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As full of joy and anticipation as I was last De
cember, when I boarded the steamer bound for for
eign shores, I was not so happy as I am now over
the thought that I am really sailing for the dear
homeland.
During the ten days I am to spend in this “floating
hotel,” enjoying the delightful breezes of the summer
sea, I will spend part of my time writing you about
the three remaining countries I visited —France,
England and Scotland.
Leaving Oberammergau, we went directly across
the continent skirting Northern Switzerland, nearing
the southern borders of Belgium, and finally enter
ing into the land of France.
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There we were confronted by the problem that
each new country had before presented, namely, the
strange language, money, and customs. Paris seem
ed a little more bewildering at first than some of
the other cities, as we found less English spoken
there than any other place we had been, and the
French quite different in pronunciation from that
learned in American schools.
We immediately secured a guide book of the city,
and very soon extricated ourselves from the maze of
perplexing jargon around us, the confusing array of
cabs, and cabmen telling their prices in francs and
centimes, and queerest of all the two-storied street
cars that looked like hugh monsters crawling over
the city.
I never grew to like their appearance, but by rid
ing in the upper story, they served as splendid ob
servation cars.
I found the Parisians, true to their reputation, a
very polite, stylish, gay and pleasure loving people,
and their places of historic interest possessing that
same romantic charm that readers have always found
in the pages of French history.
Between two and six p. m. the scene on the beau
tiful promenade known as the Champs Elysees, is
one of great animation and gaiety, and affords splen
did opportunity for observing the life of the Paris
ians.
The road is crowded with carriages and automo
biles, a?_d the promenades are thronged with fash
ionably dressed ladies and gentlemen, and children
in charming toilets, all of whom seem to accept life
as one long playtime.
Under the beautiful elm and lime trees growing
on either side of this street can be seen merry-go
rounds, jugglers, and other amusements for chil
dren.
The brilliantly lighted cases are a great attraction.
These establishments are nominally open to the pub
lic free, but every visitor is compelled to take some
refreshment for which he pays according to the
place he occupies. It is, therefore, advisable to in
quire before sitting down the price of the place
chosen.
By the Champs Elysees is understood the entire
avenue extending from the Arc de Triumphe to the
Place de la Concorde.
The former is an imposing arch erected in com
memoration of Napoleon’s many victories, and the
latter a large beautiful square, from the center of
which rises the Obelisk of Luxor.
This square is considered, because of its splendid
design and central location, the finest place in Eu
rope.
Within this square are eight large statues repre
senting the chief cities in France, and on each side
of the obelisk is a beautiful fountain casting its wa
ter many feet into the air and then letting it fall
in a sparkling spray into a basin fifty feet in diam
eter.
It would seem that wealth and art had combined
their efforts in making the place as magnificent and
beautiful as possible, in order to wipe out from re
membrance the tragic history connected with this
site.
During the Reign of Terror in 1793 the guillotine
was erected on the spot where the obelisk now
stands.
In contrast to the gay crowd of pleasure-seekers to
be seen there today, there was then a large throng
of the doomed, with the death seal written in their
ABOARD THE STEAMSHIP SAXONIA
The Golden Age for December 8, 1910.
white faces, led thither to be beheaded in the pres
ence of those who sat and watched the ghastly spec
tacle.
More than two thousand people were decapitated
between January of 1793 and May of 1795 —Marie
Antoinette, and her husband, Louis XVL, being the
first victims.
Paris is so filled with places of historic, artistic
and literary interest, that one is at a loss as to what
things to choose in a description of the city since
everything can not be mentioned.
No visitor would think of leaving the city without
seeing the Opera House, the largest theater in the
world; the Eiffel Tower, 984 feet in height, a monu
ment surpassing anything of its kind hitherto erect
ed; the home of the great French writer, Victor
Hugo; the Notre Dame Cathedral; the Louvre art
gallery with its world of paintings, among which is
the noted Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci, the
world’s most famous portrait, and the tomb of Na
poleon.
This last is a magnificent memorial placed in the
Church of the Invalides.
Beneath the dome of this building is a circular
crypt thirty-six feet in diameter and twenty feet
deep. The walls are of polished granite, adorned
with marble reliefs and remnants of conquered flags
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MISS ELIZABETH PURSER.
and other trophies. The Mosaic pavement of the
floor is designed to represent a laurel wreath, from
the center of which rises the sarcophagus containing
the ashes of Napoleon, thus fulfilling his request,
which is inscribed over the entrance to the vault:
“I desire that my ashes may rest on the banks of
the Seine, in the midst of the French people whom
I have loved so well.”
As I stood in the flood of light admitted by the
twelve stained windows, which throw a golden glow
over the splendor of this tomb, and thought of the
strange destinies to which this strange and wonder
ful man seemed born, of the kingdoms he made and
destroyed at will, of the lonely Isle of Helena, these
words, which have been applied to him, seemed both
pathetic and fitting, “After life’s fitful fever, he
sleeps well.”
Then a day out at Versailles, five miles from Paris,
amidst the splendor of that magnificent palace, the
former home of French royalty.
Here once lived and revelled the most brilliant
court in the history of the world, at the head of
which were Marie Antoinette, and her husband, Louis
XVI.
Surrounding the palace are exquisite gardens of
flowers, deep, shady groves, where the visitor is de
“Elizabeth Purser.
. lightfully surprised in his walks through them, to find
sparkling fountains here and there.
These are ornamented with marble statues of
many Grecian gods and goddesses whose figures
stand out white and graceful in the midst of their
green leafy surroundings.
As I wandered in those groves, peopled as they
were with those mythological folk, I could imagine
those statues, in the moonlight stillness of some
night, breaking their marble bonds, stepping down
from their pedestals, and joining together in a mid
night revel among those trees and fountains, spark
ling in the moonbeams.
As my fancy revelled further into “moonshine,” I
saw water sprites and wood-nymphs—spirits of for
mer kings, queens, lords and ladies, whose laughter
once echoed through these glades, and who, finding
nothing so beautiful in all the realms beyond, whith
er they have gone, have returned to the enchanted
groves of Versailles to live and love, and laugh once
more.
Returning to Paris, we then started for Calais,
where we were to embark for the shores of “Merry
Old England.”
ELIZABETH PURSER.
(To be continued.)
GREAT REVIVAL AT MERIDIAN COLLEGES.
The Lord has wonderfully visited Meridian Wo
man’s College and Meridian Male College in a joint
revival service conducted by Rev. E. L. Hyde, of
Pennsylvania. The altar was filled the very first
service and several were saved and there was not a
single day that people were not drawn into the King
dom. Frequently there were as many as two dozen
people saved between services, so great was the re
vival spirit on the students. Quite a number from
Meridian and the vicinity of the colleges attended
the services and some were saved who were not col
lege students.
When the meeting closed there were perhaps a
dozen in the Woman’s College and perhaps two doz
en in the male college who were not Christians,
Prayers were answered for many who had been re
sisting for a long while. Mothers’ and fathers’ hearts
were made glad in distant States when they heard
good news of boys and girls that had been saved or
reclaimed.
Brother Hyde conducted a safe and sane revival
service full of fire and of the Holy Ghost, yet free
from any fanaticism or extremes. He was loyal to
the Church throughout. Brother Hyde is a good
mixer. He gets hold of people and especially the
young people. He preaches short sermons, hardly
ever as long as thirty minutes. Had plenty of time
for good altar service and let the congregation out
early so that nobody was worn out and the fruit was
greater than usual.
We heartily commend Brother Hyde to any pastor
who wants a good, safe, sane, Holy Ghost revival.
He gets results and along right lines. God honors
him greatly. He is full of life and yet full of spir
ituality. Out of one hundred and twenty-five Metho
dist Churches in Philadelphia, he has held revivals in
eightyfour of them and many times over in some of
them, besides in many churches of other denomina
tions. He has conducted the Children’s services at
Pitman Grove Camp Meeting for eighteen successive
years and has been for eighteen successive years a
helper in the camp meeting at Mountain Lake Park,
Maryland. We ought to use him more in the South
He would be a great help to any Church or school
After Brother Hyde has left, the revival fire still
burns. The spiritual atmosphere of the college is
beautiful. God reigns and we give Him the glory.
Keep praying for the work here. We have a large
number of young preachers and student volunteers
for the mission fields preparing for the mission work
as well as a large number of Christians for the busi
ness walks of life and for the profession of teaching
About eight hundred students are gathered here at
these colleges from about thirty States, including
Cuba, Mexico and Canada,
J. W. BEESON,
President Woman’s College, Meridian, Miss,
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