From the Gobelins we drove across the Seine again, and out to Père
la-Chaise, where stood once the house of the confessor of Louis XIV.,
from whom the cemetery takes its name, the Jesuit priest through whose
influence the edict of Nantes was revoked. A kind of ghastly imitation
of life it all seemed--the narrow houses on either side of the paved
streets, that were not houses at all, hung with dead flowers and
corpse-like wreaths, stained an unnatural hue. We peered through the
bars of the locked gate opening into the Jews' quarter, trying to
distinguish the tomb where lie the ashes of a life that blazed, and
burned itself out. Poor Rachel! Through the solemn streets, among the
quiet dwellings of the noiseless city, whence comes no sound of joy or
grief, where they need no candle, neither light of the sun, we walked a
while, then plucked a leaf or two, and came away.
One day, when the sun lay hot upon the white streets of the beautiful
city, we searched among the shops of the crooked Faubourg St. Honoré for
a number forgotten now, and the Créche, where the working mothers may
leave their children during the day. In another and more quiet street
we found it. We pulled the bell before a massive gateway; the wide doors
opened upon a smiling portress, who led the way across the paved court
to the house, where she pointed up some stairs, and left us to mount and
turn until it was no longer possible, until a confusion of doors barred
our way, when we rapped upon one. Another was opened, and we found
ourselves among the babies. There were, perhaps, twenty in all, the
larger children being in the school-room below; but even twenty
toddling, rolling babies, looking so very like the same image done in
putty over and over again, appears an alarming and unlimited number when
taken in a body. They rolled beneath our feet, they clung to our skirts,
they peeped out, finger in mouth, from behind the doors, they kicked
pink toes up from the swinging cradles, and in fact, like the clansmen
of Rhoderic Dhu, appeared in a most startling manner from the most
unexpected places. Plump little things they were, encased in shells of
blue-checked aprons, from the outer one of which they were
surreptitiously slipped upon our entrance to disclose a fresher one
beneath. How long this process could have continued with a similar happy
result, we did not inquire. Every head was tied up in a tight little
night-cap, giving them the appearance of so many little bag puddings.
Every face was a marvel of health and contentment, with one kicking,
screaming exception upon the floor. "Eengleesh," explained the Sister of
Charity who seemed to have them in charge, giving a sweeping wipe to the
eyes, nose, and mouth, gradually liquidizing, of this one, and trying in
vain to pacify a nature that seemed peaceless. Who was its mother, or
how the little stranger chanced to be here, we did not learn. On either
side of the long, narrow room hung the white-curtained cradles, each
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account