The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1875-02-25
French Manners and Customs.

The French are said to be the Politest
people i'm the world, and in some respects
they are so. Their politeness may be
only skin-deep; it may be only stilted
etiquette. without heartfelt emotion. But,
on the whole, il is better that studied in
difference and rough incivility. If not
absolutely sincere, Ii has the external ap-
pearance of being so, and saves the feel
ings from sense OfOutrage. A French
man always takes off his hat on entering a
shop, or an omnibus, or any other public
conveyance. He is expected always to
/ bow first to a lady of his acquaintance it
would be thought quite out of place
| for the lady to take the initiative.
On entering q drawing-room French
people bow to every one who may be
in the room, whether they are acquainted
with them or not. The omission of these
trihing civilities by the English causes
them to be considered rude and b0orish.
The line of demarcation between differ
ent classes of society is less strongly de-
fined in France than in England. Ser
| wants consider themselves pretty nearly
upon an equality with their masters and
mistresses, and their manners are marked
by free-and-easy GOODNESS, which would
be considered the height of impertinence
in England. They wish you "goOd
morning and "gOod night" as friend
might do, and expect to be thanked when
ever they open the door for you;
FrenchTnan of every class touches his hat
TO the servant who opens the door for
him.
The lower classes in France live much
more frugally and inexpensively than
people of the same rank in England. Soup
and bouiLLi form the usual dinner and sup
per of the upper class of farmers, work.
men, and servants in French families.
The rich farmers have the pot Gu teu every
day, others only once or twice week, and
live on bread and s0upe aur ehotGS on the
other days, with relish of cheese, salt
fish, and sometimes butter.
Frenchwomen of the middle class, such
as shop-keepers' wives, etc., are, | think,
better educated, and have more p.easing
manners than similar class in England.
In the greater number of restaurants,
cafes, hotels, and large shops, it is the
women who keep the books and make
out the accounts. These women are gen.
orally ladylike-loOking, have pleasing
manners, write good hand, speak well,
and are good accountants. They know
the price of every thing, and how every
dish should be cooked, and could cook it
themselves Unnecessary. A AFrenchwoman
almost always looks better dressed than
an Englishwoman, for several reasons.
With very few eccentric exceptions, they
study much more what is likely to suit
them than what is the extreme of fashion,
and combine the two, so as not to appear
particular, and yet not wear any thing un-
becoming. They buy very few dresses at
time, only what are absolutely neces-
sary, and wear them while they are fresh.
A dress that has been laid by for some
time never looks fresh and new. They
keep one dress fo- going out early in the
morning, another for visits, and one to
wear in the house. Each one is folded
carefully mot hung up) when taken of,
and thus they keep fresh all the season.
They are well aware that common dress
well made looks better than a rich silk
which fits badly, and has been lying by
for some time. | knew in Paris three
girls. sisters, who had only thirty dollars
year each to dress themselves with, and
they always looked neat, lady-like, and
well dressed. They made all their own
dresses and bOnnets, embroidered their
collars, sleeves, and trimmings, and knit
ted their own stockings. think an Eng
lish girl restricted To such slender resOur-
ces would have appeared pretty much as a
dOwdy. The art of dressing up poor as
sortment in dress neatly and attractively
is surely worthy of cultivation; and
venture to think that this piece Of good
taste might be exercised without the risk
of losing caste English Paper.