The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-01-15
HOLIDAYS IN PARIS.


Etrennes-Pourboires-r Tyranny Of Custom.
PARIS Dag 49, 1873
We are 10 the full food Of Christmas tide Politics
and all the other expedients devised for making
men hate one another with sincere cordially for
$50 days out OF the 3o5 have been temporarily
sheiyed, and we passing through that fortnight
when Frenchmen make honest efforts to be merry
at their home nresides, and even strive-thOugh
not always with success--to be generous. From
Christmas Eve, when everybody attends midnight
mass ana sits up afterwards through the small
hours celebrating the revetuoss, that Ia. eating
black buildings and sausages until the 9th OF jan
uary, called here Fete des Rots. when twelfth cake
Ii devoured with piety which the lapse OF years
can never lessen-all through this time the
French seem to be clad in moral homespun. Tho
outdoor life they 30 much relish at other periods
OF the year gives place to family meetings, the
drinking in cares to home brews OF weak but con-
viviai punon. 1t Is good to see Frenchman re-
member for q time. however BRIEF that there is
something here below worth living for besides
theatres, casinos, nash novels and B0urse quota
tiona; It refreshes one to soc him reo0llect for
few days that he In . husband. father.
son or brother, and that the good gifts avished on
him during the year claim some thanks for tho
Almighty dispenser OF them. Religion is little
more than a thing OF forms in this land but il
there is ever q time when Frenchmen are moved to
reflect that this earth is not mere globe Of clay
and water peOpled with spe-descended Dipeds,
soulless and goddess. 1t is at Christmas. Old
"Noes" that IL Christmas carols, which are trolled
in all concerts and In churches at this season. aid
much 70 revive the beliefs inculcated In ones
childhood-then discarded as too troublesome to
wa in no ecramblN N01pp
Christmas customs, too, crop up under the family
rooftree, and where Is there more touching Gus
tom than that which French children keep up BY
placing their shoes In the chimney On Christmas
Eve In the hope that an angel will come in the
night and fill them with good thingst The pleasant
German custom OF Christmas trees, and that
hearty English tradition OF kissing under the mis-.
tletoe are not observed here, and thus Is perhaps
pity, for In French hands both these relics Of the
past would acquire fresh grace and merriment.
But French Christmas ID, after al, j0vial enough
in despite OF these shorto0ming, and it must be
repeated, that Frenchmen are seen to better adj
vantage under its influence than at any other
time.
"ETRRNNxs,n
But every medal, as We know, has its reverse
and not all the johty Of Christmas and New Years
tide can soothe the pangs Of that terrible ordeal
called .'Etrenne giving" Esrennes are simply
New Years gifts and consisted in bygone times Of
voluntary presents to children, very intimate
friends and servants; but, French vanity and weak
ness aiding the system has year by year, gathered
extension, TIL it has become at last regular
blackmaiL levied with greediness and subscribed
to with rueful resignation wholly French. The
French, indeed, shine in nothing SO little as in
moral courage, and they have suffered etre,snes to
develop into nuisance as Objectionable as those
posrooi2es, against which they are forever clam
oring, without having the heart to take practical
action against them. Americans who have visited
France all know that the pourooaTe Is tax
which must be paid at every step. You
drink q glass Of absinthe at q csVS and pay
Tor it. but you must add gratuity to the
oaTpoa. You have your hair cut, same ceremony
that is twOf0ld payment, part to the waiter, part
to the man. You drive 500 yards in cab,
and the ticket sets down the fare at a
quarter dollar; but just venture to pay the mere
specified price to the cabman without adding the
po,frboire, and see what face be Will pull and
what fine epithets he will rake up from his private
vocabulary to fling at you as you vanish round the
corner. 1t is said that q few Frenchnen, deemng
themselves more spirited than they really were,
once banded together for mutual protection and
formed a club, every member Of which signed q
pledge never under any circumstances to bestow
p0asrbOtre. One OF the members going to Gaze,
soon alter signing the said pledge, called Tor cup
OF coffee. and when the pay time came discussed
exactly the 40 confines due, but no more, and
said to the waiter with a valiant attempt at firm
ness 81 am sorry for you, nv man. but belong
an association organized to suppress the giving
of pourootses." "Oh, don't apologize. sr,n an
swered the waiter, with an angelic smile; "but as
you are an old customer i don't mind con1ding to
VOL I M
citation OF walters, all OF whom have sworn to spn
scalding coffee accidentally the legs OF stingy
customers" Needless to add that the customer
paid his pourboire with Sigh and went home q
sadder man.
THE TYRANNY OF CUSTOM
is, indeed, thing that must be fought with
stOuter hearts than Frenchmen can bring to bear
on such matters. Naturally parsimonious, they
hate to seem so, and sooner than face the imputa-
ton Of being mean would pay away the tails Of
their coats II fashion demanded such sacrifice
and If other Frenchmen were present to see it per-
formed Therefore, to return to etre7anes, it Is
probable that New Years gifts will continue to be-
come more and more oppressive as time rolls on
instead OF growing less SO. AS 1t is they form an
item in the household budget which ranks next in
importance to the rates and taxes assessed by gov
eminent. Not counting the gifts in money to SER
newspaper porters, milk maids, scavengers.
sweeps and other like people to whose services
every man is intermittently indebted-not
reck oning these gifts, man Is expected
to offer box Of expensive childrens
toys 10 every lady at whose house ne has
dined or danced in the course OF the twelve
month, and additional knick-knacks or toys to
more intimate acquaintance and to their children.
But have forgotten The servants 1.-THE people who
receive the sugar plums knickKnacks and toys, for
they, too, expect money; and If you nave dined
several times at one house in the year you can
scarcely cry quits with the under 70 francs.
Now, as to the sugar pums, 1t used TO be con-
silered handsome enough to enclose them in q
colored wrapper; then the fashion Of fancy boxes
set in, and by and by these boxee acquired such
magnidcence that the cheapest Of them-I mean
the cheapest OF those that are deemed presentable
in high life-averages o napoleon. Surprising,
then, that a young Frenchman possessing an