Harper's Young People, July 13, 1880 Part 11

Published by HARPER & BROTHERS, New York.

_Sent by mail, postage prepaid, to any part of the United States, on receipt of the price._

[Ill.u.s.tration]

OUR LOUIE.

BY M. D. BRINE.

What in the world is our Louie about?

Studying her lessons, I haven't a doubt; Filling her brain with useful lore, Thinking and reading o'er and o'er Ancient history--many a story Of battle and conquest and warlike glory; Or maybe 'tis only a difficult rule Which has followed our student home from school.

Wise little maiden with golden hair, Brown-eyed, winsome, loving, and fair!

Not even the sunbeams so merry and gay Can tempt the young scholar from lessons away.

Not even _our_ presence she seems to heed-- An industrious girl is our Louie, indeed.

I'll venture to say such a wonderful la.s.s Is sure to be always "up head" in her cla.s.s.

I'll frankly acknowledge I'd like to see What a lesson so truly absorbing can be; Over her shoulder I'll take one look, And--dear me, children, what kind of a book Do you think she is studying? History?--no.

Much as it grieves me to tell you so, Little cares she for its ancient glory, For Louie is deep in--a _fairy story_!

[Ill.u.s.tration: SOLUTION OF THE MISSING-LINK PUZZLE IN _YOUNG PEOPLE_ No.

34.]

=The Catacombs of Paris.=--The vast catacombs by which a large portion of the city of Paris is undermined were only known by popular tradition until the year 1774, when some alarming accidents aroused the attention of the government. The old quarries were then surveyed, and plans of them taken, and the result was the frightful discovery that the churches, palaces, and most of the southern parts of Paris were undermined, and in great danger of sinking into the pit below them. A special commission was appointed, and on the very day it met, a house in one of the streets sunk ninety-one feet below the level of its court-yard. The pillars which had been left by the quarry-men, in their blind operations, without any regularity, were in many places too weak for the enormous weight above, and in most places had themselves been undermined, or perhaps originally stood upon ground which had previously been hollowed. The aqueduct of Arcueil pa.s.sed over this treacherous ground; it had already suffered some shocks, and if the quarries had continued to be neglected, an accident must sooner or later have happened to this water-course, which would have cut off its supply from the fountains of Paris, and have filled the excavations with water.

Repairs were forthwith commenced, and promptly completed, and a portion of the old quarries was devoted to receive the bones of the dead. This took place in April, 1786; the remains of the dead were removed at night in funeral cars, covered with a pall, and followed by priests chanting the service for the dead. When they reached the catacombs, the bones were shot down a well, and the rattling and echoing which they made in their fall were as impressive as any sound ever heard by human ears.

Thus the limestone quarries that had supplied the materials for building the superb monuments, palaces, and houses of Paris became huge charnel-houses, which they now remain! Calculations differ as to the number of bones collected in the catacombs, but it is certain that they contain the remains of at least _three millions_ of human beings!

[Ill.u.s.tration: RETRIBUTION--A WARNING TO STONE-THROWING BOYS.]