rde, but which is of only needle-like proportions in so
comprehensive a view as we speak of. This is the finest square of the
city, and indeed we may go further and say the finest in all Europe. It
is bounded on the north by the spacious buildings occupied by the
Ministry of the Marine, on the south by the Seine, here crossed by the
Pont des Invalides, and having the Tuileries on the east and the Champs
Elysees on the west. As this is the first square in Europe, so is the
Champs Elysees, which opens out of it, the grandest boulevard in the
world. It is divided into three alleys, liberally planted with trees,
the principal entrance being marked by the celebrated sculptures known
as the "Horses of Marly," standing like sentinels, one on each side of
the broad carriage-way. This is the road leading to the Bois de
Boulogne, the favorite pleasure-drive of the Parisians, where also may
be found the fine race-grounds and the Jardin d'Acclimation, with its
superb and unrivalled collection of wild animals and rare birds.

Sunday is a weekly recurring carnival here, on which occasions the races
and the military reviews take place, and all Paris seeks to amuse itself
by open air pleasures. Fifty thousand people and more throng the Champs
Elysees; the toy and refreshment booths drive a lucrative business; the
numerous goat and pony wagons for children are in constant use. One
little turn-out is particularly noticeable, consisting of four
well-trained Newfoundland dogs, elegantly harnessed and attended by a
couple of servants in livery, a boy of ten or twelve years holding the
lines from his seat in the light and graceful little vehicle. Merry
young misses drive their ribbon-decked hoops with special relish, and
roguish boys spin their tops with equal zeal. Clouds of toy-balloons, of
various colors and sizes, flash high above the heads of itinerant
vendors, while the sparkling fountains throw up softly musical jets
everywhere. Soldiers off duty, strolling idly about, dot the scene with
their various uniforms, their shining helmets, and elaborate gold lace.
The busy road-way is crowded by a thousand turnouts, drawn by
high-stepping horses. Delighted youths, of both sexes, mount wooden
horses in the merry-go-rounds and enjoy their ride at a cost of a couple
of cents. Lofty aerial cars, upon huge revolving wheels, afford as much
delight and more risk to other youths. Punch and Judy, and the man with
the air-gun and conspicuous mark, are