PARIS LETTER.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2304, 16 April 1887, Page 2 (Supplement)

PARIS LETTER.

|FROM OUR OWN COUUKSL'ONDKNT.I Paris, February 23. Thkue are a great many people willing to earn their bread by the sweat of their brow, but cannot, not having the opportunity to do so. At present there is a big agitation in France, between the cheap and the dear bread interests. "Spare the loaf of the poor man ; have pity on his distress," say the freetraders. "Save the farmers, who are ruined by foreign competition," retort the protectionists. These were the two texts on which the changes were rung at a mass meeting held on Sunday at the Winter Circus, and while mortals elsewhere were being hypnotised under the sixthly and lastly of charity sotinons. In 18S-1, for French statistics are generally .a few years behind other countries, each inhabitant of Paris consumed 3101bs of bread. This was superior to Orleans, where citizens do not live by bread alone to all appearances, as the consumption per head was only 2201 bs. On the other hand, at Pny, the native heath of Paris coal-men and water-carriers, the annual consumption was 7001 bs per individual. That's where the staff of life flourishes. The average price of the in all France fluctuates between 14 and 15sous. In Paris a baker makes 2201bs of flour into 2SGlbs of bread. That is to say, he adds GGlbs of water to our hot rolls. In warming thus the water, he is more philanthrophic than either the milkman or the wine-dealer ; but the latter do not sell the cold water at something like seven farthings per pound, the baker's tariff, for tho fluid—luke warm. It is an extortion sufficient to work a hydropath or Blue Ribbonist into a state calling for Pasteur's concentrated treatment.

French householders, wherever they can avoid it, do not bake their own bread. The country baker comes round on fixed days in the week : from his his waist dangles a bunch of oaken laths, all notched like a claymore after a century of work on a Sassenach. The customer on receiving his loaf has a twin notch cut on his duplicate lath. This is the origin, it is supposed, of book-keeping by double entry. Blessings on the man who invented sleep, says Saneho Panza. Benedictions on the individual who discovered bread-making , . Doubtless the Marquis Tseng claims the honour for the yellow race. Originally man eat wheat in its natural state ; he put a few grains in his mouth at a time, and trusted to his molars to do the grinding, or the grain was cooked like green peas or haricots. Later it was " terrified " a little, and then pulverized in a mortar with a- pestle and then sifted.

In Rome, each household had its flour, as to-day it has its coffee and milk. If tho family was large, slaves, an ass, malefactors or prisoners, were told off to turning mill stones. The invention of the oven was in importance on a par with the milling. The women generally made the bread, but the Roman soldier was for a long time compelled to be his own commissariat; he received a measure of wheat and beans free to boil or grind it and make it into hot cakes as well as he could.

As could be expected they were neither the free traders nor protpctionists who carried the day of the Sabbath gathering in question, but Anarchists, who, _ though never invited at any public meeting, are sure to come and rule the roast. As yet ,they do not invade the churches or crowd the ministerial receptions. M. Devertu demanded that as the State must raise the wind somehow, tax neither loaves nor beafsteaks, but seize all the land and factories, and divide them in common ; thus there will be no Government, hence no necessity for taxes; then Jack shall pipe and Jill shall Hance. Ex-Minister Rouvier replied that that state of society already existed — in the centre of Africa, iuhabited by savages. "Vise les sauvages and their champs Elysees !" exclaimed tte Anarchists. A lady, who declined to give her name, gathering her jupons as if for a Sappho plunge, jumped into the tribune ; for her, all the calamities—fiscal and others, were due to deputies snoring in thejr seats, instead of attending to tho business of the country. The uproar became so great that no one was permitted either to read or speak. Stentor, I believe, mnst have been the first anarchist. The president, who was a deputy, bolted ; a gamin aged 17, landed somersault-like, into the empty chair, drew to him tlie oratorical glass and carafn of water ; poured some brandy from a life-preserver bottle into the tumbler, and made himself at home over an " American grog," while his admirers chorused. "We will dance around the scaffold." A spectator suggested to the buy-chairman, to " use bis pocket-handkerchief, if he had one." "Let the bloated bourgeois who made that remark, give me his." The anarchists were now masters, the gas was turned off, but it was still daylight. The fire-men arrived to clear the building, the anarchists declared, " we are here, and we will remain," like McMahon. Ultimately after voting a. resolution condemning a bank, the anarchists retired, chanting their usual doxology, "Virela Commune!" interspersed with the quick-step, Ca ira !

Very laudable efforts are being made to revive the saturnalias of other days, so special and dear to the Latin race. As it is now customary at the theatre and opera, to give a full dress rehearsal of a new pieco, so on Sunday last, there was a something of the kind, in the cavalcades which distinguished Shrove Tuesday.

There were so many horn blowers, on horseback as well as on foot, as to suggest a Jericho coalition to bring down the city fortifications, which so many hold to be, as valuable, as crossbows and balistic boulderpropelling machines. One cavalcade, of 100 horsemen in variegated dresses, made the mouths of children water. As for advertising vans, they appeared to have a continuation like a stage army. One patent medicinal vendor had a vehicle rilled with his "gentlemen in black," picking and papering his elixir, which he affirms, keeps down the national death rate, and that might put Holloway's brigade to the blush. The feeding bottle and the cow was a comical tableau vivant; a chubby cherub, all naked in the open air, like the statues in the Groves of Blarney, and armed with a bottle and tube, was seated on the back of a prize milch cow from the cattle show ; a placard set forth, "I drink to young France." Perhaps as an intelligent foreigner observed ; it was typical of the future of Egypt—one of the fat kine, and the flowing with miik—if not with the honey. There was a cart, mounted with a winnowing machine, hand-bills were put into the hopper; the handle was turned, aiu! out flew the bills, urbi et orbi—a new kind of "chaff." This was the only confetti Paris threw, so Nice la Be'le had better look to her laurels. If balconies were not draped with blue satin as in Italy during carnival, they were with furs; and if the "battle of flowers " could not take place in this month, the ammunition being too costly, it will in June. Depend upon it, a Prussian will not be declared the victor, as Nice has just done to Prince Hohenloe, son of the governor of Alsace. It was to heap coals of fire, perhaps, on the enemy's head. Madame Adam, the editress of the political part of the Nouvelle Revue, a leading " fortnightly," in which Sir Charles Dilke holds, it is said, several shares, gave her annual fancy ball in her newly-enlarged hotel, beside the by-street owned and called after her other namp—Juliette Lam bert. She was dressed us "Charlotte Corday," and her daughter as "Lady Jane Grey." It is a meet where, in the disguises, one can read the signs of the times. One lady was an Egyptian : English drama was represented by an Ophelia—the toilettes all beautiful and "new"—which is not ever the case on these occasions and hard times. On the gentlemen's side, there were several "Russian peasants," innocent of either communism or nihilism. There was a sturdy beggar, got up regardless of expense in racs. He was armed like a Spanish vagabond, nnd by his eye seemed to be related to the black-flags, as it was deeply marked in some struggle for the fittest combat. Napoleon Ney, the fides achates of M. de Lesseps, was rigged out as an " English general," all red coat and gold. This descendant of the bravest of the bravo had, however, the cocked hat of an admiral—perhaps typical of the "united service." A foreign journalist appeared fl.« a Venetian noble. He apparently wore his velvet breeches inside out, like King Dagobert; perhaps suggesting the union of the ancient parties in France with Italy. Thero was a Hamlet, as melancholy as Jacques, and who never glanced at Ophelia—he concluded, likely, .she was gone to a nunnery. There was a Texas cow-boy, and two Mexican soldiers watching him like an improvised president ot their republic. As each king, courtier, or beggar arrived, he was announced by a few twangs of " See the conquering hero comes," on stringed instruments. Tho suppier was exquisite, the dancing gay ; it was no feast of reason, but all flow of soul.

All is guess and uncertainty in the political world. One thing is undoubtedly clear, the French will continue to guard their sang froid ; will afford iu> cause of provocation, and will rely on their own right arm,

while keeping their powder dry. The shuffling of the peace or war cards rests between the hands of Germany and Russia, and opinion is satisfied to wait for the deal. Bismarck ie clearly at bay ; tho control of Europe has slipped through his fingers, and ho has lost his grip on the Imperial electors. Ho cannot expect France to join in any litany fov " a happy deliverance out of all his troubles."

The Grand Opera prides itself on its corps do ballot; indeed, originally it was called tho Dancing Acadoiny by Louis XIV., who drew up himself its annual budget, holding that dancing was a noble amusement. The present corps comprises 115 girls, permanently attached to the opera ; a dausense has been compared to a racehorse, who h:is to pay by her repose, her physical fullness and her freedom, the situation she holds. The 115 ballerines are divided into several categories, from the simple walkers called "rats," who receive 2frs. per representation, up to the " three stars," who enjoy salaries of 25 to 30,000fr. yearly. Taglioni was paid 3(>,000, and Fanny Easier 45,000, while Rosati received OO.OOOfr. To-day the directors supply the dancers with everything, save cold cream and rice powder; false calves cost 25fr. a pair, and the contract price for slippers is ofr. The "stars" are supplied with a fresh pair of pumps for every act, just as Julien put on a new pair of white kids at the commencement of every morcean of his concert programme. The other dancers, following their ranks, receive a pair of slippers for every evening, every second or third evening, &c, up to the "tats," who only are furnished with a pair once a month. When a ballerine commits a fault to displease the authorities she is said to " break her skate. "; the origin of the phrase is due to the skating scene in la Prophete, where the danseuses cannot avoid breaking their pumps, and for which they receive a compensation of sfr. At Raincy, a pretty Parisian suburb, ten children fell through the ice—all school mates ; six were drowned. They belonged to as many families. Thesis little cittins were placed in as many hearses, the cordons of the palls being held by delegates from the neighbouring schools ; the teachers preceded the hearses, these being in turn preceded by some companies of boy-soldiers, and their fifers shrilling forth a few bars from Chopin's Dead March. The local authorities were fully represented. After the funeral service the six coffins were placed in a temporary vault, pending the erection by a special subscription of a common tomb. Six teachers advanced, each placing a crown of white roses on a coffin, then came a delegation of twelve girls all in white, and draped in long tulle veils with blue ribbon trimming's, they deposited six bouquets of violets, and six of white lilac. The weep-

For a good index expurgatorius rely on ing crowd retired, leaving six mothers to pray and cry round the premature crave. the"Colonel of the 12th Light Dragoon-. A. M. Harmant wrote a novel on military manners of the present day ; the Colonel in question concluded it was an attack on his regiment, as well as on his predecessor, the Due de Chartres, deprived of his command for political reasons, being an Orleanist Prince, so he issued an order of the day, denouncing the novel as having been written by a dirty blackguard, directing all copies found to be burned on the dung heap in the barrack-gard, and every soldier found reading it to be punished. A few journals object to Mary Queen of Scots being cauonized before Marie Antoinette. The hitter's martyrdom was for the cause of inonarehial government at large, besides all tho preliminaries for her beatification have since many years heen com--plied with. Perhaps Lao XIII, after helping Bismarck in his election troubles, might canonize tho unfortunate que<»n. It would please the [loyalists, and the Republicans would offer no objection, as they seem to immortalise their martyrs by erecting statues to their memory; Baudin, for example, has several. Paris manufactures annually SS.OOO gallons of wine from raisins, so that any housewife might prepare her own "claret," as she does ale, or gooseberry wine. The capital largely prepares cider from American apples. It is propose'! to place a, prohibitive duty on the<e as on American pork and bread-stuffs. This is not a proof of " Liberty enlightening the world." Butter at 17s, or over 4 dollars a pound ! Let the agricultural interest breathe , hopefully. That price was realised a few days ago at the auctioning of the exhibits of the Agricultural Show. A butter dealer, who has made it a speciality ever to purchase the blue ribbon butter, was opposed this year. The rivals run up the bidding to 4Sfr. the kilog. Collections of curios ought to note that a banner captured from the Black Flags is in the market. The blood stains on it are attested to be the vital fleud of some Annamities. The general of the Chinese Embassy was lately insulted by a rough. The court condemned the latter to ten days' imprisonment. Unable to beg him off, Tcheng-ki-kong sent him a present of a French book on Chinese politeness. Magistrate to witness: "You promise to swear the truth, the whole truth, &c. ?" "I do, Monsieur." " Well, what do you know of the accused?" " Nothing at all, Monsieur."