Edward L. Pierce, Memoir and letters of Charles Sumner: volume 1

At table to-day nobody drank healths,—this practice being peculiar, I believe, to England and the United States. The wines were all light; the dinner was an ordinary one, hardly better than that which is served every day at the house where I am. As I sat next to Mademoiselle Foelix, I offered to relieve her of carving; and did the greater part of the carving for the table. I was astonished that my host allowed it; but he was much absorbed in the conversation, and is evidently very little a man of the world. The knives and forks were not changed for the different dishes, though the plates were; and Mademoiselle informed me that it was not the custom to do so here. We all left the table together, and entered the salon, where we had coffee,—the poorest I have found in France. My friends here are all Germans, and probably have not the mysterious secret which all French seem to possess of making this beverage. The salon was cold, and very soon we all adjourned to the cabinet or study of M. Foelix. Here the deputy inquired of me with regard to the law of alluvion in the United States. There was music and singing of German songs by one or more of three young men who now formed part of the company, two of whom, indeed, were at the dinner-table. The guitar was offered to me for a song! The gentlemen left about ten o'clock, not shaking hands when they parted. I sat an hour longer, and answered the inquiries of the ladies with regard to Boston society, about which they were very curious. I promised Foelix to go with him to see Baron de Gerando to-morrow evening. So much for my first evening in foreign society!

Jan. 29. At the École de Droit heard Perreyve¹ for a few minutes, at the conclusion of his lecture. He was quite a young man, and did not interest me much. Next heard Rossi, who was the first lecturer that I heard in Paris, less than three weeks ago. Then I could not understand a sentence that he uttered. To-day I was able to follow him through the greater part of his lecture, which was on the proper qualifications of a deputy and the term of service. His enunciation was occasionally indistinct; but his manner was interesting and his matter good. In the course of his remarks he sketched the history of the English Parliament with regard to duration, and quoted Blackstone. I felt much at home while he did this; it seemed as if household words were in my ears. In the evening, dressed for Baron de Gerando's; Foelix called for me with a cabriolet. We found that the baron was ill; so I returned home and took a French lesson.

Jan. 30. Jouffroy's lecture was adjourned on account of indisposition. Many of the professors seem to find occasions for adjournments, for every day some advertisement appears indicating that a lecture is postponed. Today the Professor of Geography advertised that his would be postponed, because he had been drawn to serve in the National Guard. My French instructor also apologized for not visiting me this evening, that he was obliged to do duty then in the National Guard. Heard an interesting lecture from Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire on zoology, in which he considered the subject of the