The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-08-12
PARIS FUNERAL SCENES.
Power of IN "First-CIassv Event as
an Attraction.

an
Paris Letter New York Commercial
Advertiser.
A crowd was thickening fast in the
triangular space before the little stone
church with it's extraordinarily high
steeple. A fresh, fragrant spring day,
and Parisians, old and young, not
pressed for time. We're only too glad
to linger here In the open under the
blue sky and chat q bit with their
neighbors. Especially when so con-
genial a theme of conversation was Of
fered them off-hand and gratuitously
as a funeral, and an eminently proper
one at that, with all the pomp and
circumstance attached of a church
door draped in black cloth with silver
fringe, and a continual stream of
floral regrets" A beau marriage,
pompous funeral, these give color and
movement to the life of the Partisan
working class and add a relish to their
daily toll.
The floral offerings increase, and an
assiduous, portly individual, clothed
in black, and with a bit of Grape care
fully and conspicuously arranged on
his high hat, begins to dispose them
about the church door with the air
OF one who takes an unctuous pleasure
in these, his floral duties, and who
feels that much of the success of the
occasion depends upon his proper ex
ecution of them.
The excitement mounts in proportion
to the number of wreaths, and every
stray passerby is assailed with
prayer and an entreaty to tell, IL he
knows 1t, the name of the deceased.
Finally a lanky young man, with his
trousers stuffed deep in his shoes, his
pockets overlooking with newspapers,
and his hair and beard in most lit
erary state of unkemptness, filings the
desired bit of information savagely at
the brigade of nodding lace caps IN.
Blank, editor in chief of the Quoti-
diem" and Is pelted with q veritable
hailstorm of grateful Merci. monsieur!
"The carriages the carriagesl Only
see how they keep coming!" exclaims
one of the brigade breathlessly.
yes" cries another in a tone of
triumph, IT have already counted thir-
ty-three-and see, there comes the
thirty fourth. Daniel My friends. this
is a funeral as it should be--a proper
funeral"
"Ah! Nine Didier," comes a voice
cut of the crowd, with the calm, as
sured accent of one who knows of
what she speaks, you should see a
'first-class' funeral. This is very well.
but that-that is superb-magnifique
The speaker pauses to give vent to a
deep sigh of regret over so fine a re-
collection, and then. casting casual,
experienced glance over her shoulder
at the lengthening line of carriages
and the fast-increasing crowd, remarks
in calm, lofty tone from which all
enthusiasm has entirely disappeared
This funeral is only of the third
class, you know, my dear friends"
Another voice now rises in a diff
ferent part of the crowd, inquiring in
piping. quivering accents: Tell me,
my friend, am / gentilles enough to
stay? Tell me, truly"
Curiosity impels one to seek out the
concerned inquirer. She is almost in
the front line of spectators--a thin,
bent, old woman in a soiled light cot
ton gown, with ragged bit of red
shawl pinned over her frowsy gray
hair. She is smoothing her wiry, stray
ing locks and adjusting her shawl with
dirty, nervous fingers as she awaits,
apparently with anxiety, the decision
OF the stout, good-looking woman be-
side her.
The answer is a favorable one, and
so she pipes up again with renewed
shrillness "He was a good man. a
good man, serious, not proud-no, not
proud. He preferred to sit in a simple
wooden chair rather than in one all
covered with satin and"
Apparently a most gorgeous descrip-
ton was TO follow of the rejected piece
of furniture, for the speakers sunken
eyes were glowing and she was waving
one of her hands in a grandiose fash
ion, but an irrelevant individual near
by interrupts her by inquiring If the
deceased man was a resident of that
quarter.
She shifts mournfully and leaves the
answer In the Affirmative to her COM
panion. then resumes her discourse
from a new standpoint: "He was my
friend, and now he is dead. He was So
years old-just my age. Alas!"
Her companion remarks mildly at