The National tribune., 1907-07-11

The french celebrate tnelr ln0epend
ence Day on tho 14th of July instead o
| the 4th, as we do. Unlike the fortu
| nate American youngster. the French
small boy does not creep out of bed be
fore dawn to set Off his firecrackers
there is no footing of horns or other un
seemly noise to disturb the morning
slumbers of the grown-ups, and in thi:
respect Paris, which Is France, pre-
serves its usual routine. The city is
however, gafly decorated with flags anG
colored bunting, every shop is closed
and the thousands of little tables alons
the sidewalks belonging to the cafes
that picturesque feature of Parisrare
made as smart and alluring as posi-.
BILE. From all parts of the country the
trains bring in great crowds of excur-
sionists, each one in gala attire and
each one prepared to enjoy him or her.
self as only a Frenchman or French.
woman can. The great city is turned
cabs are allowed on the boulevards
whose great spaces afford fine oppor-
tunities for dancing and other amuse-
ments. In an ancient geography de.
scription of the French Is given as "a
people very polite, fond of dancing and
light wines." and while this description
may be a trifle inadequate, these are
characteristics which have always
formed part of the French mental
equipment and probably always will
On this day one not only sees children
and young men and women, but staid
matrons and fat, puffy middle-aged and
even elderly men give themselves up
to the delights of the dance with that
Latin blood. With his arm around Ma
rie'S waist, in the intoxicating delights
of the waltz, what matters it to CASTOR
that he has not even a sou in his
pocket? All sorts of games such as
are seen at a rustic fair are played in
the streets with great crowds standing
around, all laughing and shouting to-
gether One Of the most popular of
these is to suspend from beam an
iron saucepan with small silver coins
imbedded in the inch or so of SCOT and
grease which fill the bottom. The
hands of little street gamins are tied
behind them, and those who are agile
enough to get their heads inside the
bobbing. swaying kettle and pick UP the
coins with their teeth, are allowed to
keep them. These light-hearted Four
teenth of July celebrators take the
keenest delight in this diverting little
game and will stand for hours watching
it. Towards night the crowd drifts to-
wards the Seine, and arrangeS itself
along the banks waiting with perfect
good nature for the fireworks. The
numerous bridges which cross this his
toric stream and which would afford
perfect view of the whole scene are.
unfortunately, on this occasion, closed
to the public. But nothing disturbS
their cheerfulness in the least. and with
undiminished enthusiasm they watch
the superb display of fireworks which
SO magnificently tops off this happy
day. turning their faces homeward only
when the last bit of colored light has
been swallowed up by the darkness.
No one with any sense OF the Iudicrous
could fail to be amused by the little bout
between Mrs. Terrill. wife of the re-
tiring Governor of Georgia, and Mrs.
Hoke Smith, wife of the new Executive,
which took place in Atlanta the other
day 1t seems that q frigidity of man
ner and expression has characterized
each of these ladies when in the pres
ence of the other for some time past,
and the unfriendly feeling on the part
of Mrs. Terrill is supposed to be due to
tie fact that when William j. Bryan
was last in Atlanta Mrs. Smith was
Chairman of the committee of ladies
who entertained him, and that Mrs.
Terrill was not of that committee, altho
the wife of the Governor. This slight
Mrs. Terrill naturally attributed to Mrs.
Smith, and she neither forgave nor for
got it, but quietly bided her time. 1t
must be regretfully admitted that an
angry woman will sometimes make use
of very small, undignified means of
getting even with her enemy. Such an
was afforded Mrs. Terrill
on the day of Gov. Smiths inaugural.
when Mrs. Smith signified heI desire
to take possession of the gubernatOrial
mansion at as early an hour as pOssi-
BILE. that she might prepare for the
elaborate function she was to give in
honor of the occasion. At last Mrs.
Terrills hour had come. She curtly
replied to Mrs. Smiths request that she
would turn the keys over to her at II
O'Clock and not a minute before. Mrs.
Smith could. of course, do nothing but
wait and possess her soul in what pa
thence she could, while the sidewalk in
fror of the mansion slowly fiiici up
with cater >rS, florists, etc, WHO had
been engaged by Mrs. Smith, and who
were not allowed to put a foot inside
the house till the clock struck II.
The proposed visit of King Edward
VII OF England and his beautiful
Queen Alexandra to Cardiff Castle, in
Wales, the home of Lord and Lady
Butte, recalls the tragedy of Lady Flora
Hastings The grim, old castle, one of
the oldest in England. has been owned
by several noble families since it pass
ed out of the hands of royalty, passing
by marriage to the ButeS many years
ago. 1t was here that Robert, Duke of
Normandy. in the year 1903 was con-
fined for 26 years, the prisoner of his
brother, Henry /. The castle was once
of enormous strength and so construct
cd to resist the incursions of the Welsh.
A great part of the ancient pile stands
today exactly as in the psat. but the
Butte family have torn down and rebuilt
much of the living portion. The pres
ent Lord Butte is a direct descendant of
that Lord Butte. once Prime Minister of
England. whose influence over George
LII for time was so great. and Lady
Flora Hastings was the aunt of the
late Duke, father of the present Lord
of Cardiff Castle The Lady Flora was
one of the maids of honor of the youth
full Queen Victoria and was a very
bright, vivacious, charming girl A
great afiiiction fell upon her in the
shape of a physical iniirmity which re-
ceived cruel Interpretation by the
wicked gGssps of the court, the Ouch
ess of Kent, mother of the young queen,
being most bitter in her criticisms. The
cruel things which women can say and
do when their object is to harm an
other woman are seen every day, and no
one is so merciless as she whose NOR
alities are inseparable from the con-
ventionalities. The poor Lady Flora
soon found herself the subject of cold
looks, her society was stunned, and
soon too, came to her ears rumors of
what was being said and thot concern
ing her 1t was demanded that she
leave the court, her slanderers insist
ing that 1t was not proper that she