The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-01-06

N rainy. Even so, 1t has prignt spots which no gloom can eff face On certain mornings, for example
 Tuesdays and Thursdays, I think. you
 start out expecting to see the pavements
 about the Madeline just as you left them
 the night before. But, behold, won derful flower market has sprung up and
 made them royal walks.
 Over the pavement has been stretched
 awnings of oilcloth on uprights and un-
 der these awnings Is a wealth of flowers, their beauties cried by the women who
 sell them. Chrysanthsmums of every hue, each pot standing in cone of white paper and each bunch guarded in simi- lar way. This gives the stand the ap- pearance of holding a quantity of old fashioned bouquets in paper frills. For the last three weeks have seen white lilacs on these stands and it has been pretty hard to resist them. Some how Hlacs always mean spring to me and it gave me a sense of having turned the calendar wrong side out to see lilacs at this season. There are roses, Nolets,
 asters, lilies of the valley and all the rest of the floral world. In another section
 are the palms. little trees of box and
 privet and ivy vines, all pocketed in straw.
 The quay leading to Notre Dame is
 called the Quay of Flowers and the ven- ders here are more bold. They follow you up and insist on your buying. What amused me was that one man who had trees for sale and at whom I shook my head showed he had no hard feelings and that he recognized my nationality by say ing ,"Good-by, madam; good-by madam | I have not yet found out where this | wealth of flowers comes from. The boule-
 wards and side streets are full of women
 with pushcarts on which bouquets of vio- | lets, roses and chrysanthemums rest on Q l bed of leaves Bunches of violets are two 1 cents. Just now you see carts with two | racks and hung on these racks punches of mstletoe.
 The French table is never without it's
 vase of flowers and to me 1t seems pa thetic to see a woman evidently very poor
 buying a bit of flower as she mar kets.
 I learned one curious fact recently. Down in the region of Nice. where mill
 lions of flowers are raised for the per fumers, during the seasons height the heavy odors and the decaying flowers
 breed a dangerous pestilence. Every pre- caution has to be taken to guard the flower gatherers against this noxious pes tilence. It would be like starving in the
 midst of plenty.
 Are there not many Indians in Amer ica? Do they rest tranquil with the | whites7 Are the whites amiable with the Indians? Do the Indians not resent your | taking away their land?" These and scores of other questions like them are since I have thought much about Indians I find myself pondering what to reply. It is funny just what point in the history of | ones country will strike foreigner. ''Is
 not New York the capital of America? But is 1t not the largest cfty7 Why, then
 is 1t not the capital7 How can smaller
 city be the capitair' How would you like | to try to explain that with a very Him.
 ited French vocabulary
 | Roller skating "Americane" has caught
 Paris. The skating rink is thronged and every one is interested. One Sunday aft
 ernoon on the Champs Elysees, which
 answers to our North Meridian street. two boys had on roller skats. An im- mense crowd gathered to watch them and
 the boys enjoyed their popularity.
 Come in and chew like Americans. it's l great" This is the sign on . shop where | chewing gum is sold.
 One thing which find very funny in l Paris is the automatic way in which many things work For example. there l are the elevators in apartments. They
 are 10 tiny they only hold two thin or ono fat person. No earthly help is nigh whsn you shut yourself in one of these \ elevators. xeu prsss . button uaxksd