Le haut du pavé. — The inside of the side-walk

It is to be obseryed that in France the side-walks were not constructed till recently like our own. They sloped front the walls of the buildings on each side, in some cases to the gutter, and in others to the middle of the street, which then served for a gutter. In either case the " upper part " of the walk would therefore be the " inside."

296. The grandfather's rules for politeness are such as are taught to ail French children. As we hâve before said, the French are more minute than we in their éducation of children. We tell them to be polite, but seldom or never enter into such particulars as are hère given. A portion of the grandfather's directions may, it is true, seem calcuiated to produce artificial manners ; but it should be remembered that it is by thèse very rules, and the care that is taken to impress them on the young, that the French hâve acquired their réputation for being the most polished nation on the globe ; and, while we aliow that true politeness has its origin only in a considerate regard for the feelings of others, yet it must be admitted that the kindest service loses half its grâce if awkwardly and inconsiderately proffered. We are willing, however, to leave the whole subject, after quoting the following anecdote of Napoléon, which is to be found in the " Mémorial de Sainte Hélène," by the Count de Las-Cases.

Napoléon was walking with Mrs. Balcombe and a Mrs. Stewart, an English lady, on her way from Bombay to England, when (we give the Count's own words) : " Des esclaves, chargés de lourdes caisses, ont croisé notre route ; Madame Balcombe leur ayant dit fort rudement de s'éloigner, l'Empereur s'y est opposé, disant : ' Respect au fardeau, Madame." A ces mots, Madame Stuart, qui n'avait cessé de chercher avidement à la dérobée les traits et la physionomie de l'Empereur, laissa échapper tout bas à sa voisine : ' Mon Dieu, que voilà une figure et un caractère bien différents de ce qu'on m'avait dit.' "