ections of London, and finally crossed the
Atlantic without having found the group of which he was in search. Not
even in the large cities of America could he find his heart's desire,
and it was not until he strayed into the old French Market of New
Orleans that he found that for which he searched. He spent several days,
and even weeks, wandering through the peculiar market, and making
friends with the men of all nationalities who were working in different
parts of it. He found the Creole, full of anecdote, superstition and
pride, even when he was earning an occasional meal by helping to unload
bananas, or to carry away the refuse from the fish stores. The negro, in
every phase of development, civilization and ignorance, could, and
always can, be found within the confines of the market. The amount of
folk-lore stored up in the brains covered by masses of unkempt wool
astounded the novelist, who distributed dollars, in return for
information received, so lavishly, that he began to be looked upon after
a while as a capitalist whose wealth had driven him insane. Then, again,
he met disappointed emigrants from nearly all the European countries,
men, and even women, who had crossed the Atlantic full of great
expectations, but who had found a good many thorns among the looked-for
roses.

The Indian is not often seen now around the French Market, although he
used to be quite a feature of it. Some of the most exceptionally idle
loungers, however, show evidence of Indian blood in their veins, in the
shape of exceptionally high cheek-bones, and abnormally straight and
ungovernable hair.

Almost every known language is spoken here. There is the purest French
and the most atrocious patois. There is polished English, which seems to
indicate high education, and there is the most picturesque dialect
variation that could be desired by the most ardent devotee of the
everlasting dialect story. Spanish is of course spoken by several of the
market traders and workers, while Italian is quite common. At times in
the day, when trade is very busy, the visitor may hear choice expletives
in three or four languages at one time. He may not be able to interpret
the peculiar noises and stern rebukes administered to idle help and
truant boys, but he can generally guess pretty accurately the scope and
object of the little speeches which are scattered around so freely.

If it be asked what special function the market fulfills, the answer is
that it