Paris herself again in 1878-9 . ave the Queen. Our American cousins did notfollow suit with Hail Columbia or Yankee Doodle. They cele-brated the termination of their own share in the Exhibition a weekago, by sounding at full blast all the steam whistles in theirmachinery section. The French auditors of this appalling noisefled in affright, stopping their ears; but the Americans were inecstasies with the piercing shrillness of each successive whistle. Thats the kind of shriek, sir, remarked a gentleman from Hart-ford, Connecticut, to his neighbour and fellow-countryman, thatthe Lawyer gives whe
Paris herself again in 1878-9 . ave the Queen. Our American cousins did notfollow suit with Hail Columbia or Yankee Doodle. They cele-brated the termination of their own share in the Exhibition a weekago, by sounding at full blast all the steam whistles in theirmachinery section. The French auditors of this appalling noisefled in affright, stopping their ears; but the Americans were inecstasies with the piercing shrillness of each successive whistle. Thats the kind of shriek, sir, remarked a gentleman from Hart-ford, Connecticut, to his neighbour and fellow-countryman, thatthe Lawyer gives when the Devil gets hold of him. The gentlemanfrom Hartfords compatriot observed that a few hotel gongs mighthave materially aided the demonstration. Our National Anthem, nevertheless, fetched the French por-tion of the multitude to an enthusiastic extent. An impressionbecame current that les Anglais were celebrating the close of theExhibition in some characteristically national manner; haply by VOL. II. K 242 PARIS HERSELF eating rosbif and drinking porter-beer, possibly by dancing ornpipes and gigues. At all events, the many-heaSed struggledmanfully to reach the section whence the sounds of God save theQueen proceeded; but they were kept back with gentle firmnessby the police, one stout brigadier confidentially informing Prudhomme, who was excitedly anxious to know what lesAnglais were doing, that the Prince of Wales had, just before hisRoyal Highness quitted Paris, concluded a special treaty with theFrench Government, authorising the English exhibitors to keeptheir department open until six oclock in the afternoon of Novem-ber the Tenth, and that they were not to be interfered with intheir revels. Car, vo}rez-vous, added the confidential brigadier, le Prince de Galles cest lami de la France ; et nous lui devonsquelque chose. M. Joseph Prudhomme went away perfectly satis-fied ; and, for my part, I think that it should be equally satisfac- gone ! 243 tory to all
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