The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1874-07-28


Marshal Bazaine, who was the sergean.
that saved his life. Facts are stranger
than fiction.
A Lesson in the Art OF Keeping Up
Appearances.
There is no such thing as measuring
tho dimensions of Frenchman's house
He may live at the top of magnificent
white marble palace in six rooms at a
rent of 500 or 5000. Aud yet, when
you have climbed up there, have sounded
the bell, and havo been admitted into the
hall which, with its highly. polished mir.
ror, will deceive you at once in regard to
the size of the little box, you are convln.
ced that he revels in luxury. Opposite
the hall l.glass open the foiding-doors into
the parlor, which is long room with
still more mirrors to aid in increasing
the perspective. of of this room are
yet other folding-doors, two Of them
leading into the dining.room, which is al
ways fitted up in exquisite taste, and,
with studied carelcssness, left visible to
the caller Try the doors at the other
side of the room it is hard to open
them. Probably locked? Most effec-
tually locked They nevefmove upon
their hinges. Still they are not quite
as useless as "a painted ship upon a
painted ocean," for they serve double
purpose they dispense with the necessi.
ty Of pictures to fill up the bare walls
for who would hang pictures on doors p
aud they give one the impression that
vast apartments stretch beyond.
Madame will receive you in the most
charmiugly .languid manner. if your call
chance to occur In the daytime. She
has just arisen won't you have coffee
with her? This, if she means by gener.
Gus courtesy to make useful friend Of
you, Now you find your way into what
she calls her private apartment, which,
like the other rooms, opens into the par
lor. 1t is really quite gem in its way
You wish you were Frence, or, at least,
that you might understand the art of liv.
ing as French people do. But little
closer acquaintance and moderate iu.
crease in your experience will teach you
that these people work and strive only
for the sake Of the appearance they make.
They comprehend what the elegances Of
life consist Of, and they will live without
the commonest necessities in order to de.
ceivc you as to their real condition 4
family Of seven persons will actually live
in two small rooms, and make their beds
up late at night on the floor Of the apart.
ments in which, but few moments before,
they were chatting with you upon the i'm.
possibility of economiziug, in Paris, since
the war. Even they, in their modest
style of living, find that it takes fortune
now 60 spend year in Paris. You are
shocked to hear them suggest that theirs
is a simple mode of lite you never
thought of being so fine at home. In
reality, these people that speak of live
like paupers. They sleep on the floor
tho year round, and often on the kitchen
floor at that This last is convenient, a-
they can get up and put the coffee over
the spirit-lamp, and retire again until it is
prepared. Coffee is taken 10 bed, Of course
For the beuefit of the girls at homr
; who may admire and envy this lady ol
luxury that gracously asks you into her
boudoir at l l o'clock, declaring she has
just arisen, and invites you TO take coffyg
with her, | will tell them something Of
her toilets, and the singular way in which
they change with the hours of the day
Madame goes to market as early as po,.
sible. Nobody is ont in the early morn.
ing,-that is to say, nobody before whom
she cares to keep up an appearance, -
and, as the market.people always measulc
a customer before setting a price, it is
wise to 60 to the market shabbily dress.
ed, not only because no one will see her
but as matter Of economy. So thc
toilet of the day is not made until ibi.
duty has been performed. In exchange
for the great, airy bathroom, with it,
abundance of hot and cold water, and it.
fresh clean towels which Americans eau
not live without. madame has, in little
dark hole between the kitchen aud hei
bedroom, pint of water in basin the
size Of fngcr.bowl For water is too
precious commodity to be used unlcs.
sparingly. 1t has to be carried from thl
street up five flights Of stairs, and ser
. want must be paid cents an hour to d,
it. No further arguments than these a,
necessary with the madame. With tn,
aid Of dirty little towel. for clothc,
must be washed away from home, ,-ther,
} is neither room nor water to do it in thes,
! papier. .mache boxes, our lady will sur
ceed in making herself very tidy. I hay,
! really begun to wonder if there is no
, such a thing as dry wash. At 10 the
: coiffeur comes, and madame's hair i,
, dressed, as, my dear, you never think O
having yours dressed, except it be for Il
ball. If she chance to be a little gray
, the hair is powdered after it has betr
arranged in its intricate puffs, braids, ana
: frizzes. A coiffeur costs but few sou,
and this dressing Of the hair is, believe
the stronghold of Frence women. know
that it made profound impression upor
me. l shall never forget the feeling o
} fattered vanity and unutterable gratitudt
: | experienced when such fine lady in
\ vited US to make her house our home
1t we could put up with their simplicity
and made ourselves comfortable in hcl
room, she would gladly move into anothyi
! apartment. All this was to be granted
, because of the very favorable impression
We had made upon her 1t would bo SC
disagreeable for us to move into an ordi
nary boarding house this should be like
p home to US.
Home indeed have my doubts il
there be many such things in Paris, ex
cept where some Americans have mad,
their nest for few years. This matter
OF home, | am coming to think, is purely
American, The Euglish cannot make
one they find such repose only in q
house which their ancestors have occupi.
ed. An American will make q little
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