The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-02-20

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Paris, Feb. 2O.-"Well boys, wei
soon be In Gay P'ree!"
We knew from his grin and his glee
fill eye, that this was the lanky young
Americans first visit to Paris; that
like most Of US, he had gained his
earliest Impressions OF France from
postcard pictures of naive, scantily
lingeried young women kicking al
chandeliers and that. he expected to
step right off the train into a swirl
ing saturnalia of cussedness. His
Gay P'ree' never did exist, but we
had an aching apprehension that the
truly gay Paris which we had known
and loved, would be sombre and sad;
for the tremendous courage with
which she has met these past dread
full years must certainly have been
at the sacrifice of her bright and hap
py spirit. We feared to see Paris IN
her depression. &
eoulevards Thronged.
Depression? Why, the boulevards
are thronged, and there Is laughter,
and the bells of the cab horses jingle
as merrily rs If the big cannon were
not ceaselessly pounding and roaring
less, than 70 miles away; the shop
windows blaze with such a collection
Of precious gems as Aladdin never saw,
and the :boulevardier, though huddled
now against the wintry chill in a blue
uniform, sits, as Of old, at his little
table beneath the dripping awning OF
a sidewalk cafe, and sips his hot COT
fee, while the world swarms by HIM
on the pave. He's just back from the
trenches on leave-his medals show
that-but to look at his face You
would never know there was war,
nor that there was or had been any
grim thought in his mind. His cheeks
are pink, and his mustaches are nat
tily curlel, and he has dancing eye
for each pretty woman who passes
Everybody walks nowadays, since gas
oline is so scarce and since practical
~ every motor vehicle has been COM
mandeered for military purposes
Amid the Kaleidoscope uniforms OF
all the allies, as the procession JOS
ties and chatters past, there, are min
gled the snappy little boulevard girls,
considerably In evidence but not much
more so than of old, and the shop
girls, and and entirely new element;
the grand dame! Yes, the grand dame
walks too, and is cheerful about it;
and pampered pets now walk which
never soiled their paws before. AS the
philosophical Frenchman says, with
smile and shrug Of his shoulders:
But, yes, 1t is the war;"
OF course there are few taxis, run
principally by ex.soldiers who have
earned the right to become civilians
But you are not lordly with taxi
driver any more; you do not stand at
the curb, hold up your finger until a
taxi races to your feet, brusQuely give
your direction, step In and slam the
door; not So! You wait until one stops
In your block, or the next one, to dis
charge a passenger, then you rush 20
1t imploringly, and tell the potentate
where you would like to go. If he
cares about driving into that neigh
borhood, away you rattle, lickety-split
at hair-raising speed: it rests en-
tirely with him, however, whether he
will wait to bring YOU back. AS like
ly as not, he won't.
IS. Counts Every Spoonful.
The reason lies not in any lack Of
humanitarian interest in your welfare,
but the fact that he is only allowed
SO many litres Of essence" per day,
and he must make every spoonful
count. Naturally, mutual necessity
promotes the flow of the milk Of hui.
man kindness.
We had an important errand, and
rushed to meet he fist taxi which stop
ped at the curb, but he lady who
alighted smiled, and held up warn
ing hand.
'''I'm sorry, I'm not through with it"
she apologized. "What direction are
you going?'
We told her.
splendid She said. "My place Is
right on your way, and IL you don't
mind waiting while run in to buy
this chauffeur a pair Of Christmas
gloves hes been so nice!-you may
take me home, where l will pay him
Oft, and you may have him from there
on
7 She smiled again.
.'Taxis are so difficult to secure.
We must all help each, other"
That fact was further illustrated in
the bureau where we had the import
ant business. We had few minutes
to wait, and the concierge, one Of the
most pleasant and affable old men to
be met, explained with extreme po-
likeness and extreme volubility that
monsieur might smoke If he liked,
that there was positively no rule here
against smoking, and that monsieur
must make himself perfectly at home.
Monsieur did not at all feel like
smoking at that moment, but, being
further urged, saw the point and
brought out the cigaret box.
OF course the temporary host was
invited to-. have q smoke, and the
pleasure with which he. accepted It.,
added to the fact that he would not
light It then but saved 1t for after
dinner, brought sharply to mind that
cigarets are q luxury In Paris.
For fully, 20 minutes the concierge,
whom we came to know very we'll as
Philippe, entertained us with droll
stories Of how "stinsy" he was with
himself, now that he was putting ev-
cry franc into war loans. and We left
him with 1 feeling that the only thing
he considered was to make US com