The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-05-01
PARIS AND ITS PiTRONESS.
In Al Times Or Trouble the CIty Turns 10
saint GeneVIeVe.

Parisians are supposed % be tickle folk.
hut they have been loyal for I No years
% their special patroness, ~ Geneyieve.
II any one doubts IL let him visit her
shrine az the time n her annual feast
This occurs On January 3 aud is fol-
lowed by the neuvaine. the nine days
q special devotions in her honor Az
that time the wonderful geld shrine II
brilliantly Illuminated and there Is "A
continu ms procession II worshlppers.
A. a matter of fact st Geneyieye did
suffer one very serious lapse from loyalty
on the part II some Parisianz. but il was
not personal matter and was marked
by some curious features This lapse
occurred at the time II the French Reyolu-
ton.
The saint was born away hack iu t23
and like Joan II Arc, was a -hepherue-s
When only IS she began to lead life Il
prayer and penancs. and her asoendency
was accepted by the inhabitants u Paris.
a. whom she twice rendered a signal
service, once she saved them from Attila.
the King of the Huns, and another time
from famine
Her remains were laid a. rest w large
hasilira built where the Pantheon now
stands: u crowned the enlnsncn that is
still called Ia montague Ste. Gensvieya %
Here her badly WAS enclosed IN a brass
shrine. aud on CERTAIN public oocs-lDnS.
when for instance. the country WIS
afflicted by famine. war ~ pestllence. NJ
II the King was In danger u death. the
IeweIied shrine Wa- carried through the
streets
Mrne do Seyignc Describes tho procss-
sion that took place M 1854 Although
the hen' n her mind was hardly rover
ant una. .h- notices the -Ntr~mr d"yp-
ton u the bearers ~ IN" shrine. who
walked iarefo0tsd over fh" rough rave
ment % honor their prntr7tr-.-. Their
task was 10y m means an easy On. the
streets It seventeenth century Paris
wer. narrow and crowded tho shrine
was covered with Two millions worth Ut
jewels and tho very euthisa-m ~ the
cItiysn- made Its progress difficult
At all times. says IN" ROsGry uqJ1:iHs
the women ~ Paris hav" bad personal
feeling. half flial. half -ist"riy Tor M. rprI-
passionate -h"phsrda,z who. according
o. tradition. kept tp the end a heart
widely open 20 th" nasi- IT her fellow
cuuntrvwnmen In their fsi-S. ,uat" wish
~ touch her shrine they used to throw
themselves upon II. say th" DID historians.
some ~ whom are more shocked than
edlhoi hy tins eXtray agaut behavior
Under th" reign II lpui- Nv tho anclent
hasilcl around which hung the traditions
~ centuries WAS Replaced 10y the Pantheon.
Which CEASED ~ b" church when the
revolution hrlk" oI' On" - the first
acts II Oh" revolutionary government
vas ~ burn the relics Il ~ GsuayIeye.
but tho men ~ pO."r. fearing an ont
hurst among the p@upl". whose love for
their sanity rountrywDwln WAS pgrt
81 them. committed th" uUtrtg" 40 night
When order Waz rss'-tthl shed tho
Pantheon Ms restored % religious ptIr-
pp-ss. hgf % nov -Drvs- only ~ a burial
place Tor 90" great men Of France The
frescues " Puyis 10 Chayauuss AT. there
% remind th" visiturs Of ~ Gau"vI.y.'s
Ist-t rOuueCtIuu with the Hppt whore
her uasllIca once ztuud, boat the religious
explanations in her honor take place M
the u-i ghbpruR Church n ST. Etlsuna
du Mont Here enclosed in a Rildei
shrine. ara the fragments ~ her old
tomb the tDInb nefure which the nadiRval
pilgrims. kings and bourgeois. knclt from
N" sixth 60 the eighteenth century.