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the many trees I see one marked "Common Yew," and break a bit. Afterwards I sit upon a bench with a woman of about forty, in a cap, without a bonnet, a black and blue plaid dress, a sack trimmed with fur, a silk umbrella, no gloves, cheeks painted, and handkerchief perfumed. Is she waiting to see my fine soldier of fifty-one with the handsome teeth? She says that she is waiting to go into the hospital to see a woman who has had an operation performed on one of her breasts. She sees my bit of yew, and says that there is a strong prohibition here against breaking the trees: it subjects you to an imprisonment of three months. What if I had been caught by that soldier! I might have been able to see a prison then.

In my

On a magnificent tree is put up, "Cedar of Lebanon (Cedrus Libani), planted by Bernard de Jussieu, in 1735." Some one thinks that the extent of the branches of this grand tree is about thirty-six yards. Two soldier-like men pass, showily dressed in dark-blue trousers, white belts, red epaulets, and funny hats,-a kind of cocked-hat. They are pompiers, or soldiers employed to put out fires. I walk upwards in the garden to see the extensive view. walks I see a woman at work upon collars. They are machine-made, and she is working beautiful button-holes, five in each. She tells me that they are military false collars, and that she gets ten sous a dozen collars, and can work three dozen a day. Thirty sous! and I just thought myself very cheaply breakfasted at twelve sous!* Of course I look at flowers in the garden, and see the serpent-house with its great white porcelain stoves, brass-banded.

By an inquiry made in 1860, there were in round numbers 105,000 women in Paris connected with trades: 14,000 earned from 1 to 2 francs a day, 39,000 earned more, and 17,000 less.—Appletons' Cyclopædia, "Paris."

In walking through the Rue Blainville, a very common street in one of the most ordinary quarters of Paris, I find it quite clean, and ask a young mechanic how many times the streets of Paris are swept in a week. He answers, "Fourteen times,-every morning and afternoon." This may be something of an exaggeration, but when land is as dear with us as it is in France, and manure as much demanded, perhaps our cities will not in cleanliness so greatly contrast with Paris, especially if labor should be as cheap as here. I also pass through the Rue Mouffetard, one of the poorest in Paris. I stop to see a woman who is frying potatoes very nicely. She has a stove in which she burns coke, and she sells potatoes by the one sou's worth and the two sous', selling a good many at breakfast and dinner time. She has a little recess in the house-front, and pays a rent of ten sous a day. In the Rue Lacipède I see a lady leading two miserable little shaved objects of dogs, each by a twine string. About noon I had gone from the Garden of Plants to the Place Monge to see my American acquaintance, the lady who is attending lectures. I inquire the way from a man in a working-dress, and he accompanies me for a short distance to point it out. He tells me that we are in one of the worst streets in Paris, the Rue Mouffetard (just mentioned), and that we are in the most elevated and at the same time the lowest quarter; that here the highest instruction is given, as at the Garden of Plants, etc., and here there is the least. I speak of our republic, and he tells me that we are their model, and have been for a hundred years or more. I speak of their many changes, and how some of us had been interested for them in 1848; and I complain that they changed so much afterwards. He speaks in severe terms of the empire of Louis Napoleon. I remark that there does not seem to be

much to fear from the son of the emperor. I understand him to accede; but he adds, "He has a great name." I say, "Under thatched roofs they long shall talk of his glory,

'On parlera de sa gloire,
Sur le chaume bien longtemps.'

"You know some of Béranger's songs ?" he says. I smile and venture to inquire what his occupation is; he is a lithographer.

At dinner in the evening we have a broiled fresh mackerel, delightfully cooked, and dressed with a quantity of butter; and afterwards a potato-salad; or cold boiled potatoes dressed with salt, pepper, vinegar, and oil; then some large strawberries, such as we have not had before; we have had very small wood-strawberries.

I tell Victor what I have just heard about the great name of the young Napoleon. Of course he does not like it. He says that the youth has been called the son with long ears, because at Woolwich he was the last in the class; and that he is called the idle fellow-le sédentaire-because he is the son of the man of Sedan. He breaks out with the declaration that Napoleon Bonaparte was the greatest scoundrel that the earth ever bore: “He was a drinker of blood! As to the glory of such a man, I trample it under my feet. He violated his oath to be faithful to the constitution, and made himself emperor. As to that workman of yours, it is very likely that he cried out upon the boulevards, in 1870, To Berlin!' There were only five or six thousand that cried out To Berlin!' and as for those who cried out 'Long live Peace!' they got blows upon the head with head-breakers-casse-têtes—made of lead and

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covered with leather. Those who cried To Berlin!' were police agents, dressed in white blouses like workingmen."

Thursday, May 23d.-The little one was born last night. Victor proposes to go to the mayor's office to register her birth and take out a certificate. These "acts of birth" are of much importance in France. This one will cost him three or four francs. His and Madame Leblanc's were burned during the commune.

I was up last night with madame while her husband went for the doctor; then, about three in the morning, I heard the strong crying of the little one, and rose and assisted at its toilet. They put on a thick cap, to which the doctor does not object at all, some clothing round the body, and a white sack over it, but never a petticoat. Instead, they take a blanket or swaddling cloth, wrap the little body well, and double the blanket up behind to protect its feet, which have on no socks. I had appointments for to-day at the Exposition, but I send notes to my acquaintances and remain while Victor goes out on business. They expected a woman to help them, but I hear that her husband had to go to the country, and that she will not come until Saturday. I run out on an errand to the baker's, and when Victor comes, behold, he has given up his business for two days.

Friday, May 24th.-Last evening the doctor spoke of the want that there is in his quarter among locksmiths, masons, and other mechanics, who cannot earn their living because they have so many children. "How many?" I afterwards ask of Victor. "Three or four." "And do their wives do anything?" "They do their house-work

(Elles font leur cuisine); they cannot do more."

"Because

"And how

of having so many children?" "Yes, yes." much do they earn a day?" "Three, four, five francs." He tells me that the doctor said that what we need is to find out a way to prevent this want. "I know how it could be done," says Victor. "And how?" "By the patrons, the masters, being satisfied with making seven francs instead of ten." On another occasion I understand the doctor to say that the cause of this want is that capital is on one side and labor on the other, and that labor is obliged to accept the terms offered. He adds that there are little vices to which the laborer is addicted; he smokes, he drinks, and loses his time. He says that there are not such great families of children here as in England.

It may be remembered that I have been visiting a girls' public or communal school, beginning with the lowest class. When last there I proposed to pay another visit this week, but the principal said that she could not promise me much, as Thursday would be the time of the first communion, and the school would be much deranged upon that account. Well, then, I would not go there until Friday and Saturday. This being the proposed Friday, I go to the school, and find it in confusion,-in disorganization, if I may be allowed to say so. The principal is at church with pupils who are hearing a mass of thanksgiving for the first communion of yesterday; twenty-four from this school made their first communion, and thirty-six persevered. The pupils who are now at church have permission to rest, if they wish, for the remainder of the day. They will return from church to salute their teachers, but very few of them will be here in the afternoon. Among those absent from school

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