The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-06-14
DAINTY BIT OF OLD FRANCE
 FOUND IN MODERN AMERICA
Two Little Lsdes of Another World and Age the Made rnoselles Abadie Hold Court to Their Friends in Quaint Kereec Street in New Orleans
 French Quarter
By ZOE BECKLEY

By ZOE
 New Orleans. June 1S-(SpeciaL)-I think I promised somebody I would write story about Hugh O'Donnell, the devil-may-care Irishman who hurled edi- torial bricks at the mayor of New Or leans till he got into a libel suit and went away from here. I'm sure I told somebody else I'd write of the splendid schools and sewage systems and conner cial growth of this lively town. l fear agreed to take up New Orleans history in serious way.
 I know that one of the industrial cap tains of Louisiana warned me against writing sentimental drivel about old Gre ole gardens, and guidebook stuff about the famous eating places of the French quarter.
 But O'DonnelPs gone, and I can't write race track and political stories anyway. And while the Beauregard school and the Girls school and Tulane university are passing excellent, I am too busy strug- gling with my incessant desire to eat pralines and drink orange brulots to in- spect institutions of learning.
 As for the sentimental stuff about gar dens and old streets, how can l write anything else when I am constantly lean- ing out my ancient dormer window into a narrow, balconied street with stucco houses and mansard roofs, with dusty, musty antique shops and tiny "bijou- teries,' all as foreign as if actually To- ated upon the left bank of the Seine!
 The ancient furniture of my room was brought from France at some period in the dim past. The high, massive bed is topped by an awesome canopy of carved walnut and red upholstery in diamond shaped tufts, with buttons, which keeps me awake nights trying to think out why it should be thus, and wondering II it will fall and squash me
 The wardrobe would take regiment of trained athletes to move. The mantel is "draped" as manteIs are draped only in superannuated New Orleans houses, and weird but precious vases Of the ln- discreet early eighties abound.
 COURTHOUSE ONLY NEWCOMER
 Rount; the corner stands in defiant dig nity the old, revered French opera house, looking a little clipped in spots but as eager for next years carnival balls as though this were it's first social sea sen.
 A block away is the grim. green, moldy looking "absinthe house." with lights that beckon shade too eagerly for the tour ist to come and have an insidous appe- tiger. dripped through its square of su- gar and thnned with water from crum- bling fountain.
 few squares farther on are rows of doorways, where girls peep out from garish lighted rooms with terrible pianos
 And of course there Is the still awful house of cruel Mime. Lalaurie, who used to chain her slaves to rings in the floor, with plates of food an inch beyond their reachl
 Round the corner from Antoine's (who some do say is the artist chef of the world, who can make you peerless novel dish for every day in the year and will not bother even to do you an omelet un. less he thinks you will appreciate iD is the new courthouse, on Royal street. very elegant among it's lawns and palm trees. But that is the only new thing in the district.
 Walk but a fairish distance and l will introduce you to the quaintest household to be found this side of Pomander Walk. It is the cottage of the Mdlles. Abadie, on Kerelec street
 They are French, of course-Creo1e French of the finest type-the type that is never permitted to learn word of English until the sixth year. It is con sidered sacrilege to bable "American' until the older tongue is well set and delicately correct.
 The little ladies Abadie live alone in