Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1914-10-30

first weeks In Paris would be
n robbed OF linguistic comfort.
III These men-the drivers Of taXis,
all young and with eyes sharp and
excited, and the drivers OF carriages,
all old and with eyes dull and heavy
are trained to catch a direction on the
wing, and never ask to have It re-
peated.
The wan consciousness Of talking
French badly is not always the por.
tlon of those who talk II worst. A
certain self-assurcd type Of American
women employs It with confidence
unaffected by originality and pecan.
cy OF accent. American men and
sweet mothers of ambitious daughters
"a domestic combination with which
Paris is flled-are least prone to make
use of French; yet when they do. 1t
is invariably with charming II lin.
tied perfection.
Fortunately out-ofdoor Paris speaks
a language that is beyond the tongues
Of man, that voices itself In effable
civic beauty, In long vistas. In gener.
Gus skies, in wide avenues that lead
into fountain-spraying squares. which
widen like the transept Of cathedrals.
and through which course In and out,
round and round. like fine skaters. the
autos and the peoples OF the world
To see the Arch OF Triumph from the
Carousel, the softening sun still high
over tho low built city and pale
enough to be looked at. to see the
long avenue across the thin mists OF
evening that fall like protecting
veil. is to feel troubled. unreachable
presence: the sense Of beauty, a
sense that was given us unfinished ar.
rested in the making. and viii fades
unattained into mystery.
Strange White Beauty.
The green OF Paris grass and the
blue OF Italian skies surely are the
most vivid colors In the world, and
from this green OF grass and from
beds OF flowers. Paris builds itself In
vivid white.
The newest building glaring in
cleanliness. and the oldest grown gray
and darkened. invariably conform to
this colorlessness In this most colorfu'
Of cities. Building material hulked
on the river shore like the backs OF
waiting elephants. IL all white. white
stones are wheeled through the
streets. white BAGS Of mortar ~ the
weighted boats. while sand lies piled
on the white embankments. and along
the white streets. anonymC and
similar and blanched. stables and
stores and dwellings wall themselves
against the sidewalks Adding the
note NJ artistry that unconscIously
prevails everywhere. workmen in
these new white buildings wear long,
white coats white shoes. and form
groups OF whitc-clad figures at little
sidewalk inns.
Parts Is handmade. Every omhroid
cred linen flower and every stone OF
every wall has tho look NJ minute
and detailed attention. There Is no
big machinery. The small steam der
ricks that unload the deep sunken
barges hoist but one barrel AT n time
And results grow huge under this In
dlvidual toll.
In Walt Whitman's Leaves o'
Grass" he sings praise 10 the strong
curb OF city streets. Did he know
Paris. too. and the high. white walls
Of its river banks. the masonry Of Ions
flights Of stairs descending TO the
shore. the profusion OF stone bridges
many arched. everywhere masonr,
and uninterrupted securing curbs7
How prodigal Paris II OF archltec
tural decoration. OF unendlng elabora
tion. II is Its soul. the expression o
It's ardent quest for variety. It's un
willingness 10 continue uninterrupte,
line or curve. They place bronz,
horses that rival the gold OF the SUI
on their bridges, they flll their gar
dens with white marbles. they cove
their walls with chlseled garlands
they add beauty TO beauty and b
some magic never arrive at maxim
beauty overdone.
There Is n spell In standing on IN
Bridge OF Alma toward the close O
day when the sky Ia blue and deco
rated in great banks OF white clouds
and the Eiffel Tower rising from II
nest OF trees bores into the heaven,
and up into regions further OF tha
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