Seventeen Years in Paris: A Chaplain's Story

These requests often involved considerable time and trouble, and the laying aside for the time of all other work.

One morning I received a request from the manager of one of the leading hotels to call as soon as possible. I went down and was told that an English girl had been left there by a “gentleman,” and was in great distress.

I found that she had left her home two or three days previously on the promise of marriage, and was now left without means, and was afraid to communicate with her parents.

I placed her in a room in a smaller hotel, and in the meantime wrote to the father. However, before he received my letter he had started for Paris, having heard his daughter was there, and came to see me in great anxiety about his child. His relief and astonishment were remarkable when I told him I knew the whereabouts of his daughter. A reconciliation was effected, and the girl was taken home.

One of the most remarkable illustrations of the difficulties English people sometimes get into abroad is the following:

Early one morning (6 a.m.) I was sent for to visit two young ladies in a small hotel, who were said to have become insane.

I went down and found one of the sisters on the ground floor holding the door leading to the staircase, and not allowing anyone to pass. She would answer no question, nor permit me to pass to see her sister. With some difficulty I obtained access to the room where the sister was, by another way, but found her in a like state, and unwilling to answer any question, or to give the address of any relative. The difficulty was that the proprietor of the hotel wished to have them removed at once to an asylum, which I felt would only aggravate the malady from which they suffered. I called in an English doctor (since passed away) who most kindly helped, and forbade the proprietor to have them removed. By searching amongst the papers in their room I discovered an address in London, and telegraphed for their relatives to come at once. My wife and I had a trying experience all that night—we sat up with the girls, one of whom had to be fastened to the bed, having become violent. She was shouting all night, and gave a great deal of trouble.

The relatives arrived the next morning, and the necessary steps were taken for their removal. It turned out that these young ladies had been dabbling in hypnotism, and had spent the greater part of the day previous to their illness with some “professor.” One died and the other only recovered after a long illness.

We frequently had to help English artists connected with circuses, shows, etc., who got stranded in France. One morning a smart-looking person called at the house and told me she had a number of performing dogs held at the Gare de Lyon because of some payment demanded, which she could not meet. If she could not get the dogs she would be ruined. By the kind help of the British Charitable Fund I was able to get the dogs set free. On another occasion, when I went down to service, I found in the Church some fifty ballet girls waiting to see me. They had been brought over to play in an exhibition in Paris, but the proprietor having failed, the light was cut off and the place closed. They had no means to get back to England. By the kindness of the British Consul, and again by the help of the British Charitable Fund, these girls were all sent back, and very grateful they were. Not knowing the language they were indeed “strangers in a strange land.” Whenever companies of English girls came over to perform in theatre or music hall, I tried to get opportunities to address them; but it was not an easy part of one’s duty.

Difficulties owing to mixed marriages frequently arose. It cannot be too often explained that there is no difficulty in two English people being married abroad, providing there is no impediment such as would prevent the marriage at home. Civil marriage at the British Consulate should first take place, and the religious ceremony can follow. But in the case of mixed marriages it is absolutely necessary that the contracting parties should satisfy French law, and first be civilly married at the Mairie. A marriage (French and English) in England is not valid in France unless the French Consul in England has first performed the civil rite. Much distress has been caused by not obeying the law. I will give but one instance, though I might give many. It is an important one, as questions were asked in the House of Commons about it, and a statement as to the law sent broadcast to the Clergy of England. The case is this:

Madame X—, an English woman, came to live in Paris. She was a widow with children. She obtained, through my instrumentality, a position as secretary. After a time her employer proposed marriage. He told her, however, that his parents would not give their consent (which in France is a bar to marriage), and proposed that they should go to England, and be married in Church. They went, and after complying with the law as to residence, were married in London. When they returned to Paris the husband refused to let his wife live in his house, but told her to remain in her own flat. When she pressed him on the subject his only reply was, “I suppose you know that the English marriage is not valid in France.”

She came to see me broken-hearted. I did all I could for her, but it was useless. The husband only laughed at me. The case was put into the hand of a solicitor, and brought before the French courts, but the judgment was given against the wife. The Judge told her she ought to have been more careful to ascertain the law. Thus she is legally married in England, but not in France, while her husband is free to marry whom he may choose without hindrance.

If, however, he came to England, he would be legally married to the woman he now repudiates. I have stated this case in full as it may be a warning to others, though much more care is now taken than was formerly the case. I laid the whole case before the late Bishop of London (Dr. Creighton) who wrote:

The extraordinary tangles into which English people sometimes get from ignorance—wilful or otherwise—of the marriage law, is illustrated by the following remarkable case which came under my notice. A French working man living in London married an English woman in his Parish Church. He could not legalise the marriage at the French Consulate because he had not the consent of his parents. This consent is generally necessary for any legal marriage of French people, whatever their age may be. One can easily see the reason for this requirement when the law of inheritance is taken into consideration.

No French father can “cut his son off with a shilling,” as in England. They must leave their money to their children, and the younger benefit equally with the elder. This is the reason the realization of property must take place on the death of anyone. It is, however, generally arranged in the family, and does not necessarily come before the public. The couple of our story did not possess any property, being working people. The husband had lived in England from childhood, and consequently had not done his military service. When the question arose as to the legality of his marriage, he promised he would not return to France. While living in England the marriage was, of course, perfectly in order, but the day came when the husband wished to go back to his own country, and he went to Paris with his wife and two children. Needless to say, the man was at once arrested for his military service. It is extraordinary to English minds to see how quickly the arrival of any man in France who is liable for military service is noted by the Government officials, and he receives a summons to join his regiment at once.

While serving three years (or two as it is now) in the army, a soldier is not allowed to marry, and so X’s wife was without a legal husband, and any means of subsistence. She took her two children and went to live with her father and mother-in-law, who became very fond of her and the grandchildren. We helped her for a time with money and work, and I expect she provided her English made husband with the pocket money for tobacco, etc., so much needed by the French soldier. Towards the end of the three years, preparations were made to legalize the marriage in France, the parents giving their consent willingly. When, however, the time came, and it only remained to give notice at the Mairie of the intended marriage, X refused to re-marry his wife, and so legalize her claim to the title in France. It was found that he had taken up with another woman better looking than his wife, who had no claim to beauty, and whose hard work to support the children during this time had rendered less attractive. X’s father and mother were furious with him and offered to adopt the children. Matters were in this condition, when another misfortune fell upon this poor woman. She took smallpox. The hospital for this terrible disease is one of the worst managed in Paris, and the hardships of the unfortunate patients are often very great. When the poor soul came out she returned to the only home she had—the tiny flat of her father-in-law—and was equal to very little work. The grandparents had cared for the children, but they were also poor, and found it difficult to make ends meet. We were almost in despair as to how to help her, as it was a large order to undertake the whole family. The solution of the whole matter would hardly be imagined by one brought up in England. Mrs. X. one day came to me at the vestry in the Rue d’Aguesseau, and said she was going to marry a Frenchman, who was not only willing to support her and the children, but would adopt and legalize them as his own. This can be done in France, and the real father has then no claim to them whatever. I spoke to her very seriously, and told her that her lawful husband being alive, she would be committing bigamy, and that I could have nothing whatever to do with such an arrangement. I pointed out to her that she would be the legal wife of one man in England and another in France; that in England she would be the lawful wife of the first man, while English law would not only refuse to recognise this second so-called marriage, but could prosecute her for bigamy.

Nothing I could say had any effect upon her, the only thing she would say was “I will never go back to England.”

She has now gone through the French “marriage” at the Mairie, and is happy. It solved our difficulty as to the support of herself and children, but the complication in which she has involved herself and the two children is one of the most extraordinary I met with.

Occasionally there were very sad circumstances attending the death of lonely English people in Paris. At the close of the Boer war, an English soldier who had fought in South Africa died in the Beaujon Hospital. We could not discover how he had wandered to Paris, or get from him any information as to relatives.

The only persons present at the grave were myself and the vestry clerk. Just as the body was being lowered into the grave the clerk placed upon the coffin a small British flag.

And here I should like to bear testimony to the devoted work of Mr. Wicker. His father was Vestry Clerk before him for many years—through nearly the whole of the long ministry of Dr. Forbes. When he died I appointed his son. Brought up in Paris and speaking both languages, and thoroughly in earnest in his work, his services are invaluable to the Chaplain.

Another sad case was that of a girl named X—, who had run away from home four years before her death with the son of a ship builder, who deserted her two days before her end. The parents had lost sight of her, and were too late to see her alive. The funeral was most distressing. The number of English people “under a cloud” who bury themselves in Paris is not small, and the chaplain has frequently very sad cases with which to deal.

Of late years, since the French have taken so kindly to “afternoon teas,” English people have been tempted to open tea shops, without having carefully considered the difficulty and expense of carrying on a business in a foreign land. Several came to grief during my sojourn in Paris.

One of the saddest cases, which may prove a warning to others who have had similar ideas, is the following:

In the year — two ladies, daughters of an English clergyman, came to Paris and opened a tea shop. For a time they did fairly well, and their business fell off chiefly owing to a French shop being opened in the neighbourhood. Things got so bad that they suddenly closed the shop and left for England.

On the way, under mental excitement, one of the sisters jumped from the train and was seriously injured. As a report was spread that only one of the sisters had left, I went down with the officials and forced the establishment, expecting to find the other sister dead. The report, however, proved to be false, for both had left. It was a sad ending to a foolish venture.

One Sunday evening as I was returning from Church, I was overheard speaking English, and two young men stopped me. They said that being out of work in England, they had realized their savings and come to Paris, with the idea of selling fruit in the streets. I asked them if they spoke the language, and they said “not a word,” and they were in great difficulty to know what to do, when they heard me speaking English and stopped me. We got them back to England the next day.

It was extraordinary the number of English working people that turned up time after time, with no knowledge of French, expecting to get work, and had to go—or be sent—back, wiser men.

Owing to the great increase in motor cars, the streets of Paris are particularly dangerous for pedestrians, and accidents are of almost daily occurrence. A peculiarly sad case was the following:

Two sisters, working girls (English), lived together in the Rue —. They worked in different establishments, but generally met near the Madeleine after working hours and went home together. On this occasion one sister waited near the trysting place, but her sister did not meet her. She noticed a crowd round a neighbouring chemist’s, but did not enquire what had happened, and went home.

It turned out that it was her sister who had been carried into the pharmacy to die. Standing on the “island of safety” opposite the Madeleine, her dress had been caught by a passing motor, and she had been dragged under it and killed. These two girls were supporting an aged mother in England.

Another fatal accident which gave me a curious experience was that of Madame J—, who was run over by a cab and killed. In her pocket was found a paper with my name and address written upon it. She was an Englishwoman, widow of a Frenchman, and used to earn her living by selling lace on commission. After the accident she was taken to the Morgue. At that time this gruesome institution was partly open to the public, and some of the bodies—not identified—were exposed upon slabs behind glass, others were kept in boxes in another part until buried. The authorities sent for me, to see if I could identify the body of this poor woman, which I was able to do—but I shall never forget the horror of the scene. The poor body was in a box without covering, and so disfigured that I had some difficulty in convincing myself that it was the person I expected. I was glad to arrange for her decent burial.

One of the most melancholy of English suicides, of which, alas, there are many, was that of Colonel Hector Macdonald, in March, 1903.

He was staying at the Hotel Regina in the Rue de Rivoli, and apparently after reading the “New York Herald,” in which there was a paragraph stating that grave charges had been made public against him, he shot himself. After the necessary formalities the body was removed to the Embassy Church in the Rue d’Aguesseau before removal to Scotland. Colonel Macdonald was a large man, and there being a double coffin, we were unable to lower the body into the mortuary, and this gave rise to a report that sufficient reverence was not shown—a report which was without any foundation.

Many members of the Scotch colony in Paris visited the Church and placed flowers on the coffin, and someone unknown sent a bunch of heather from Scotland for a like purpose. It was a sad ending to the life of a brave soldier.

CHAPTER VII.
BRITISH CHARITIES IN PARIS.

The British poor in Paris form no inconsiderable part of the Colony. This arises largely from the fact that it has been the custom in France to employ Englishmen as coachmen and stablemen, many of whom from one cause or another have fallen into poverty. Others have taken advantage of the small expense and gone to Paris in the hope of obtaining work, which is by no means easy to find. Some years ago many English were employed in various works, but lately it is not so. When first I went to Paris I held in the Montmartre district a weekly service for the families of those employed in the gas works in that neighbourhood, and had an attendance of thirty to forty persons. But this gradually dwindled, until at last there were none left—one after another had been discharged and had taken their families back to England.

In order to meet the need of the impecunious British, several excellent charities have been established in Paris. One of the most important of these is the “British Charitable Fund.” This is a fund which has existed many years in Paris, and it is interesting to know that during the Franco-German war and the Siege of Paris, it still carried on its work, giving out food to those poor English people who had been unable to leave the beleaguered city.

In former years it was a most difficult matter to raise sufficient funds to meet the various calls, and there were all sorts of expedients for raising money. Now, happily, the fund is in a healthy condition, owing to a generous legacy by the late Captain Briscoe, and very good work is being done. The fund is managed by a committee, of which His Majesty’s Ambassador is President, and the British Consul-General the Chairman. The executive is an undenominational body, and the members usually attending during my time were: the English Church clergyman, the Roman Catholic priest, and the Scotch clergyman, and one or two laymen—Sir John Pilter being a most regular and valued member. Sir John Pilter is one of the best known members of the English Colony, and is always forward in every good work both with means and personal effort. The secretary, Mr. Reginald Gesling, is a well-known figure in the English colony, and an invaluable presence at the weekly board. Being gifted with a remarkable memory for faces, it is hard indeed for the would-be impostor to pass his scrutiny. I have known him recognise a man who had not been before the committee for thirty years.

The weekly meetings of the board, which I attended (with rare exceptions) during my sixteen years in Paris, were full of interest and a curious study of human nature. All sorts and conditions of men came there, with all sorts of stories. We had clergymen and Roman Catholic priests, lawyers, soldiers and sailors, black and white, Boer and Briton, from all parts of the world. Sometimes it was a man sent as far as Paris by the Consul at Marseilles, whom we had to send on. At another, members of an English circus which had failed asked to be sent home. Clowns and ballet girls, in fact “artists” (as they call themselves) of all kinds were frequently before the committee. The Home Government give some assistance towards the repatriation of British people, or this would be a serious drain upon the fund, and, moreover, the Western Railway of France conveys these unfortunate people at a reduced rate. There are often curious scenes at the Gare St. Lazare on Wednesday evenings, when these people are being sent off. There is frequently a reluctance to go at the last minute on the part of those who have long resided in Paris, and all sorts of dodges have been resorted to to avoid the train. I knew of one case where a woman having a ticket to London left the train at Rouen, and in a short time came up smiling before the committee again.

The distribution of charity is ever a difficult matter, and while every care was taken, we were no doubt often imposed upon. We have an excellent lady visitor, Miss Beaton, who spares no time or energy in finding out the merits of each case. Here is a curious instance:

On one occasion a woman came to the committee in widow’s weeds, leading a string of children, and in tears. She said her husband (a printer) was dead and buried. She would not return to England, and asked for help for herself and children. The committee were touched, and made a generous allowance, which went on for some weeks.

One day the Secretary (Mr. Gesling) met the husband (supposed to be dead) in the street. He went up to him and questioned him, and discovered that he knew nothing of his wife’s deception. I believe she is really a widow now, and receives help from the committee.

It was astonishing how many English people lost their purses, either on the journey over or soon after arriving in Paris. Almost every week we had the same story, which, in many if not most cases, was only an excuse either for having given way to drink, or having been in bad company.

The committee is always desirous to get British people who are not doing well to return to their own country, especially the younger people. Old people who have lived most of their life in France and have lost all their relatives cannot well be sent home. The fascination of Paris is, however, so great, that it is often very difficult to persuade even the poorest to leave, and all sorts of excuses are given against leaving. Upon one occasion an old man came to the committee asking for relief. He was asked “How long have you been in France?” He replied “Over twenty years.” “Do you speak French?” “Only a few words, sir.” (This is quite possible. Englishmen working together in a stable will have little need to speak the language.) “Are you in work?” “No, sir.” “Have you any prospect of work?” “I think not.” “Will you return home?” A decided “No, sir.” He was then asked a number of questions in the endeavour to discover his reasons for wishing to stay, as he was getting old, was unmarried, and had no relatives in France. At length, with some reluctance, he said, “Well, sir, its the wine. We can’t get the claret in England.” And nothing would persuade him to return. He is probably still there, ekeing out a miserable existence. I am glad to hear that the committee are about to purchase or build more suitable premises in which to carry on this important work. This is a real necessity, as the present rooms are too small and badly ventilated. Visitors are always welcome on Wednesday afternoons when the committee meets, and the study of human nature at these gatherings is most interesting. There are usually between 90 and 120 applications for relief each week.

Next in importance to the British Charitable Fund is the “Hertford British Hospital.” This was the noble gift to the Colony of the late Sir Richard Wallace, Bart., and was partly the outcome of the Franco-German war, and the Commune in 1870-1871. This philanthropic nobleman opened a hospital in the Rue d’Aguesseau for the reception of wounded, and in January, 1871, added two wards for the “Sick British Poor,” and also a dispensary. At the end of the year only one soldier remained under treatment, and upon his discharge it was closed. A few weeks subsequently Sir Richard Wallace communicated to his friends his intention to found and endow a hospital in Paris for poor British subjects, to be called the “Hertford British Hospital,” in memory of the late Marquis of Hertford. The foundation stone of the present building was laid by Sir Richard and Lady Wallace in August, 1877, and opened at a visit of the late Lord Lyons in 1879. The hospital was visited in June, 1879, by their Majesties King Edward VII. and Queen Alexandra (then Prince and Princess of Wales), who named the principal wards “Albert Edward” and “Alexandra.” In 1900 Lady Wallace made over the hospital by deed to the British Government, who appointed the present management. This hospital is especially fortunate in having an endowment sufficient for its requirements, so that the management have no need to apply for subscriptions. The hospital contains 40 beds and cots, and has an average number of 350 in-patients, and some 2,000 out-patients.

It can hardly be realized, except by those resident abroad, what a boon an English hospital, with English doctors and nurses, is to the British poor.

One cannot speak too highly of the kindness of the French hospitals in receiving English people for treatment, and I received many testimonies from grateful patients of the benefits obtained. I frequently, however, heard the poor say: “When one is ill, it is such a blessing to be able to talk your own language to those about you,” or “I am afraid they did not treat me properly because I could not explain to them the symptoms,” and such sayings illustrate what I am sure all feel, viz.: that it is very difficult in illness to explain as one would wish to one who is a stranger to our language. So that the English hospital for this reason (and it is only one of many) is a real boon to the British poor in Paris. You no sooner pass the iron gate than you feel as if you were in England. The porter speaks to you in your native tongue; the secretary (though a first-rate French scholar) greets you in the same language. The wards are bright, cheerful, and (especially) airy, and all the surroundings are such as we are accustomed to in our own land. The nurses are all English, and most of them have had experience in hospitals at home. All are under the guidance of an experienced matron, chosen from among many applicants for the post. I have known hundreds of the British poor who have been treated there, and they often are in difficulty to find words to express their gratitude. Certainly the works of Sir Richard Wallace do follow him.

If there is any drawback in this splendid institution, it is the lack of a separate building for the treatment of infectious cases; and also of a pay ward. This want necessitates a poor Britisher with consumption, small pox, etc., being taken to a French hospital, which often is not desirable, and sometimes a great hardship. The need of a pay ward is also a real one. It often happens that an English person is taken ill in an hotel where it is difficult to get proper treatment, and where expenses are apt to increase very materially under the circumstances. To some hotels doctors are “attached,” who charge exorbitant fees, and, it is said, divide the proceeds with the proprietor. In such cases it would be the greatest boon if the patients could avail themselves of a British hospital, and they would no doubt willingly pay for the necessary treatment. But notwithstanding these omissions, the Hertford Hospital is doing a splendid work, and is an enduring monument to its generous founder.

Another British charity in Paris is the “Victoria Home for Aged Women,” founded by my predecessor, the Rev. Howard Gill, in the year 1888. He found, as I did subsequently, that there were English women who had been governesses, ladies’ maids, and domestic servants, living in loneliness and poverty, generally at the top of the great houses in Paris, where the rents—and the ceilings—are low. For the most part they had led honourable lives, and were respected and helped by the families where they had worked. But they were old, they had lived most of their lives in France, any friends they had in England were dead and gone, and they had no wish to return to their native land, indeed it would be cruel to compel them to do so. The idea of a home where such could be lodged, free of rent, took shape in the year of the late Queen’s Jubilee in 1887. It was then decided that after the expenses of the Celebration, the fund collected should be applied to the establishment of a Victoria Home for the Aged British Poor. However, the fund collected was not sufficient, so it was eventually decided to apply the interest of it in Victoria pensions, until the necessary amount should be collected. However, Mr. Gill would not allow his scheme to rest, and receiving generous help from a few friends, he started a Home on a small scale. This was inaugurated by the Dowager Lady Lytton in December, 1888, and has proved a real success. The conditions of entry may seem rather “stiff,” but the fact that there has never been a vacant room shows that they need not at present be relaxed. The applicant must be a British subject, over 65 years of age, of good character, and have resided at least 30 years in France. It was one of my most pleasing duties during sixteen years to visit this “Home,” and to act as chairman of the committee. Most of the old ladies had an interesting story to tell, and they never wearied relating their experiences. Those who had been governesses in French families delighted to tell of the young ladies to whom they had taught English, and watched over until they had married. The kindness of some of these ladies to their old teachers and nurses was most touching. The late Sir Condie Stephen, an attaché at the Embassy, took a kind interest in one of these inmates, and regularly sent her a present until the time of her death. All these old ladies had passed through the siege of Paris and the Commune, and had interesting stories to tell of that tragic time. I remember one of them shewed me some of the meal which was served out during the siege—very coarse and dirty, and mixed with particles of wood. The Dowager Lady Lytton and her daughters, and afterwards the Dowager Lady Dufferin and her daughters, the Ladies Blackwood, took the warmest interest in the Home, and were constant visitors. Members of the English and American Colonies constantly go out to see the inmates, foremost amongst whom I must mention Miss Thorndike, one of the oldest American residents in Paris, who frequently gives a tea and presents of warm clothing, which are much appreciated. Formerly we rented a house in the Rue Borghèse, Neuilly, but lately a house has been purchased in the Boulevard de la Saussais, and is now being enlarged and made more suitable as a permanent home for this deserving class. Visitors to Paris will always be welcomed by the excellent matron and her daughter, Mrs. and Miss Ffarmer.

Another institution in Paris which is doing an admirable work is the British Schools. These schools were established in 1832, in order to afford a sound education to English-speaking children of the working classes resident in the city, and to enable them to retain their knowledge of the English language. A small fee is charged to those parents who are in a position to pay, and the fees of the poorer children are paid by the British Charitable Fund. I cannot speak too highly of the good work done in these schools, under the mastership of Mr. R. Smith. The children receive an education in both French and English—a French mistress is always employed. They learn shorthand and typewriting in both languages, and thus are able to obtain good positions in French business houses. Indeed it is often difficult to supply the demand for both boys and girls competent to take such posts. The children are taught patriotic songs, and every endeavour is made to instil into their minds love and loyalty for their own country. This is very necessary, for I found that children of English parents who did not avail themselves of the advantages of the schools, had the tendency to forget their own tongue, and to gradually become French. The chairman of the schools is Sir H. Austin Lee, who takes the warmest interest in its welfare, while Mr. H. Webster is untiring in his work as secretary and treasurer.

The Girls’ Friendly Society is a splendid institution in Paris, hardly perhaps to be designated as a charity. When I first commenced work in the City it was doing but little, but of late years it has become a society of the first importance for looking after English girls abroad. It is, of course, a branch of the London G.F.S., which has its ramifications all over Europe. English girls come in very large numbers to Paris as typists, governesses, nurses, etc., and it is very important that they should be looked after in a city so full of temptations. The society took a new lease of life during the time when the Dowager Lady Dufferin was at the Embassy. It was in debt and other difficulties, and the work was comparatively small. Lady Dufferin seeing the possibilities took up the matter with her usual energy. The debt was soon paid, the difficulties removed, and the work placed on a firm basis. From that time to the present the society has prospered, and when I left Paris had some 300 English girls under its care. The system of the G.F.S. is just what is needed on the Continent. Each girl has a lady associate, who is her friend to whom she can always apply. If she moves to another city she is recommended to a Lady Associate there, and is met at the railway, and looked after. I used frequently to visit the charming lodge in the Avenue d’Jéna, and often on Sunday afternoons (the great gathering time for a free tea) gave an address to the girls. The work of the chaplains in Paris is much lightened by the kind help of the excellent ladies at the head of the lodge. Indeed, one may say that the need of English girls in Paris is fully met by this society, and the Y.W.C.A., under the fostering care of Mrs. Hoff. This excellent lady devotes a large portion of her time and wealth to work among American and English girls, and meets their need, and especially that of American artists, in the beautiful homes she has established.

The “Ada Leigh” homes have done a good work in the past. The Y.M.C.A. has for years had a branch in Paris, and done a good work, under the devoted presidency of the late H. Skepper.

These are the principal British charities in Paris. There are other smaller and more private charities which were less under my notice, but of which I would write, but for want of space.

CHAPTER VIII.
BRITISH JOURNALISTS IN PARIS.

It was my privilege to know most of the journalists representing the leading English papers, frequently meeting them at the various public functions and on other occasions. They are truly a body of men of whom the Nation may be proud. Most agreeable to meet and keen in their work, so much so that very little escapes their notice.

The “Times” was represented during most of my chaplaincy by that truly remarkable man M. O. de Blowitz. It was said of him that on one occasion at least (in 1875) he saved France from war. His achievements during the Franco-German war in 1870 are well known. He was not striking in appearance: small, nearly bald, rather insignificant looking, so that it was hard on first acquaintance to realize that he was the man whose deeds had startled Europe on more than one occasion. He was, I believe, Austrian by birth, but French by naturalization. His communications to the “Times” were, I understand, always in French; indeed, he was latterly more French than anything else.

I once heard him try to make a speech in English, and it was evidently with considerable difficulty. He was naturally a constant visitor at the Embassy, and was an especial favourite with the late Earl of Lytton and his family. I used often to see him driving in the Champs Elysées, and to meet him at banquets and other occasions. In December, 1902, the colleagues of M. de Blowitz joined in making him a presentation in token of their admiration and esteem. About a month after this, in January, 1903, he passed away. His funeral was a very representative one, a large number of his friends joining in the last tribute. With the modern restrictions upon war correspondents, can there ever be another Blowitz?

M. de Blowitz was succeeded by M. Lavino, who had formerly been upon the staff of the “Daily Telegraph” in their Paris office, and was afterwards in Vienna. I met M. Lavino soon after he came to Paris, and he made what struck me then as a peculiar remark. After some moments conversation, he said, “You know, Dr. Noyes, you will have to bury me.” Of course I said I hoped not, but he seemed to have a presentiment then that his days were numbered.

M. Lavino, though not so well known as M. de Blowitz, had had a distinguished career. He was in Paris when the Franco-German War broke out as secretary to General Salazar, Minister of Ecuador in Chicago. When the ill-fated Marshal Bazaine was being condemned by the French for supposed treachery, M. Lavino contrived to obtain a letter from him in his own defence. From this time his success was assured. Later he assisted Sir Campbell Clarke on the Paris staff of the “Daily Telegraph,” and subsequently went to Vienna to represent the same paper. In 1892 he was appointed to represent the “Times,” and upon the death of M. de Blowitz was called to Paris. It was commonly said that M. Lavino did much to help on the “Entente Cordiale,” not so much by what he wrote as by bringing together leading men of both nations, and so encouraging a better understanding between them. M. Lavino frequently expressed himself as favouring the action of the French Government in its late struggle with the Roman Catholic Church. M. Lavino struck me as a kindly gentleman, observant, not fond of society—a man one could safely trust.

He died suddenly on the evening of August 4th of strangulated hernia and diabetes, the latter being a disease from which he had long suffered.

The “Daily Telegraph” was represented almost all my time by Sir Campbell Clarke. He was a man of large means, having married a daughter of a proprietor, and occupied a fine apartment in the Champs Elysées. He was a most genial, kind man. The late Lady Campbell Clarke was always ready to help the needy, and frequently assisted me in our charities by monetary help.

Sir Campbell Clarke was most ably assisted for many years by Mr. W. F. Lonergan and Mr. Ozane. The former has left Paris, while Mr. Ozane still plies his busy pen in La Ville Lumière. I feel sure that readers of the “Daily Telegraph” always enjoy “Paris day by day,” written in such a “newsy” style, and giving all the salient (though sometimes unsavory) points in passing events. I owe a large debt of gratitude to the Paris staff of the “Daily Telegraph” on account of many kindnesses received.

Mr. Hely Bowes and Mr. Farman represented the “Standard,” succeeded by Messrs. Adkin Raphael and Pountney. Mr. Farman’s son is very much before the public at the present time, having invented one of the most successful of the Flying Machines. I knew Mr. Hely Bowes and his family very well. They were regular members of my congregation in the Rue d’Aguesseau. Mr. Bowes was a singularly good French scholar and very witty. He was born and brought up in France. His father was, I believe, at one time upon the staff of the “Galagnani Messenger.” I remember upon one occasion sitting near him at a banquet. He was pouring out stories and witticisms to his neighbour, a French Deputy. The Minister was heard to ask afterwards “Who is that remarkable Englishman? He speaks and tell stories like a Frenchman.”

Mr. Hely Bowes died during my chaplaincy. I visited him at the last, and was the first to convey the sad news to Sir H. Austin Lee at the Embassy, where he was so well known.

As I passed the Lodge I told the Concierge what had happened, and raising his hands he exclaimed “par exemple”—it seemed to me a curious expression on such an occasion.

The “Daily News” and the “Morning Post” were represented by Mr. J. Macdonald and Mr. Raper, the latter of whom I knew very well.

Mr. Raper succeeded Mr. Arthur Gill (son of my predecessor, the Rev. Howard Gill), who for a short time represented the “Morning Post.”

The “Daily Mail” now occupies a unique and very important position among the English papers obtainable abroad. Having, in addition to a special wire, a printing establishment in Paris, they can produce a fac-simile edition of the London issue every morning.

In times of National anxiety especially, it would be hard to over-estimate the boon of such a paper. We had no such advantage, e.g., in the Boer War, and the anxious longing for the evening post was very trying, especially when one had relatives or friends in the Army. The French papers gave short telegrams, but these were often misleading and sometimes untrue, and only added to the anxiety. But now this is changed, and one can get a fairly full account of English doings at the breakfast table in Paris.

As the paper can be dispatched by the early morning trains, those in the South of France and other parts get their British news at least twelve hours earlier than heretofore.

During most of the time Mr. McAlpin represented this paper, whom I well knew. Mr. Lane was also upon the staff, and some others. Mr. McAlpin is now no longer on the Paris staff of the “Daily Mail,” and was succeeded by Mr. J. B. Brandreth, who is well known in the journalistic world. The “Daily Mail” has been the death of the “Galagnani Messenger” which used to be so well known upon the Continent.

For the American Colony in Paris there is no paper like the “New York Herald.” This paper, owned by Mr. J. Gordon Bennett, is a remarkable publication, produced it is said at a loss, very chatty, and containing daily current news from America. Before the “Daily Mail” came to the front, most English people took the “New York Herald,” as it gave a certain amount of English news from the papers of the day, and whetted the appetite for the London paper which arrives in the evening.

Mr. J. Gordon Bennett is a well-known figure in Paris. He is said to be several times over a millionaire—spends freely, and is a great traveller and sportsman. He has the knack of getting the men he wants upon the staff of his paper, and of getting the best out of them. But I am told the tenure of office there is rather precarious. Many of the journalists of Paris have been at one time or another on the staff of his paper. I have also heard it said that the name of no person disliked by the proprietor is allowed to appear in the paper. The Editor publishes at times all letters, etc., even though they revile the paper and things American. A letter from an “old Philadelphian lady” has been repeated daily for some years!

I received much kindness from the “Herald” during my chaplaincy. I was never charged for any advertisement, and any communications I sent were always inserted.

Another journalist whom I often met was Mr. Clifford Millage, who was the Paris correspondent of the “Daily Chronicle,” and an ardent Roman Catholic. He was fond of discussing theological subjects—an able man, and well thought of among his confrères. He passed away in 1903. I may also mention Mr. Strong, Mr. Longhurst, and Mr. Fullerton, among those from whom I received kindness from time to time. I was brought a good deal into contact with the late Mr. Cuntz, who managed the “American Register”—owing to serious illness in his family.

Besides the journalists of the sterner sex, there are also ladies who are well known as brilliant writers for various society and other papers. I may mention among those whom I was privileged to know, Mrs. Emily Crawford. This lady was in Paris during the war of 1870, and the almost more terrible Commune that followed. She writes for the “Daily News” and “Truth,” and has published a memoir of our late beloved Queen, under the title “Victoria, Queen and Ruler.” Mrs. Crawford is well known in all literary circles in Paris.

Mrs. Alison Robson I knew for almost the whole of my chaplaincy. She is a clever writer for the “Queen,” under the nom de plume of E. de Campo Bello. Mrs. Robson went as special correspondent to the Hague at the time of the wedding festivities of the Queen of Holland; and also Madrid, when the King of Spain came of age. She gave us a most interesting account of these visits.

CHAPTER IX.
VARIA.

Many of my readers who can recall the great “Times” trial will remember the names of Pigott, and Tynan (the famous No. 1, who it was said gave the signal for the murder of Lord F. Cavendish). It was a curious coincidence that both these men were living at one time in my Parish of Christ Church, Kingstown. I often made purchases at the little bookshop kept by Tynan, and sometimes spoke with him. During my stay in Paris I had a visit from the famous le Carron, who for a long time was a member of the Clan-na-Gael in New York, and informed the Home Government of their proceedings. He told me that he was formerly a choir boy in the Embassy Church, and he related to me some of his thrilling adventures. He died of consumption soon after his visit to Paris.