THE LIGHTS OF PARTS, 27

But neither lanterns nor lamps
could interfere with the Abbot
Caraffa’s torch-bearers; they still
waited at the doors of houses
where balls were taking place,
stood at the entrance of theatres,
or went about the streets carrying
their torches and crying out:
“ Who wants a light?” They were
always on hand in time to call the
watchman in case of alarm of fire
or thieves; they would run for a
carriage, escort people home, and
sometimes would even go up-stairs
with belated persons and light the
candles in their rooms! An old
picture shows us some torch-bearers
walking in front of two young peo-
ple who look as if they were not
giving much thought to robbers.

During the French Revolution,
no attention whatever was paid to
the lighting of the city, but yet the
street-lamp played its part —a hor-
rible one —in the fearful tragedy
of that time. The fatal cry “4 a

 
    
 
 
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
   

ACE NCTE RCE KU 119 os Bfhy-Atine

 

 

 

 

 

THE TORCH-BEARERS STILL ES-
CORTED PEOPLE HOME,

A French writer tells us
that Queen Marie Antoinette
and her brother-in-law, the
Count d’Artois, used often
to go at night from Versail-
les to Paris to attend balls
and theatres, and so the road
between the palaces was al-
ways kept lighted until the
royal coach had passed.
Five leagues and a half —
more than thirteen miles of
street-lights! The illumina-
tion of the “ royal progress ”
was thought by the people

a very brilliant spectacle. THE TIME OF OIL LAMPS. — MAKING MERRY OVER THE OLD CANDLE-LANTERNS,