The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1873-03-04
FRENCH INCOMES.
Ho1x Erenchmen Live

When the Frenchman in cafe pats two Of
the little slabs OF white sugar in his coffee and
the remaining two in his pocket, 1t ls not
meanness but economy. The four consecrated
to the deani-taSse are paid for, and the pur-
chaser may carry them homo to the canary
bird, present them to the children OF the con-
cierge as q means Of maintaining pleasant re-.
lations with that person, or keep them for eau
sucree. Life is not large, as in the United
States, where there is elasticity in the incomes.
Here they are f1ed-so much o year. month,
and day. The line about the budget Of ex.
pense is rigid, especially IN the case Of small
renters, who ap Jund in France.
The man OF three Thousand francs year
rides on the top Of the omnibus for three
sous; reads the papers in one OF the small
reading rooms for tour sous; smokes ono or
two sous worth Of Caporal tobacco day in q
pipe; goes to the theatre onoe week for three
TO FIVE francs, and 70 the cafe chantant once or
twice. where his co7lSornnsation costs him ten
sous each TINA; he eats two-franc dinners,
followed by that indispensable black coffee for
slx SOUS, with one or two sous gratritee, at one
OF the second-class cafes. rLe chief part OF
his time he strolls on the boulevards, looking
in at the windows Of the people-never falling,
under any circumstances, to admire pretty
woman ard in sitting in the public gardens;
all OF which ID gratuituus pleasure.
The man OF five thousand francs enlarges
this programme, but the bachelor OF twelve
thousand wants for nothing. This sum means
snug little apartment OF two pieces on
street running 10 ooe Of the favorlte boule-
Yards, with pduiSdndre furniture. each room
under the glamour OF one color-pale rose, sun
set beams, azure sky, or what not; some good
books, o few Gue engravings, perhaps moder-
ately good oil picture, bit OF 6Tlc-G 6rdc In
in the way OF bronze and porcelain; q breakfast
of three or four francs, and dinner Of five to
ten francs at the Cafe Richie, Vochette, or tho
club; cabs, theatres, Bois dc Boulogne, and kid
gloves at discretion. This is the definition OF
twelve thousand francs-for o bachelor. Twen.
ty-fye Thousand for bachelor is an apart
ment in the Boulevard Malesherbe, du second,
with cook and man servant, horse and
oouue, box at the French opera. breakfasts
at home and dinners ut the Imperial or
Jockey club; the dwelling consisting OF five
pieces, with objects OF art, one or two OF some
value Fifty thousand represents an aparl-
ment au premier, with horses, carriages: valet,
footman, Gordon 6leu, wine cellar a
box at the Italian opera, dinners at home,
with friends to e,t them, the usual art 6,6etotS,
small gallery OF paintings, and good library
everything that man requires in bachelor
hood. II any OF these single men we're
doubled with wife the expenses would be
trebled, perhaps more, the wants Of woman
being an unknown quantity. The man OF fifty
thousand would have to live at least like him
of twenty. five, and he in turn like him Of ten
Thousand, which, according to Frenchmen, ls
the explanation and the justification Of the
dowry system which prevails in France.
.'Vle,os Abroad," by Albert Rhodes, in March
GdlQIU.