The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-03-02
CHAPTER |,

"HERE are old Parisians who
will tell yet, pempousty that
III the bonlevards. like the polit-
ical cafes. have ceased TO ca
ist. but this means only that the bouIe-
wards ro longer gossip of Louis Napo-
leon, The return of the Bourbons or Of
General Bonlanser- for these HIGHWAYS
are always too busiiy stirring with
of their yesterdays. In the shade OF
the buildings and awnings the loun-
gers. the lookers-on In Paris, the audi
ence OF the boulevard, sit at little TIA
bles, slipping coffee from long glasses.
drinking absinth or bright colored
sirups and gazing over the heads OF
throngs afoot at others borne along
through the sunshine of the street In
carriages, in cabs. In glittering auto
mobiles or high on the tops OF omui-
buses.
From all the continents the multi
tudes come to join Ia that procession
Americans tagged with race cards and
intending hilarious Disturbances. paz-
zied Americans worn with guidebook
plodding. Chinese princes ia silk. queer
Antiliean handles of swarthy origin
and fortune. rudy English thinking OF
nothing, paIiid English with npper
teeth barred and eyes hungrily search
ing for signboards of tea rooms. over
EuropeanIzed japanese lnpleasantly
immaculate. burnoosed sheiks from the
desert and red fezzed Semitic pesiciers.
Italian mobiles IN English tweetis, Su-
danese negroes staggering IN frock
coats. slim Spaniards, squat Turks.
travellers, oilers. exiles. fugitiyes.
spor,smen. All the tribes and kinds OF
men are tributary here to the Partisan
stream. which OH a fair day In spring
already cyerfows the banks with iia
own much mingled waters oherly
clad burSesses, bearded, nrniabIe and
iu no fatal hurry. well kept men Of
the world swirifng by in miraculous
iimousiucs, lcgtess cripples Hopping on
hands and leather pads. thin whiskered
students Ia velveteen. walrus mustuch-
ed veterans IN broadcloths. Keen faced
old preiates. shabby young priests.
cayalrymen In Basque and cuirass,
workingmen turned horse and harness
ed TO carts. sidewalk testers. itinerant
vepders Of questionable wares. shady
loafers dressed to resemble gold show
ering America. motor cyclists In leath-
err, hairy musicians. blue sendarmes,
baggy red zouaves. purple faced. glazed
HATED. scarlet waistcoated. cigarette
smoking eabmen. calling one another
''onions." "camels" and names even
more terrible. Women are prevalent
over aft the coucourse--fnIr women.
dark women. pretty women. gilded wom-
en-. naughty women. Indifferent women.
friendly women. merry women. fine
women In fine clothes, rich women In
fine clothes. poor women In fine clothes,
worldly old women reclining befurred
In electric landuulets. wordy old wom-
en- hoidenishly trundling carts full
OF flowers. wonderful automobile wom-
en-. quick Glimpsed, in multiple wells of
white and brown and sea green: wom-
en- In rags and tags and women drap-
ed. coifed and befrilled In the deliri-
um OF maddened poet-milliners and
the hasheesh dreams OF ladies' tai
lors.
So IL you sit at the little tables often
enougl-that is. If you become an am
ateur honlevardier-you begin TO rec
ognize the transient stars OF the pag-
cant. these to whom the boulevard al
lows dubious and fugitive role OF
celebrity ard whom 1t greets with q
slight futter. the turning Of heads. a
murmur OF comment and The incredu-
lous boulevard smile, which seems to
say. You madame and monsieur
passing there. Evidently they think
we still believe IN them"
This futter heraIded and followed
the passing OF white tourlIig car
with the procession one afternoon just
before the Grand PrIx. though 1t need.
cd no boulevard ceIebritylto make tho,