its grand cafes
produce a brilliancy of coloured light intense enough to see pins on its
walks and flower-beds, the scenes become grand beyond description. Immense
throngs of people gather around the cafes in the evening to see the youths
and beauties whirl in the mazy dance, and listen to the bewitching strains
of the sweet music there rendered. It is not a rare thing to see
spectators go into raptures on these occasions, for I have seen few places
where nature and art so harmonize and unite in producing scenes of
enchanting beauty and creating feelings of ecstatic delight, as here on
Champs Elysees. The atmosphere of Paris, too, is preeminently soft and
balmy, and the temperature so even that ladies may sit in the most
brilliant attire all evening in the open air under the trees of this
pleasure-garden without the least danger of contracting a cold. One of the
first evenings that I enjoyed these scenes of indescribable beauty, I
could not help but observe to my companion, that the finest poetical
descriptions of a celestial Paradise, were not ideal representations of
imaginary pleasures, but true word images of the joys and beauties of the
"Elysian Fields" (Champs Ely sees) in Paris.

The buildings which front upon this lovely place are among the most
elegant in the city, being finely painted, even on the outside, like those
in the boulevards. I saw one, whose balconies were all gilt, from the
bottom to the attic story, reminding one of the splendor of the foremost
royal mansions.

Palais de l'Elysee, lies contiguous to this place and gave origin to its
name. It was a favorite residence of Napoleon I. When he returned from
Elba, he occupied it until after the defeat of Waterloo. It was also the
official residence of Napoleon III. while he was President of the French
Republic. At present it is occupied by Marshal MacMahon during the
recesses of the National Assembly.

In about the center of Champs Elysees, is the Palais de l'Industrie, the
great Exhibition Buildings, in which the World's Fair was held in 1855.

The Avenue des Champs Elysees intersects Champs Elysees, and is a mile and
a quarter in length. Its foot-pavements are twelve feet wide, This is the
favorite walk of the gay Parisians.

"On sunny winter-days, or cool summer-evenings numerous parties of all
classes are seen, enjoying the lively spectacle before them, seated on
iron chairs hired for three or four sous, (cents), or on the wooden
benches placed