has once more proved the capacity of the French for amusing themselves and taking their pleasures gaily. The celebration of the national festival was on exactly the same plan as it has been for many years, and yet the public does not seem to want a change, for fear that there might be some other way of feting the downfall of tyranny. Every year we have the same review of troops on Long-champs racecourse, the same official illumination of the same official buildings, and the same street dancing in the evening. The secret of this wane of variety is that the rejoicings are organized by the Government departments or administrative machine, which, like all other organisations of the same kind, does not originate until it is absolutely forced to do so. On Saturday everything assed off according to custom. The President, accompanied by three generals, drove out to Longchamps, gazed benevolently on the perspiring troops for an hour or so, and then drove home aga ashore was much shouting of "Vive Varmée by Nationalist youths wearing blue: cornflowers in their buttonholes and still more counter-shouting by wearers of red eglantines, As usual, nine-tenths of the noise was produced by mere boys. Gradually the crowd—as hugo as ever, in spite of the counterattractions of the Exhibition—worked. its way homeward through the Bois, hot, tired and thirsty. At nine o'clock every one was refreshed and ready for the evening's amusement, and, in spite of the heat, the dancing in the streets was as general and vigorous as if the day had only just begun.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.