window　under　the　archway；　and　was　greatly　impressed　to　see　those
  four　great　ones　laughing　and　joking　together　over　Eugenie's　trouble
  in　getting　her　hoops　into　the　narrow　chair！
  What　changes　have　come　to　that　laughing　group！　　Two　are　dead；　one
  dying　in　exile　and　disgrace；　and　it　would　be　hard　to　find　in　the
  two　rheumatic　old　ladies　whom　one　sees　pottering　about　the　Riviera
  now；　any　trace　of　those　smiling　wives。　　In　France　it　is　as　if　a
  tidal　wave　had　swept　over　Napoleon's　court。　　Only　the　old　palace
  stood　severely　back　from　the　Champs　Elysees；　as　if　guarding　its
  souvenirs。　　The　pick　of　the　mason　has　brought　down　the　proud
  gateway　which　its　imperial　builder　fondly　imagined　was　to　last　for
  ages。　　The　Tuileries　preceded　it　into　oblivion。　　The　Alpha　and
  Omega　of　that　gorgeous　pageant　of　the　fifties　vanished　like　a
  mirage！
  It　is　not　here　alone　one　finds　Paris　changing。　　A　railway　is　being
  brought　along　the　quais　with　its　depot　at　the　Invalides。　　Another
  is　to　find　its　terminus　opposite　the　Louvre；　where　the　picturesque
  ruin　of　the　Cour　des　Comptes　has　stood　half…hidden　by　the　trees
  since　1870。　　A　line　of　electric　cars　crosses　the　Rond　Point；　in
  spite　of　the　opposition　of　all　the　neighborhood；　anxious　to　keep；
  at　least　that　fine　perspective　free　from　such　desecration。　　And；
  last　but　not　least；　there　is　every　prospect　of　an　immense　system　of
  elevated　railways　being　inaugurated　in　connection　with　the　coming
  world's　fair。　　The　direction　of　this　kind　of　improvement　is
  entirely　in　the　hands　of　the　Municipal　Council；　and　that　body　has
  become　（here　in　Paris）　extremely　radical；　not　to　say　communistic；
  and　takes　pleasure　in　annoying　the　inhabitants　of　the　richer
  quarters　of　the　city；　under　pretext　of　improvements　and　facilities
  of　circulation。
  It　is　easy　to　see　how　strong　the　feeling　is　against　the
  aristocratic　class。　　Nor　is　it　much　to　be　wondered　at！　　The
  aristocracy　seem　to　try　to　make　themselves　unpopular。　　They　detest
  the　republic；　which　has　shorn　them　of　their　splendor；　and　do
  everything　in　their　power　（socially　and　diplomatically　their　power
  is　still　great）　to　interfere　with　and　frustrate　the　plans　of　the
  government。　　Only　last　year　they　seized　an　opportunity　at　the
  funerals　of　the　Duchesse　d'Alencon　and　the　Duc　d'Aumale　to　make　a
  royalist　manifestation　of　the　most　pronounced　character。　　The　young
  Duchesse　d'Orleans　was　publicly　spoken　of　and　treated　as　the　〃Queen
  of　France；〃　at　the　private　receptions　given　during　her　stay　in
  Paris　the　same　ceremonial　was　observed　as　if　she　had　been　really　on
  the　throne。　　The　young　Duke；　her　husband；　was　not　present；　being　in
  exile　as　a　pretender；　but　armorial　bearings　of　the　〃reigning
  family；〃　as　their　followers　insist　on　calling　them；　were　hung
  around　the　Madeleine　and　on　the　funeral…cars　of　both　the
  illustrious　dead。
  The　government　is　singularly　lenient　to　the　aristocrats。　　If　a　poor
  man　cries　〃Long　live　the　Commune！〃　in　the　street；　he　is　arrested。
  The　police；　however；　stood　quietly　by　and　let　a　group　of　the　old
  nobility　shout　〃Long　live　the　Queen！〃　as　the　train　containing　the
  young　Duchesse　d'Orleans　moved　out　of　the　station。　　The　secret　of
  this　leniency　toward　the　〃pretenders〃　to　the　throne；　is　that　they
  are　very　little　feared。　　If　it　amuses　a　set　of　wealthy　people　to
  play　at　holding　a　court；　the　strong　government　of　the　republic
  cares　not　one　jot。　　The　Orleans　family　have　never　been　popular　in
  France；　and　the　young　pretender's　marriage　to　an　Austrian
  Archduchess　last　year　has　not　improved　matters。
  It　is　the　fashion　in　the　conservative　Faubourg　St。　Germain；　to
  ridicule　the　President；　his　wife　and　their　bourgeois　surroundings；
  as　forty　years　ago　the　parents　of　these　aristocrats　affected　to
  despise　the　imperial　PARVENUS。　　The　swells　amused　themselves　during
  the　official　visit　of　the　Emperor　and　Empress　of　Russia　last　year
  （which　was　gall　and　wormwood　to　them）　by　exaggerating　and　repeating
  all　the　small　slips　in　etiquette　that　the　President；　an
  intelligent；　but　simple…mannered　gentleman；　was　supposed　to　have
  made　during　the　sojourn　of　his　imperial　guests。
  Both　M。　and　Mme。　Faure　are　extremely　popular　with　the　people；　and
  are　heartily　cheered　whenever　they　are　seen　in　public。　　The
  President　is　the　despair　of　the　lovers　of　routine　and　etiquette；
  walking　in　and　out　of　his　Palais　of　the　Elysee；　like　a　private
  individual；　and　breaking　all　rules　and　regulations。　　He　is　fond　of
  riding；　and　jogs　off　to　the　Bois　of　a　morning　with　no　escort；　and
  often　of　an　evening　drops　in　at　the　theatres　in　a　casual　way。　　The
  other　night　at　the　Francais　he　suddenly　appeared　in　the　FOYER　DES
  ARTISTES　（A　beautiful　greenroom；　hung　with　historical　portraits　of
  great　actors　and　actresses；　one　of　the　prides　of　the　theatre）　in
  this　informal　manner。　　Mme。　Bartet；　who　happened　to　be　there　alone
  at　the　time；　was　so　impressed　at　such　an　unprecedented　event　that
  she　fainted；　and　the　President　had　to　run　for　water　and　help　revive
  her。　　The　next　day　he　sent　the　great　actress　a　beautiful　vase　of
  Sevres　china；　full　of　water；　in　souvenir。
  To　a　lover　of　old　things　and　old　ways　any　changes　in　the　Paris　he
  has　known　and　loved　are　a　sad　trial。　　Henri　Drumont；　in　his
  delightful　MON　VIEUX　PARIS；　deplores　this　modern　mania　for　reform
  which　has　done　such　good　work　in　the　new　quarters　but　should；　he
  thinks；　respect　the　historic　streets　and　shady　squares。
  One　naturally　feels　that　the　sights　familiar　in　youth　lose　by　being
  transformed　and　doubts　the　necessity　of　such　improvements。
  The　Rome　of　my　childhood　is　no　more！　　Half　of　Cairo　was　ruthlessly
  transformed　in　sixty…five　into　a　hideous　caricature　of　modern
  Paris。　　Milan　has　been　remodelled；　each　city　losing　in　charm　as　it
  gained　in　convenience。
  So　far　Paris　has　held　her　own。　　The　spirit　of　the　city　has　not　been
  lost；　as　in　the　other　capitals。　　The　fair　metropolis　of　France；　in
  spite　of　many　transformations；　still　holds　her　admirers　with　a
  dominating　sway。　　She　pours　out　for　them　a　strong　elixir　that　once
  tasted　takes　the　flavor　out　of　existence　in　other　cities　and　makes
  her　adorers；　when　in　exile；　thirst　for　another　draught　of　the
  subtle　nectar。
  CHAPTER　25　…　Contentment
  AS　the　result　of　certain　ideal　standards　adopted　among　us　when　this
  country　was　still　in　long　clothes；　a　time　when　the　equality　of　man
  was　the　new　〃fad〃　of　many　nations；　and　the　prizes　of　life　first
  came　within　the　reach　of　those　fortunate　or　unscrupulous　enough　to
  seize　them；　it　became　the　fashion　（and　has　remained　so　down　to　our
  day）　to　teach　every　little　boy　attending　a　village　school　to　look
  upon　himself　as　a　possible　future　President；　and　to　assume　that
  every　girl　was　preparing　herself　for　the　position　of　first　lady　in
  the　land。　　This　is　very　well　in　theory；　and　practice　has　shown
  that；　as　Napoleon　said；　〃Every　private　may　carry　a　marshal's　baton
  in　his　knapsack。〃　　Alongside　of　the　good　such　incentive　may
  produce；　it　is　only　fair；　however；　to　consider　also　how　much　harm
  may　lie　in　this　way　of　presenting　life　to　a　child's　mind。
  As　a　first　result　of　such　tall　talking　we　find　in　America；　more
  than　in　any　other　country；　an　inclination　among　all　classes　to
  leave　the　surroundings　where　they　were　born　and　bend　their　energies
  to　struggling　out　of　the　position　in　life　occupied　by　their
  parents。　　There　are　not　wanting　theorists　who　hold　that　this　is　a
  quality　in　a　nation；　and　that　it　leads　to　great　results。　　A
  proposition　open　to　discussion。
  It　is　doubtless　satisfactory　to　designate　first　magistrates　who
  have　raised　themselves　from　humble　beginnings　to　that　proud
  position；　and　there　are　times　when　it　is　proper　to　recall　such
  achievements　to　the　rising　generation。　　But　as　youth　is
  proverbially　over…confident　it　might　also　be　well　to　point　out；
  without　danger　of　discouraging　our　sanguine　youngsters；　that　for
  one　who　has　succeeded；　about　ten　million　confident　American　youths；
  full　of　ambition　and　lofty　aims；　have　been　obliged　to　content
  themselves　with　being　honest　men　in　humble　positions；　even　as　their
  fathers　before　them。　　A　sad　humiliation；　I　grant　you；　for　a　self…
  respecting　citizen；　to　end　life　just　where　his　father　did；　often
  the　case；　nevertheless；　in　this　hard　world；　where　so　many　fine
  qualities　go　unappreciated；　…　no　societies　having　as　yet　been
  formed　to　seek　out　〃mute；　inglorious　Miltons；〃　and　ask　to　crown
  them！
  To　descend　abruptly　from　the　sublime；　to　very　near　the　ridiculous；
  …　I　had　need　last　summer　of　a　boy　to　go　with　a　lady　on　a　trap　and
  help　about　the　stable。　　So　I　applied　to　a　friend's　coachman；　a
  hard…working　Englishman；　who　was　delighted　to　get　the　place　for　his
  nephew　…　an　American…born　boy　…　the　child　of　a　sister；　in　great
  need。　　As　the　boy's　clothes　were　hardly　presentable；　a　simple
  livery　was　made　for　him；　from　that　m