today a Grand Duohy Of Russia. .
AS his time was limited his Ma.
jesty passed hastily through the
pavilions of Belgium, England,
Hungary, Bosnia, Austria, the
United States and Italy, not, how.
ever, without friendly word with
tho Commissioner General OF each
country.