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Show . 1 Paris and Prince j ;j of Wales Jfjf BY PHILIP GIBBS. fe$ PARIS is Immensely interested in ''k'-ri its guest, the Prince of Wales. Ha comes to the Parisians aa one mor ' ll'l pledge of that cordial understanding f " V which has bound together two na- fifcl'l? Hons, so utterly unlike In spirit ad Ideal. In close comradeship. Ho Is I I ho grandson of King Udward, and, .','1 therefore. Is most welcome to a peo- fjl pie that had a strong personal affee-Hon affee-Hon for a king whose qualities of character appealed to them with lr- jpj resls'tlblo charm. l For his own sake, tho prince is a j.Tf visitor fhey aro glad to havo. His :!;t l title" brings back old memories of ro- :(" r mancc and chivalry, as told In the ' chronicles of Frolssart and In tho '? novels of Dumas. IUs youthfulncss llr-'S calls to tho tenderness and sentiment "',! j 3 of a people who love the spirit of ii!:4J youth. Us. as he strides by the side M-'-i of his tutor down the Chumps "Klyaeca ,A or through tho Luxembourg gardena, ' ; ij the mldinettcs nudge oach other and I" j say, "Via lo petit prince; comme ii i t-? est gen til!" and French ladles carry- ;. i Jj Ing toy terriers smile at him ecstatic- '..2.? ally, as at a young knight sans pour :il' 3 et sans reproche; and black-bearded !v!.C Frenchmen lift their bowler bats, and f-K then shake hands with each, other at tiil"- the thought that Franco and Eng- ' il land have forgotten all their old en- ;' J niilles and that this young prince la if. J a hostage of peace. So Paris re- US gards tha prince, snapshotting him IJli, ; by sunlight and flashlight and form- P Ing littlo crowds about him as ho .!!' J.J walks. ,r., ' But what doe3 tho prince think of ! !;t,r i Paris? Perhaps he ha3 not formed his I,1 i opinion yot. but lias given himself up ! 1' 'i to the new Impressions that come (v'i crowding upon him. But it is good to u?ii be a boy on one's first visit to tho J' -1 capital of France, especially when the J spring Is there, with a glint of green L : along the avenues, with birds singing "i ,' ! in the Bols. with sunlight sparkling on ) hi the rippling waters of the Seine, and , ' fjl with a clear blue sky above the white ' ' 1 5 houses and palaces and spires. There f ' I : is a sense of lightness and brightness 1 ;' i'-: and gaiety in the cltv which exhilar- V ates the spirit of youth. Though, there ' :.;t Is misery here, and squalor, and grinding poverty, though, there ar ' ' sad hearts and sullen souls, and men i . and womon passionate In despair, as j 1', a In all great cities of the world, one .; i J is not conscious of them when Paris ',1.1 is bright in the beauty of tho spring. j ,f''f One sees a light-hearted people tak- ' J ,i ing their pleasures gaily, and going: 'ni'' to their work with smiling eyes. Out- side tho Innumerable cafes the ci Parisians sip light beer and black .I'v 5 coffeo and yellow absinthe. There is .,! 'A tho music of clinking glasses, the :,'H j buglo notes of motor homs, the 'if)''! cracking of whips, staccato shouts, ij j the hoarse cry of "La Presso." the ', : laughter of women, tho faint dull I'rjv ij murmur of distant traffic the mol- iijil-. ?i odv of Paris. f The youns Prince of Wales upon his walks sees even type of Parisian ;; 'v', life, and everywhere he sees that I ii'-' divine cheerfulness which seems to I'M animate these people in all classes i-J.j-'l of society. He will see the market- Li u women of L.es Hallos, fat. comfor- tablo and cheerful, as they sit at M'-.. their stalls, bawling out the price pV'of of vegetables, chaffing their cits- jif:': tomera, counting up their francs and 3 sous. He will see little parties of ! ' i ' mldinettcs coming arm-in-arm acroBS V v '; the Pont Neuf, with roguish eyes j-fl; ;j and tripping feet that dance to the t !' i tune of lire. lie will see the stu- j dcnt3 slouching up the Boul Mich f;.iM with their long black ties blowing in i'.-j j the breeze, their long hair strag- J .V , ling under squash hats, as they go siM .1 for a book at the Cafe d'Karcourt r;. or a cheap dejeuner at the Chope Latlne. where they discuss the prob- ..',;,! lems of life with tho Irreverence of J; j u j vouth. with tremendous cynicism, F'l.' 1 with a wit which turns thc sublime l.j'jjj ? to the ridiculous. L. ,j The mouches are skimming down Sj"!r. ;j the Seine with boatloads of choory fM' bourgeois families. The children ara lii M.l playing in the gardens of the Lux- frrp"' cmbourg with white-capped nurses.' iht and shouting with laughter outside L'l-'M silie Petit Gulgnol under the trees. ?' f 2 And up and down the avenues of tho tf-.f'r Champ Pllysecs thero is an ondloss ':':-tide ':':-tide of automobiles, their brasswork flashing in the sun a pageant of tl PI fair women, and of all tho rich peo- il-lf pie. of tho world who come to Paris f' Vji for their pleasure, At night tho scene changes. The i'V L'i spirit of Paris calls with a different rl .j voice. It Is the voice of a witch with glittering oyos. Out of the dark- KiJ;5 ness thero come writhing snakes to light, whirling wheels of light. Wb'-fN flaming torches, colors that flash ;;i and change Incessantly bo that the 1 t ,: eves are dazzled ad bewildered. ' ', -, Vast crowds seethe along th ' boulevards and surge into the the- '; i, ters. 'Behind thc plate-glass windows ' ,,k.V along miles of streets Paris b'Uji ifrf down to dinner, tucks a whit nap- j; yi kin under its chin, and calk for the : )'" wine list. But hore and thero a.r .1 '! quiet hiding places, where In the . vlV darkness lovers linger, and the Apaches slouch in the shadows with , ., their women. ujif The moon rises above the towers of Notre Damo, louchlrur its pin- iiVy.t naclcs with a silvery ijeht, and pouring its rays down tho Seine. m'cS; fihosts come out with memories of 'Jj;.n old Paris under the Bourbona and folt), ' the Valols. The old, old voice of i?t-r:v : Paris whispers to the spirit, as the f , i night wind flutters through th pUf leaves along thc quais. as the light hi of lanterns from Iron brackets fillers ? ?.;: into courtj-ards or qulot mansions '? which belonged to famous families. To the young Prince of ales Paris will offer all her gifts nnd all , -A, ?B her beauty, with that witchery which enchants all those who come ; !'! to learn her secrets. -jl'nH!' |