Paris herself again in 1878-9 . violets, grow beneath the wayfarers feet; that all the houses are not Maisons Dorees ; that motley is not the only wear; to fill the mind with solemn thoughts and the heart with a cold ache—go you and look at the real seamy side of the gay hangings. Inquire and study and reflect a little over the appalling amount of misery and destitution which are coexistent with the luxury and profligacy and riot of life in Paris during the Exposition Universelle. THE SEAMY SIDE OF PARIS LIFE. 15 The Seamy Side! I had a glance of it the other day on theBoulevard—a glance sudde
Paris herself again in 1878-9 . violets, grow beneath the wayfarers feet; that all the houses are not Maisons Dorees ; that motley is not the only wear; to fill the mind with solemn thoughts and the heart with a cold ache—go you and look at the real seamy side of the gay hangings. Inquire and study and reflect a little over the appalling amount of misery and destitution which are coexistent with the luxury and profligacy and riot of life in Paris during the Exposition Universelle. THE SEAMY SIDE OF PARIS LIFE. 15 The Seamy Side! I had a glance of it the other day on theBoulevard—a glance sudden, momentary, but as completely lucidand comprehensive as that afforded of a landscape by a flash ofsummer lightning on a moonless night. It was two oclock in theafternoon, and raining heavily. I was standing on the kerb, justin front of the Cafe Riche,in that state of dolorous dubiety to whichpeople are subject who continually carry an umbrella, and who never,save under the strongest compulsion, open it. An umbrella may be. :t companion, a friend, a staff, a protector, a weapon, an adviser, anindicator, and when it rains the best use you can put yourparapluieto is to hail the nearest cab or omnibus with it. But there wereno cabs to be had that afternoon; the Paris omnibuses do notstay in their wild career to take up stray passengers; and I hadbegun to think that there was no alternative between putting upmy Robinson, as the French, in affectionate memory of RobinsonCrusoe, term an umbrella—when there stopped right in front of methe smartest of smart broughams. A Peters, possibly, or a Laurieand Marner, to judge from the lightness of the wheels and easy
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