Honore de Balzac

A Start in Life Honore de Balzac

Railroads, in a future not far distant, must forcecertain industries to disappear forever, and modifyseveral others, more especially those relating to thedifferent modes of transportation in use around Paris. Therefore the persons and things which are theelements of this Scene will soon give to it thecharacter of an archaeological work. Our nephewsought to be enchanted to learn the social material ofan epoch which they will call the "olden time." Thepicturesque "coucous" which stood on the Place de laConcorde, encumbering the Cours-la-Reine, -coucous which had flourished for a century, and werestill numerous in 1830, scarcely exist in 1842, unlesson the occasion of some attractive suburbansolemnity, like that of the Grandes Eaux of Versailles. In 1820, the various celebrated places called the"Environs of Paris" did not all possess a regularstage-coach servic