Herald of the times, and Rhode Islander. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1846-1849, 1847-07-15
Female Life in Paris.
BY MRS. GORE.
The Poor Mans WIFE.

Il ~ IaIis ~ tue I'll Dorauo oil the IftvO-
lous-if il is the Paradise Of the iich
and the beautiful, aud boundless field
OF enjoyment for the weak and vain, who
delight in an atmosphere Of faitery and
homage, il is, al the same time, the scene
of much intense suffering and privation,
Of isolation and anguish, Of bi tier trials
and tests for the upright gentlewoman
who has given her hand and heart with
out regard to the pecuniary means Of
the object Of her choice, whose lire
Quilted avocations are necessarily pur-
sued in Paris. In the country, a mar
ried couple in indifferent circumstances
have at least air, light, flowers, and
cheap necessaries Of ofexistence-in Paris,
the devoted wife OF a poor man must
struggle for comfort in darkness and un-
wholesome aimospheres, denying her
self all the enjoymenis Of life To which
she may have been accustomed under
the paternal roof, and seeking happiness
solely 10 the discharge other small house
hold duties. Let US endeavor to picture
such Parisienne.
She is lady by birth, education, and
early habit. Driven by the circum-
scribed income Of her husband TO dis
pense with a servant, excepting the oc-
casional femme de psire, she cheeriully
takes upon herself all the meniaI Offices
which must be discharged, quite salts
fed if her zeal e.iciis one smile OF ap-
probation from him who possesses her
entire affection. AT the early hous
when sturdy shop. boys begin 10 remove
the shutters from their masters shops,
and the milk woman instals herself, with
her epheneral establishment, at the cor
ner of some street, when the parts Of
the city most remarkable for midday
busile are as silent as the high street Of
a country town, the gentle managers, 30
plainly dressed that nothing hut her
graceful demeanor, and the sweet smile
that lightens her placid coun,enancs,
distinguish her from the griseites who
are equally abroad, elides along tho
pavement on her way TO market. She
i carries basket before her the basket
tha, is to contain the modest repast Of tho
young artist, or lawyer, or surgeons as
sissant-who will (she secretly hopesl
at some future day enjoy ,he emi"encc
for which he now tolls upon q patance.
Passing by the various stalls which
offer provisions at price beyond her
means, or where rude looks promise bu,
little welcome to her custom, the Parish
enne reaches the shops we're she is III the
habit Of making her market, and soon
completes her purchases. The fat green
groeer's wife sees that her basket !.
heavier than usual, and canno, endure
that the delicate arm OF the punctual Ia
DIV customer should he enc cu,nbered by
its weight. Some little boy or girl is Az
ways lounging about, and the services
OF one or the other are put into immedi-
ate reguisi,ion. There is among the low
er--we should write, the humbler-
classes Of the people an instructive rr-
spect for all that is pure and worthy.
They feel that persons OF good birth aud
connexion have claim TO better fortune
and their generosity prompts them to an
effort To make the former forget that pow
erly nearly levels oil distinctions.
Smiling her thank to lhel nile attendant,
who has uottcd at her heels with the DAYS
provisions, the manesere runs up w her
fourth story, hastily crosses the dining
room and the little drawing-room aud
stops at the further door of The latter
with a sad and disappointed look. "lle
is gone already ~ she excIaims. Bui
she looks around - she sees that. the
breakfast she had prepared against her
husbands awakng has been eaten-ihat
he has pu, on all the warm clothes sho
had laid oui for hins-and by the smoul-
dering embers 10 the CRATE, IL is obvious
that the fire had sparkled joyously while
he ate. Her heart ligh,ened by these
assurances, the young wife takes of her
bonnet and shawl, aud puts on her sproa
the badge Of the humble and somewhat
painful Office she then assumes--painiul
because, in the humber dwellings in
Paris, the duties Of the cuisine ore per-
formed under gres, disadvantages. An
hour is passed amidst vegetables, raw
meats, and the usual e, cs,eras Of culi-
nary preparation and she thea divssis