noisily running through the streets. But close to the factories and
workshops are the cheerful villas and gardens of their owners, whilst
near at hand the workmen's dwellings offer an exterior equally
attractive. These _cites ouvrieres_ form indeed a suburb in
themselves, and a very pleasant suburb too. Many middle-class families in
England might be glad to own such a home, a semi-detached cottage or
villa standing in a pretty garden with flowers and trees and plots of
turf. Some of the cottages are models of trimness and taste, others of
course are less well kept, a few have a neglected appearance. The general
aspect, however, is one of thrift and prosperity, and it must be borne in
mind that each dwelling and plot of ground are the property of the owner,
gradually acquired by him out of his earnings, thanks to the initiative
of M. Dollfus and his fellow-workers. "It is by such means as these that
we have combated Socialism," said M. Dollfus to me; and the gradual
transformation of the workman into an owner of property, is but one of
the numerous efforts made at Mulhouse to lighten, in so far as is
practicable, the burden of toil.

These pleasant avenues are very animated on Sundays, especially when a
universal christening of babies is going on. The workmen at Mulhouse are
paid once a fortnight, in some cases monthly, and it is usually after
pay-day that such celebrations occur. We saw one Sunday afternoon quite
a procession of carriages returning from the church to the _cite
ouvriere_, for upon these occasions nobody goes on foot. There were
certainly a dozen christening parties, all well dressed, and the babies
in the finest white muslin and embroidery. A very large proportion of the
artisans here are Catholics, and as one instance among others of the
liberality prevailing here, I mention that one of the latest donations of
M. Dollfus is the piece of ground, close to the _cite ouvriere_, on
which now stands the new, florid Catholic church.