The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1920-05-28

IN ONE OF his most charming pas
sages Anatole France evokes
fieeting memory of the quays along
the Seine, "where one disturbs the
dust-coyered books of the Scent STALL
and a thousand shadows terrible and
charming" 1t isn't our purpose to
revive these memories; to do so would
be to parade the whole past in review !;
we shall simply state the magic which
draws and which holds to the quays
OF the Seine, writes l.. A. Des Carrots
In La France.
The quaysl Along both sides of our
river they runl But when we speak
OF quays, we mean, of course, the quays
of the left bank. There Is the heart
of Paris. Who would deny It?
The action of those workers who
live In the nelghborhood of the quays
artists, thinkers, poets or simple
workmen--when they seek their river,
Is one of happy Incidence. They do
not pause before the windows of the
antiquaries' shops; they go toward the
rampant which courageous and deter
mined booksellers have raised, before
the river of forgetfulness, the dixie
which will protect their books. 1t is
there that, In the summer sun, as we'll
as In winter fogs, are the last resting
places of the production of mans
thought. 1t is there that book, af-
ter good or bad fortune, comes to take
Its last chance; it is there that they
are viewed by the savants, in search
of information, or with sentimental
curiosity by Mimi Pinson YES,
the last refuge and the tranquil resting
place over which watch the high
profile of the Louvre and the towers
of Notre Damel
Where Point of Interest Begins
The quays start little above the
Palais Bourbon, at the palace of the
Legion of Honor, once the famous Ho-
tel Salm. During the revolution, since
the prince of Salm-Kriburg had been
given command of a battalion of the
Lafayette guard, his palace became the
meeting place of the Reformist club.
Later the same building received the
members of the Cercle Constitutions
mel, until the day when Napoleon made
1t the seat of the grand chancellor of
the Legion of Honor. 1t is a pity
that this charming Greek temple
should be eclipsed by the surrounding
buildings.
Next there is the Quai Voltaire,
where Nine. Cecile Sorel makes her
home, near the house in which Voltaire
died. When one enters this building
the ghost of the mighty century APP
pears; you are received with the gra-
ciousness of Celimene. Everything in
this house bears the imprint of Louis
NV, and nothing could be more a part
of 1t than the character of the great
artist who lives there. Here died In
gres; there was the convent of the
Theatins, brought to France from
Italy by Mazarin. Further along, at
til corner of the Rue de Beaune, used
to stand the barracks of the gray
musEeteers.
The Famous Bridge of Tears"
Let US stop at the institute. From
here all the Paris of yesterday Is seen;
the towers of Notre Dame, the Louvre,
the Saint Chapelle, st. German FAUX
errois, the conCiergerie, the palais de
justice and the Pont-Neuf, stiI look
ing very solid. Since 1t was opened
to traffic by Henry III, the same day
he lost his tavorite, Quelus, the Parish
ans called 1t "the bridge of tears"
That did not prevent 1t, however, from
becoming the center of animation of
the city where all Paris gathered to
be amused by the news of the gazet-
teers and the sallies Of Tabarln.
Next we see the palace of the prince
Of Cont, today one of the treasury
buildings. To save ourselves both re-
| morse and regret let us put aside the
sad memories of st. Germaln rAuxer-
rois and of the conciergerle. Let us
instead follow along the Quai Cont. in
the footsteps of Lamartine, of Victor
Hugo, Of Sainte Beauve, of Alfred de
Musset and of all those others who
have been famillars of the quays.
Alasl Where are the glories of the
pastP Under the dome of the insti-
tute?
ouays Are Charming.
Our quays are indeed charming, with
the movement of tramways, wagons
and carriages, with the whistllng of
the boats and those thousand small
noises which are multiplied by the
waters of the river. love to watch
!. the loungers who come TO loaf tbere
$3.50,