(Mar)

Paris Feb. 3, 1894

Dear Father and Mother and Will:

You will perhaps be thinking of me once in a while. I'm having a fine time. This is my third day in Paris including the one in which I arrived. I crossed the Strait of Dover, coming from London in one night. The stars were shining bright. Paris is a beautiful place. London is strong and massive; its' buildings are black with age and smoke. Paris is attractive from the simplicity of its architecture.

Its buildings are large and clean, artistic in the marble pillars and statues, and carved flowers and vines and various kinds of animals on the outside and the domes above give them a Roman or Grecian appearance quite. I have been very busy and have seen all I could in the length of time I have had. Today I visited the museum, Levour. Here the art of Paris is shown, also Grecian art, and Egyptian, Persian, and Roman. Many Egyptian Mummies, statues of their gods, their tools and their trinkets are seen. Persian masonry (the real sun-dried bricks), sections of walls are put up and the peculiar designs in their walls shown. The building covers acres and in architectural design is wonderful.

Yesterday I visited the grounds, park you may say, adjoining it, (the museum) and lying along the Seine R. In these grounds, forming part of them is the Place de la Concorde, the finest place in Paris, and indeed in Europe. Here in the center stands the Obelisk of Luxor, the sister to the one I stated as being on the Thames that is called Cleopatra's needle. This is one solid stone 76 ft. high, weighing 240 tons. It was brought from Egypt. It has hieroglyphics on its faces. There are other beautiful things, but I must soon go to the depot, have purchased a ticket to Metz on a direct route to Berlin; change cars at Metz. Will arrive in Berlin tomorrow ni~ht. Start 9:35 tonight. It is now nearly nine. I travel nights and go 3rd class, as it is much cheaper. There are elders in Berlin. What German I know has been very serviceable in Paris as where I am stopping the lad speaks German as well as French. I am feeling well though tired. Have been delighted with my travels so far. Trust you are all well at home.

Aff J. A. Clark