480 IN THE DIPLOMATIC SEEVICE-II 



of various American artists and students who had fre 

 quented the place in days gone by, and who had left these 

 adornments to the good old madame. 



It was a simple cremerie in the Rue de la Michodiere, 

 a little way out of the Boulevard des Italiens; and its 

 success was due to the fact that Madame Busque, the kind 

 est old lady alive, had learned how to make sundry Ameri 

 can dishes, and had placed a sign in the window as fol 

 lows: &quot;Aux Americains. Specialite de Pumpkin Pie et 

 de Buckwheat Cakes. &quot; Never was there a more jolly 

 restaurant. One met there, not only students and artists, 

 but some of the most eminent men in American public 

 life. The specialties as given on the sign-board were well 

 prepared ; and many were the lamentations when the dear 

 old madame died, and the restaurant, being transferred 

 to another part of Paris, became pretentious and fell into 

 oblivion. 



Another occurrence at the exposition dwells vividly in 

 my memory. One day, in going through the annex in which 

 there was a show of domestic animals, I stopped for a mo 

 ment to look at a wonderful goat which was there tethered. 

 He was very large, with a majestic head, spreading horns, 

 and long, white, curly beard. Presently a party of French 

 gentlemen and ladies, evidently of the higher class, came 

 along and joined the crowd gazing at the animal. In a 

 few moments one of the ladies, anxious to hurry on, said 

 to the large and dignified elderly gentleman at the head of 

 the party, &quot;Mais viens done&quot;; to which he answered, 

 &quot;Non, laisse moi le regarder; celui-la ressemble tant au 

 bon Dieu. 



This remark, which in Great Britain or the United States 

 would have aroused horror as blasphemy, was simply 

 answered by a peal of laughter, and the party passed on ; 

 yet I could not but reflect on the fact that this attitude 

 toward the Supreme Being was possible after a fifteen 

 hundred years monopoly of teaching by the church which 

 insists that to it alone should be intrusted the religious 

 instruction of the French people. 



