THE REVOLUTION OF 1848 35 



Joy was on every face. I remarked to papa that 

 " I would not have missed the scene for anything, 

 I might never see such a splendid one," when plong 

 went one shot — every face went pale — r-r-r-r-r went 

 the whole detachment, [and] the whole crowd of 

 gentlemen and ladies turned and cut. Such a scene ! 

 — ^ladies, gentlemen, and vagabonds went sprawling 

 in the mud, not shot but tripped up ; and those 

 that went down could not rise, they were trampled 

 over. ... I ran a short time straight on and did 

 not fall, then turned down a side street, ran fifty 

 yards and felt tolerably safe ; looked for papa, did 

 not see him ; so walked on quickly, giving the news 

 as I went.' [It appears, from another letter, the 

 boy was the first to carry word of the firing to the 

 Rue St. Honore ; and that his news wherever he 

 brought it was received with hurrahs. It was an 

 odd entrance upon life for a little English lad, thus 

 to play the part of rumour in such a crisis of the 

 history of France.] 



' But now a new fear came over me. I had little 

 doubt but my papa was safe, but my fear was that 

 he should arrive at home before me and tell the 

 story ; in that case I knew my mamma would go 

 half mad with fright, so on I went as quick as 

 possible. I heard no more discharges. When I got 

 half way home, I found my way blocked up by 

 troops. That way or the Boulevards I must pass. 

 In the Boulevards they were fighting, and I was 



