4-0 JX THE DIPLOMATIC ISEKVICE-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 niadaine. 



It was a simple crtmcric in the liiio de la Michodiere, 

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

 success was due to the fact that Madame B usque, 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: "Aux Americains. Speciality de Pumpkin Pie et 

 de Buckwheat Takes." Never was there a more jolly 

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

 hut some of the most eminent men in American puhlic 

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

 prepared; and many were the lamentations when the dear 

 old niadaine 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 largo and dignified elderly gentleman at the head of 

 the party, "Mais viens done"; to which lie answered, 

 "Non, laisse moi le regarder; celui-la ressemble taut au 

 bon Dieu." 



Tliis remark, which in Great Britain or the Fnited 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 1 

 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. 



