The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-07-17
SOCIAL AND PERSONAL

This father Apollinaire looked like one of those old characters in Scott's novels not the rip rearing Friar Tuck In Ivaneoe. He is chief of the sur geons and I was told he could anaes. thize with less of the anaesthetic than others. He deputixed a young brother to show us the infirmary. ThiS young man between twenty-five and thirty wore the habit of his order black frock with cowl hanging down his back white nurse apron. He Is one of the handsomest men 1 ever saw, beauty would be better word for him; thin face. creamy marble complexion rather large thin nose with nostrils as thin and delicately curved as rose leaf. large almond shaped eyes. sort IT expression like lawns, thin delicately cut lips, sad and wistful expression His occasional smile was sweet and sad The mans manner left an impression of enforced calm that in some way sad dened.
 There was a marked difference from the white cheerless prisonlike rooms of infirmaries l have seen; here the walls were painted in warm colors there are pictures about, crusifix; the beds were bright with linen sheets. no one using cotton ones. The operating room complete with every known ald to surgery is covered with glass. Turn ing on q COCh tuc IOOL W0o SSNSA SN " -s-- water, thss to cool the room should It be too hot. This place has one of the four elevators that 1 have seen in Paris
 I am blessed in that l have gotten in" with three or four Frenchmen who have takes me under their care. They are V-'s friends. He and l and these men usually dine together or rendezvous at Lafittes Tavern then sally forth to some dive or theatre. never know where for I do not poster with ques- tions. The paid guides are frauds. They only take one to see the pig slghts that every one knows or some horror of which a gentleman would be asham- ed of telling.
 Of one of our visits must tell We were Ieisurely strollihg along, in my usual state of indifference as to our destination. Suddenly We turned into the. darkest place I ever saw, that IS to be light at all. After getting used to the gloom l saw that the light came from small wax tapers, the same as used as offerings in churches. These tapers were stuck in coffins--they told me there were dead inside; this l took with salt. .=y
 We took seats by these collins ana beer was served to us on the coffin tops There were six of them In the room resting upon trestles. Each was surrounded by people all served to peer merely tasted the stuff; 1t was vile beyond description, dead too. guess This was all the fee asked. The room was horribly furnished; from the cell ing hung a chandelier made of human bones. a skeleton hand held a sconce for a candle. There were skulls every where and men dressed as undertakers walked about with the thigh bones or a man under their arms. On the wall hung pictures and texts all apper- taining to death. One was To be or not to be- some of the pictures repre- senting gay scenes were lighted from behind now and then making the figures show as skeletons, an allegory Death in Life" in a corner l heard rattiing noise and looking discovered & skeleton thrust ,out of sort of trap. A pleasant visitor, it kept appearing and disappearing. All the while an organ groaned a miserrarie and the under takers chanted a kind of admonition as to the vanities of life. All the while the low greed and cunning and desire for graft and tips showed through 1t all
 When the beer was paid for they