SALE AT THE TUILERIES. 275 



chtffonnier ; but we have the " rag, bone, and bottle man," the 

 "rabbit- and hare-skin man," the hawker who takes old 

 clothes and " old 'ats " in exchange for pots of flowers and 

 crockery and we are told that there are nearly a thousand 

 persons who make their living by selling second-hand ar- 

 ticles in the streets of London alone. 



Much might be said on the subject of old clothes, the 

 largest dealers in which do so' large a trade that they are 

 known as " merchants," and export their goods to all parts 

 of the world. 



Long before the French Revolution, it was an established 

 custom that there should be an annual sale at the Tuileries 

 of all the discarded garments belonging to the Royal Family, 

 the proceeds of which were ostensibly given to the poor. 

 The practice was revived by the Empress Josephine, and 

 continued through all the various changes of dynasty until 

 the establishment of the present Republic. 



A long gallery in the basement of the palace, looking 

 into the garden, was fitted throughout its whole length 

 with oak wardrobes which were usually well filled in the 

 course of the year. When the time for the sale came, the 

 shutters were closed, the gallery was brilliantly lighted up, 

 and visitors were admitted by invitation-cards issued by the 

 attendants of the Queen or Empress. Every article was 

 ticketed with its price, from which, of course, there was no 

 deviation ; but the chief part was generally bought up by the 

 valets and women of the wardrobe, and they disposed of all 

 that remained unsold to the great dealers, who again sold 

 the goods to their customers at immense prices. 



Many are the vicissitudes of old clothes, many are the 



