The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-12-08
For the National Era.
BELL SMITH ABR0AD.-PARIs.

HOUSE KEEPING.

! DEAR FRIEND: We tO1k possession of our lit
I tie rooms in great glee. The novelty of our
I elevated nest, above the throngng. idle Paris
I the comforts gathered in little knick knaeks-
/ the taste evinced in eyerything-the quiet ip
such contrast with the NOISE Of our late abode
made me think for the moment we were a,
home. have lived 10 learn better. The word
home is an English word, aud has an English
meaning totally unknown in France. The idea
of comfort, Of teclusion, of sacredness. all con.
tanned in that word of hope, memory, and hap
p;ness, have no existence here, even in imagin-
alton, and would be as applicable to French
lodgings as TO sunshsde OF q hat They will
keep out the sun, the rain, and the wind lin.
differently but they keep in nothng-nO in.
ner temple, where the hearth-stone is an altar
and the household gods are treasured up sa-
cred from common eyes Our gay Parisiens
want only corner in which to sleep: the bal.
snce Of doings incident to life are gotten up in
the open air. little dinner party in the
street breakfast or supper On the sidewalks,
with the great world streaming by, an after
noon or an evening 10 the Boulevard. Tuileries,
or theatres, are the makings-up of everyday
life. An Americans house is his castle-there,
with wife, children, and relations, he lives
merrily or in stupid grandeur The stranger
must sound parlcy, sometimes on the outside,
before the drawbridge is lowered and adms-
sion granted With the French, the houses
are barracks and the only way to avoid the
intruding stranger is, to evacuate yourself.
Or course, with such position of things, no
provision s made for our mode Of life, and sor-
ry am to write it-our happiness.
We employed domestic who came TO us
with an armtul of recommendations. She
could not commence her duties until the Mon
day following our removal, and we had two
days to dispose of in the meanwhile. Mrs T.
came to see us two hours after the baggage
was deposited on the floor, and treated me to
meaning smile, in return for my child.like
reJoiciDgs over my new apartments.
" hope you will find them all you antic-
pate" she said but | have lived several
yearsin Paris, and never succeeded in finding
myself comfortably situated Our ideas OF COM
fort are so entirely different from those of this
people, that to find them gratifed is out of the
question Your chimney smokes
This WAS said 80 abruptly | looked astonish-
cd We had not disturbed the fireplace, gilt
tering with FURNISHED brass. | found words to
ask a reason for this abrupt conclusion.
"All chinneys in Paris are nuisances, and
smoke abominably. Until late, fires were lux
uries to the majority of the inhabitants and
now we have sham fres-a pretence for fires
make-belieyes. Put ON what you consider suf-
hcient wood or coal to warm the room ; and
after being smoked beyond patience end only
in astonishing the residents at your extrava-
gance. You will surely freeze in these rooms"
again asked why, as the apartments were
small and apparently capable of being warm
ed readily
"The walls of the house, my dear, terminate
at the fiOor--this story and the one above are
mere shells of lath and plaster see" and OF
the fact she coon convinced us. The balcony,
| had no RE- DICED over, rested on the huge walls
of the building.
"Bdt we descend to the second story in a
few days"
"That may be a gain. The atmosphere up
here is pure-more than can say for most
apartr-~..- svwer oowr. cnvu s,as---.~ -. =;
We descended, and, with bat two words Of
apology, walked in upon the occupants--a
customary thing here, when looking at apart.
ments The lady went on with her embroidery,
and little girl, under the hands OF an instruct
or, looked up once, but never paused in her
drumming. We examined carefully into every
corner, and then returned, when Mrs. L. gave
me the result of her observations
"The first trouble notice is, that you pas
| through the dining room to get to the parlor-
no inconvenience to French people, but sc
| rlous annoyance to US We are OF "A retiring
disposition when feeding excuse the words
| In the next place, the sun never reaches youI
windows--a sad thing in Paris where the win
ters are composed of rain clouds but more c.
pecislly in your apartments where Lucy's room
| is without windows altogether, with a dooi
opening into your bed chamber How the poor
child will manage TO dress, two-thrds OF the
winter, | cannot imagine. Again, you are
| above some stables and will be awakened a
| midnight by Count Somebody and family, re
| turning to their pavilion from the Opera OF
ball and, il at all nervous, you will be KEEP
| awake by the paving of horses until morning
! begged her in pity to stop and called hei
attention to the beautiful gardens before OIL
windows
"They will look dresry enough when tn
leaves fall; but the open space will afford yot
air-that is some comfort. You tell me 20,
have engaged a bonnie. domestic J consider hei
female devoid Of all honesty, and treat heI
accordingly. She will never tell you the truth
even by accident and steal everything she
dare. Lucy must carry the keys, and give Gu
from day to day precisely what you need fol
use. Give her certain amount Of money in
the morning to market With, make her pro
duce the bills and settle at night You have
your fuel in the cave; every five sticks sh,
brings you, she will sell two. Your wine vii
| suffer the same fate. Your beer will be water
ed beyond its original taste. Those things YOU
cannot well prevent. On the subject of wood
! am a little nervous. The wood man sells it tc
you by the pound, and, as he soaks il in water
before weighing, you cannot well afford the
stealage--the cheatage is quite enough She
will sell the food already cooked before your
face. When you walk through the market no
tee stall in which are bits of cooked dishes
mutton-chors infnitesrnal beefsteaks and pats
| of butter; these are furnished the stall by
cooks in the neighborbood, who sell them to
this receiver and he in turn sells them to the
poorer laborors. Two profits to be made Of
your kitchen"
asked, in perfect sstonishment if this could
| be so, and if it was not possible 10 find honest
servants.
Entirely out of the question One would
cease the awful strife with their cheating aud
stealing but i. offers q premium on their vice
and il increases immedistely beyond the
strength Of your purse. BY the by be very
careful never to patronize tradesmsn she
may recommend They have their heads 70
gcther, and your bills will be no evidence o.
the expenditure The class you have TO deal
with in Paris recognise in stranger n goose
sent them by Providence to puck--they pluck
accordingly, and, going to church after, they
return thanks TO the bon Dieu,' that he has
sent them 40 fat q bird"
This al sounds very harsh, yet my experience
sustains it to the letter; nor have ! met with a
single American or English woman, resident in
| Paris, who has not oOncurred with Va in this.
1t is hard thing TO make such charges against
whole class-a class5 too, struggling in pow.
erty, under heavy exaction, poor wages, and
unjust legislation. The law puts them under
| thu Control Of their employers Each seryant