NOTES FROM PARIS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 529, 9 June 1909, Page 5

NOTES FROM PARIS.

AN EVENING AT THE BERNHARDT BHRINE. MED-LENT FESTIVITIES. [BT H. T. B. DBBW.] are-about to experience tho-English-man's partioular aversion—a trip across the Channel. /The heroes and heroines in .novels . - tnoiely - slip down to Dover by the, night .train, 3top on to the., steamer, and wako ; np.to find thomselves in Paris, in a pleasant . taobd.:.L*The Londoner;:is not 'a good: avbrago i , -I. hero in this respect:.he abhors the channel,

; ; y;', the- niglit - crossing. Little ?. wonder! -We 'take the Nowtiaven-Dieppo route, as .the shortest of tho lot to Pans, though tho longest on ,ths ! water. The London • ' express lands us'" at Newhaven • at Ilo]3o

- o'clock on a cold, cheerless night, a nigh ■ \> ... - on-; which :the isnow has ceased to fall, bu ' : '.:y : lie3.tarnished 1 - arid frozen underfoot':-. ;• Theri -V-?:, is a'rush from tho train to tho small,' fla ; • , decked steamer, of. a few hundred -tons bur don, and in ten minutos everyone has divec ■:. - : below. But almost before this has occurret •; the steamer has left tho wharf. The pow '..- erful screw'shake? the-whole fabric, of th( , little sharp-nosed steamer. It is quite im ...possible, to. .• First-class passengers turn into their ;buuks, but do - not. divesi themselves, of their 'clothing. * The second- .. class, which".: most .'possesses : '.nc bunks,- merely.saloon couches,, and a fen : wet .blankets: jThump, : tliumpl Thumj. v-i.- •> thump! -Until 2.45 a.m.' You lie awake -#iJB , : listen to it—until suddenly a , bell • clangs, ,}' i-the'.thunder.^ceases;the';stewards end-' their ..'V,. whispors;-'arid .'pyerybqdjr', jumps, up ciut of :-the ;blankets';as-'if ;sigrial.;'; Sincu n, Bteamers';.were;-iirs.t;'built, ..this, has' gone.,on. V: ■:'; ! '•' ■' ; Hp\v, isublimo ;is - the 1 r regard for precedentl Ho will put up. with tho • greatpst discomforts, and the greatest in- ,.; ycbjivenioncair'.at. the.highest' price, toimain- . tain'it. .At Dieppe, m tho cold and tho : enow, overyone ■ congregates on tho shelter- ! <•• 'less- dock; around the ono small, insecure • . gangway, :tho frozen fingers refusing almost . to hold. the baggage, tho- person • un- " ..refreshed • from • the impossibility of securing . a douchounder rcspeot- -. nblo conditions::■ In : a ■ ■ little ■' shed the •••••• French Customs officials; await you with gruff'".courtesy, and. you'pass them. without . :.:jhuch"j*difficulty.; adjacent ■refreshment room, dispenses .coffee at a/franc a cup; and at 3.13 your tram leaves for Paris: Now, p&hap3. a • snooze is. probable, . for the -■•- ;■ carriages -'are 1 warm and' though :■'<, ;':the air 'frebzes'.ori the windows. xDaylight at •length steals in, and after : much clanging . ..nf wheels, against ."point?,", the :train pulls op at Garo St. Lazaro, in tho heart of tho " i .French-capital. ;How shall you recoup, and ;: -readjust, tne dishevelled.system ?,.-; That 'must ■ ■ depend ,upo'nithe- inclination, and tho. extent i.:.i i ;'.:iof:;the : pMse.y:. ; TheJ.Englishman; usually, first seeks; a bath, paying' liberally, ..then a' break- . . fast. .-.'With the iJfrenoh,"- the.-"tub"-' is not a tconsisia • - of coffee and a roll; dejouner coming at'midj- ■: ■ day. -Anyhow, next - ■ time ■ you read of the hero's chaso' arter the heroine, you will know :: , something of his - feelings when >his tired . eyes at last gaze into hers, somewhere on the boulevards. , Tho Shops In, Paris. - „ < . .. 1 ' 'English spoken'' l is : a''lrequ'ent sign 'on . the door or window of Parisian 'shops. Along : > the streets which, tourists s-.most" frequent ■ ■; -soinotimos good faith is -kept with the .sign, but in tho. majority, of other, cases it .is.'a : ,;-;Bnaro._iuid.a'delusion.- .Perhaps'this is. just-as ■ / well 'in tlie eiid,.' for .tho things you i; utter.: whek:the:obSequioiis: sliopkeejjer, shrugs tis Moulders as you point to tho sign might 'land you. in a. lawsuit: ivere' they '.understood. ■ y-.;;;:,- Sometimes in a large : . establishment,': '.where * i;- yon go for somo sniall article of appare) tho • Euglish-spealting assistant will havo to bo . sought cftit at tie cost of no end of time and , . trouble. ;.,,Sometimes :he; or.- she is. brought -, ~ from down; tho street'or,-up-th«" street. In each 'caso. it is a Compliment to' you—which v.nieans fchat,you and not .the,.lying shopkeeper »ro expected to pay i the "tip." However, ' 'it is. comforting that there is no law to com-', ', yptf - t-o' do - so.'' AThilo'. on tho : topic of shop it might; be remarked that the prices of , goods—articles,of general apparel—in'-Franeo are -than'-: in England. ■ ctomo woollen-gaods -arc 25 per cent, dearer . than in New. The better class of doow' sold • ire' : of • American' manufacture. - Food ccricrally is moro expensive than in Now"Zealand-and; England/ :VButtcr, - worthy - ,of tho' name,' ouw-do tho better class of hotels, is : rarely seen: What you ,seo priri- : • cipally imtto'Ao^.is';a'''^i- ; %hito/preamy ; .rv'-.',-' ilookjng;substance, very high;in. price. Tho : \. .-middle-class-Parifiian hardly ever .tastes but- ' .- t?r„ and ..when, ho does use it it is in tho t- of, hread 'arid, butter, not; biitter » n| l bread, 'as,is the ease; jn the .Now^Zealantl ! ■ ; Tvorkingman's .home. '.very.' ofterif.: Yet;-Den-.-mark; our compeer in :butter-mafcirig; is veir . ilpsn. at. jiaiid!- . .... ... •. ' ... r J"? shop assistant is not very will. rarely go to. any trouble V: Withbis customer; unless - the 'order .is' a . „ one,' He is'constantly on.tlie watch fbi-. ■ of ;;a penny'vor, centimes ' the sum sounds larger! But in the artistic arrangomfent of the shop windows the Pari-' - ■ • ■ Bian excels, and tho gwdo; books-rightly ad'■■'b' V f S ?i, yo n I 1! 1 , 0 IJ walk down th 6 -long chain - <' '? f r a. n d Boulovards arid the. glitter- ; mg displays.-. ... -. ■ b . Art and the Louvre. • :• ■p}^i Ce ' QSß i ? lie< ! ti :? ro art treasures that '! .. ° a ns,possesses.- .Not'for'ono mbnient do 1 i , pretend to even-refer,to-:them; thoy aro his- ' proud of thom » and- : f ~iyith the. greatest 'courtesy, and -, ' i " a Jdly ;a, single instance'is a chargo made i ■.V--,%--®d^^'.;tp;,.ffliiseums':Md'-art ; 'galleries ' : %^ : - tre asure.places,:every ( ' ' i l ' are , ./lTie. jujuvre alone canj monopolise .a.; whole.-:week :bf fairly/raDid . urispeetion., .One - authority ', states . that. the. ' ..., . ; -- Jamous : .of Parisian gowns; the dress :ariists SS e - h « r o study tho olden-day fashions as painters! ..■" 10 ;.P 1 9!' Ur6 ; E a !lGr!es;are.: also tho resort 'of , numerous-studont. artists-^with'which' the ■ C'ty teems ivho Mpy fhe works of the mas--,;ters. -;lhcy are artists.of all countries in-the "i . ; world, ; men and .wolnen of,youth-and, old ace. < ,~- 6omo - with;-,thin "grey . locks, scooping 'shciuld-' i Ming sight, , but soul-boujid to their j .it;v ■ ''l -jy i'v c

' t i ,° U 1 prances to the 'places most . by English and American toiixists ■in Paris—such, for instance, as Cook and !l ni '~ con er°Sate, -Erendhmen, who .- speak J-nglish jnoro or less linpcrfcctly. and who incessantly assail-you with offers to act as •jOflrmd e ..to'i: , placeß\in the bitythat you ?°yld otherwise, not 'see.. These m en are ut- ® m chww'er. .They',: approach you ,wth: bogus, guide; books, and ' .post ' cards. .Sometimes..only a. threatening gesture will is is n °t safe,' for, some of T them belong to, tho '"Apacho" ■ '<l a "® J ll . 8 -more : than • 6noe boon shocks with, the doings or theso youths. .' It is ivngJishmen. and Americans! however, who ' vi n-^r^ 01 ! 81 fo - r ! ho ' r exisi: «n«>- Tho term ■Apiohc, .a so reminds .orio Vthat -' huge num- . : dreadfuls," ; in; FrLh,;Z Bu(Morlu'> ' r° W f r ho ? a . ris bookstalls, tions.*?''' .largcljr.-jnj-. the; Illustrar ™ ; . oile .' instituirons or i'aris. ; In .the mornings , these places are practically deserted, but in the ofterte^shoi^/f 0 , tho , pl!, , co - of % "fternoon Ghops ofv Eiidand y Inside arc littlo circular- tables with;- their 'seats; but-outside under a,caiivas..vera i ndah-sliade. .'is' the,:mora r • s 'PP In K - ti)e mlri f l r int-« ° n Ti m ' r peo stallt, s at the bar w are.-.brounh't.to' -tlie ittle tables; .Women .sit with, the men; it is the regular thmg and thought nothing of. One■ of tho, popular;. amusements is to'occupy a, seat outsidea fashionable rafo on (the •boulevards.-mr-tha. afternoon "and-watch'tho gay crowds pass by. If .you liavi a handsome partner So.much, the better. One never sees drnukenness. . roystcring, , or bven: misbehaviour.,:^ In: the evenings,' however, things are' •different.,:. Many of / tncse.-cafes change their dhiracter.- ; and ; tho popular resort is inside IX V"°. saloon/rather than ontsido. Some .pro-# pnotors. ■ Organise;concerts and dances. Crowds-frequent ,tho cafes until the early moraine hours and then indeed tho evils of 1

oxoosmvo drink.oro not difficnlt.to find,-an ono gota an unmistakable insight into th real character of ; "Belle Paris." Tho "Dlvlno Sarah." Just-across one of the numerous ston briagce . which span.. the. . swiftly-runnine whirlpool swirling," muddy' Seine is fh Sarah Bernhardt Theatre. It stands not fa from the stately, Church of Notre Dame Hero , the celebrated, actress herself nightl performs.-; Her favourite character at pre . sent, is L Aiglon, in which, she has' been ap j 'pearing for some weeks now. We saw he on one Monday night, a Wet; choorless night ■ P'ay b®sins at 8.30 p.m. Securing ou t tickets at; tlio .entrance-—every seat: in thi 1 theatre froin floor-to garret is numbered am ; corresponds with tho ticket, sold—wo pasi i upstairs, and a woman usher shows! us to ou; seats. Heaters have made the plaoo almos 1 unpleasantly warm. The theatre.has'six gal 1 'lenes, and . the higher you go the less yot i pay.-,,-•(To-night, tlio attendance; is small though :the'cheaper places'are crowded; On< could expeofe from the "Divine Sarah" a pre i sentation- as perfect as experience', and iha. . tyre .art would' permit, ana one is not disappointed.. : Even though tho words of th( 1 performers are but imperfectly understood tho. plav is greatly : enjoyed.,. Tho .acting- i: . splendid, and, with . [the 'aid' of realistic scenery, and appointments, in. which cosl iiooras to have been . unconsidered, you fol- . low the somewhat; impossible "intention" ol the. play,'with every human sympathy foi "L'Aiglon.", Sarah Bernhardt is only satisfied with the best of. actors around her. She herself, is at onco identified: with her character. ..Though nearly seventy years of,age, die, 'in/.-every movement and; every; word,' appears tho' 1 delicate soul-stirred 'child. Hei voice is usually 'modulated ':,to 'a - pathetic pitch, but as the /heredity- of the youth breaks out it becomes loud and piercing,, and her gfcstures superb.. At.such moments-one observes a watchful regard on the part of the actora for; the .actress,- and; one' immediately recalls; the dramatic passing away of England's great stage artist.-,' It. would- seem '■that .such will',bo the'end of Sarah Bern : harclt, and jt will :be. most -' fitting. . As the play-nears 'its completion, and the deathbed soene is' depicted, the au'dienco weep sympathetically. There is no endeavour to .ease tho pathos of the scene. , Indeed, throughout, there has been altogether'an'absence of,obtrusive comedy and buffoonery.. The French ; must have art, and they weep as readily as they laugh. - At each: enrtain, fall Madame Bernhardt has ibeen; recalled, and; recalled; sometimes she ' returns- with smiling performera,". always she hoivs gracafully;:hut at the completion, .thoughvit is ■now 12.15 a.m., the audienco will not leave their seats .till she. has .been four, or'• five 'times before the curtain and applauded arid applauded.,! The'^Frerich,'.oven the occupants, of -the pit, are keen' dramatic critics. The declamatory, hero, who: leaves the stage with a fine gesture as he opens or shuts the door, would receive short snrift-. Finn sentiments do.. not .ciount, . but artistic ;■ recitation : or declamation, - clever, acting;;'- never pas 3 unrewarded. The. French.-dramatic, -art : and; tho, French theatre, dates back .further, than that. jof .-■ Germany, and is:' second only to • that of England.- In ono o,r two brief remarks of. the present production it might bo added that the rapijl manipulation of some of' the scenery: is - remarkable; tho. fading of the.daj" into'evening arid then'into .moonlight".is: exceedingly realistic/; and indeed everything ,is done. tp':bring realism to 'its; highest pitch-yta of. the present day in all classes'of art.. When the hero ap-. pears on'the stage with : a jamp. only a lamp lights the stage;. tho electric lights do' not go up Y: (automatically.'' But ;■>: one 'tiresome feature predominates; and that; is tho length of time- between the .acts." It 'is- this that prolongs ,the : -play till after midnight. But what, afteriiill,'matters;the late hour?. The cafes are'-, still brilliant .arid " full;'- and the ■street lights. as, they ivere., at .B:p.m; ~ Other theakes';are '.also . emptying '..themselves . of. their numerous occupants, and it ia not late in tho Parisian sense. ■ Processions In Lent.

• It; was- my good , fortune to be-landed at Genoa on Shrove Tuesday, and to witness.tho celebrations attached to that festival. A r plentiful jpepperiug in the streets with; con,fetii:ari3.a' general barmle's&'Vibllifietftionrwere ;the,- chief ; characteristics up ;to a late hour ' ;of,ihe,'iiight< In Paris In also witnessed the ; ; observance of' the Mid-Lont Festival. *One -.nover-'tnows to, ;what: extent religion, is /connected with these <~.so-call£d festivals. ";Cer-' tainly thero :was little of religion with tho observance of Mid-Lent in Paris.' All the'forenoon-the component parts of . the procession, which was to traverse the - principal streets and- boulevards, 1 werp practising in various parts of the city. ; A body of girls ■ were disporting in face-paint among tho thoroughfares, coquettish stances and kisses'. thronged the ltup do - Rivali in the afternoon, to watch the procession 'pass from the,Notre-Dame.- :i .lvdo.;not attempt.to describo tho procession. ■; ■It was .in accordance 'with': long-established custom, -as 'also was the attendant'ceremony. . ; ;;But; the-.wliole thing . was vulgar. , ■ Thero wero ' features .of tho ' >makc-ups—some; of . which': wore undeniably clever,' and exhibiting long preparation' and much, thought—that would : have entailed-im-prisonment . in' New! .Zealand. Later, 'strange to-, say, one read that : the -principal parts of the procession wore to be sent'to; Spain'.-to. a£' ?ear- there in the Eastor celebrations.:. .1 a :'the ICvening/camo tho. confetti and the 'merry-making. T'he- ; fun ! .;was 'harmless and great. 1 : Fancy costumes were plentiful, and girls went.about in male attire; indeed, several times ,one received a shock,-whcn a bowler was gracefully raised in- 1 salute to see underneath a mass of golden hair. Then would 1 ensue a chase;by a pack.of young felmostly students, of the daring . masqueradors., ..Confetti was; sold by .thousands of hoarse-voiced vendors. ■; Every half-open mouth was pelted.' By .10 .p.m., confetti - was threo or four. inches deep on 'the pavements. At' midnight raiii'was'falling - copiously, .-and j the multi-coloured confctti. was thick, black : mud.' BJV'teh' o'clock next''morning .it had [ all been .swept iip, and every trace of it cleaned. away—Kine wondered at' what cost— and Paris was exhibiting : as littlo evidenco of' tho previous day's jollification. Lent had been continued. . ' . ;', ' The Croat, Caunt "Eiffel." ; V'- . „ It' has ■ been deeulod;by tho French: Govern-, mont to''utilise tho : Eift'el Tower as a station, td.link up her navy with the land by ineaus of.Wireless telegraphy. This - huge tower rears its head nearly a thousand feet in-the air. Its. bottom spans are nearly as high as, and far more massivo,': than, the Maketote Viaduct 1 You pay three francs to, ascend to -the giddy top. Not. many people care to go that high.- In thogreatest gales the top of the .tower, swings as ; much : as ten feet,. Today a strong wind is A hydraulic lift takes you to tho 'first landing,, about three' hundred feet up. Then you change toanother lift• to tho. next landing;' afterwards : to, still other lifts,, till at.-Jength you ■ reaclr tho top;'; At'each landing stage you are worried', by pretty ptall-holdero to purchaso: knick?knar;ks, or post-cards reminiscent of'your ascent.'" At:the top is a post, offico for cards and letters, and a restaurant. You look out through the glass . -protections. Paris is spread out beneath ■ and around in a magnificent., spectacle, -'and around; is-the green onciroling . wall, and winding about, you see the serpentine Seine, and far out beyond the jumblo of' houses,.-'the green country and plantations/. A viow.-on either.side of thirtj miles is obtained on clear day 3. Down below, men and tram-cars. appear.-like beetle's, and crowd along as such,- not one wit moro gracefully. : -."Would tho gods,; etc.," Brtrns wrote, t and a similar couplet ■ would go well that would suggest: that wo, should see ourselves'and institutions from tho top.of an Liffel tower... . . As wo-reach the ground again, a thunder-cloud; passes rapidly ; overhead, and tbo whole tower quivers as a-loud detonation rumbles down it. But ample provision is made oil the tower against lightning. ■ ■' . v