wed, as such, to
give instruction in public schools, and all schools taught by priests
are to be superseded by public schools. The Ultramontanes are bitterly
hostile to this law, and call it religious oppression, but it is
firmly maintained. The Minister of Instruction says that in public
instruction there cannot be two authorities, church and state, with
equal sovereignty. There is but one sovereignty, that of the State.

Clerical studies do not now attract young men as formerly, either in
America or France. The University of Paris last year had 11,000
alumni, but only thirty-five theological students. 3,786 studied for
the legal profession, 3,696 for the medical, 1,767 attended to
pharmacy, 928 to letters and 467 to science. There were 167 female
students, 108 of them preparing for medicine, fifty-one in literary
studies, seven in science and one preparing as a lawyer.

When France shall be sufficiently civilized to abolish duels and
dismiss her standing army, she may have an opportunity of reaching the
front rank in civilization and progress. Even at present France has
many elements of the highest civilization in courtesy and refinement
of manners, artistic skill, scientific progress and advancing wealth.
The French might give some valuable lessons to Americans, especially
in journalism. Mrs. J. C. Croly (Jennie June) in her recent address to
the Women's Press Association in Boston, gave a pungent criticism on
American journalism which, in justice it must be said, is not
applicable to the press generally, although the immense space given to
baseball, pugilism, races, and all species of crime, by our leading
journals, is disgraceful. "If the tail were large enough," said
Dundreary, "the tail would waggle the dog!" certainly the tail end of
society wags its journals. Mrs. Croly said:--

"What the newspaper seems to be principally valued for, just
now, is for doing individual gossiping, scolding and backbiting
on a large scale, and in a way that relieves the individual from
responsibility. The old women of the past have been royally
revenged for all the sneers and slights put upon their
spectacled talks, and tea parties; for back-door tittle-tattle
of the meanest, most reckless sort, has been made a business,
has become the staple of some journals. That people read such
stuff does not seem to me reason enough for printing it. Shall
we not have a daily paper some time, that is a