New-York tribune., 1876-01-18
FRENCH LIFE.
MP HAuERTONs NEW BOOK.

MIR. HAMERTONS NEW BOOK.
~RoUND MY HOUSE FINDING THE HousE-FRENcH
RURAL LIFE-TIiE BouRGEoIsIE-IHu PEAsANTRf
FRENCH MARRIAGES.
IFRoM A REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OP rHE TRTBuSE.l
BosToN, Jan. 14.-Of all the books by Phlllp
Gilbert HamertOn which Roberts Brothers have pun
lshed within the last years, perhaps not one IL more
Interesting than Round House,, which If Just ready
The author eharactor2es it, hs title page, as Notes
of French Rural Life, in Peace and War" There Is
singular charm in the intimacy WITH Haiher'ohs
thoughts and views and personal mclnatons' l" Wiien
this book admits u.s. In the first chapter you start WIN
Mr. and Mrs Hamerton together. in pursuit OF mousse
which shall combine various indispensable adVaht's's'
The House must be in d region easy or access anu 9c'
sufeiently remote from the hustle of any large ow-"
must combine the copyeniences OF praeucl nc WIN 'o
yenience for the studies Of landscape painter
moreover it must nc one which cOuld DC po'uIcu az
moderate expense 70 realize IN one place oi ahodc al
these necessary conditions was no easy matter; an" he
account Of Hnertons journey in search Of IT, accom-
paned everywhere by his wife, is one Of the peaah'es'
portions OF the volume. At frat they wanted TO i've near
the Rhone not only because the noble rvers so Deaut
ul in itself but its convenient steamers maoe an
enlargement the range for an artists excursion 20 easy
Hamerton says:
cousc vet 10 him least in very real and inehsi1e
senseto the laudhe lives IN SO iarat least as ne
can appreciate ts beauty usi2s student VINO ives el
public hbI AIRY possesses the library %" ies ~
live tie more profoundly am convinced that tl0 hii
OF possession is the trucst and most t1Jlsyhg ENC m
ownership: nav, even that 1t is the Only oWheIslp
which, beng infinite in its nature is idalt" 10 our ~
finite desires TO house by the khohe, % nta - I'M t
Rhone itself with al is and castles ana r%c,Hs %
psque old cities and those leagues OF lovely OF hOoic
landscape which lie between one citA ana aholner'
Rut ne failed to find on the Rhone the dc cam
ooqae he was seeking Mason de cqnpGqne is peculiar
term which will not bear Translation To render IL by
country house" would convey wrong Impression IL
answers much nearly to the English shOotngiooge
IL meant to be place where life is rather rough; ana
our explorers found il somewhat difficult To dlso0vcrsu
mn abode commodous enough for family with add-
ona space for an authors library and painters study
and vet not too expensive. Three tours they made ia
the neiebborhood OF three different rivers-the Rhono
tie Saone and the DOubs-and found only TWO Opidces
which suited thenl-one Of which tboy could not Afford
and the other of which they could not obtain Ihen
friend undertook the search for hem and soon found the
"House" "You want" said this friend, "a river, OF
course. being an aquatic EugshmaD; and you want
picturesque ne'ghbOrhOOd, being an artist; theh you
must not be far from town for supphes -sohe pc
turesque old town il possiblcanl you want habaDle
house with a sufficient number OF rooms ana so on All
this the practical friend undertook to tnd and did nnd
I'm combinations II retired and rural and yet most
happily situated for communication with the outside
world since from could reach, IN single nighI'
Paris or Lyons, Geneya-Or one could dine at nome
one night and in London the There near hlls
eoufcsses that he attached importance than to
neibors since from these last he had Few expectations,
having been spoiled for provincial society by mncn nter
course with the bright wits Of London and Paris key
cultivated people he thinks, can nd their tue society
only in those who belong metropolis, though they
may pass much most Of their time in the country
The IIamertons began their new life accordingly by
makug no social demands upon THEN lshbOrs IL is
the French custom 10 call on the old res
idents, but author made no calls In process OF
time acquaintances came, however; and many pleasant
neighb0ry Interests established French rural HE
has changed somewhat tho second empire and is
far openhandcd in its hospitality than OF old People
used to ask guests freely 70 ordinary epasts neat and
tasteful and unceemOnous ;hcy have acquired the
notion OF state dinners and hospitality Las become eK-
pcuslve brdensome and therefore n;rcqueut We have
no idea OF the great value Of nobility in France man
will almost sell his honor iOr a dc before his name
rich girl with q name is gladly bestowed by her
parents clerk with small salary II he has but
magic de and the immense social WEIGHT carried by
this little particle Is the Frenchms excuse for 50 often
obtaining II fraululently since it ia like current coin
and buys certain amount Of respect matter in what
manuci acquired. The chapters dealing with the
loss as well the acquisition Of this title, with the se
and fan Of fortunes the partition Of property, aud al
that range Of subjects are extremely interesting
very much the fashion 10 sReer at the trftness
of the bourgeois but while ii often has in II element
of meanncss and is itself attractive Il has lts
one good side. The first object Of bourgeois ambition is
10 owe anything; the second 90 MAKE such pro
vision for ones family that in ease Of misfortune TO
health business they shall not bc cast naked on the
world Hence II is hard to find the genuine bourgeois in
dnlculty for he always lives within his means. Eut
misfortune does upon him be 10 cool ana cheerful
under it.
The manners and customs Of county folks IN France
are quite fully depicted by Mr.. Hamerton Tic French
man does not consider himself under any obligation 10
eat anything till he has earned appetite. Breakfast,
in the English and American sense, Is accordingly dis
pensed with Ladies generally have basin Of cJe
Ia with piece Of bread bu physicians protest against
this In the Of Digestion and seldom take IT.
Some men take ncihng-OtheIs basin OF s0upand,
fortunately sl others take bottle of white wine,
which is very had for them empty stomach. Tho
IL o'clock dsemer usually consists OF one kind o meat,
dish OF vegetables and dessert which f. omitted
The wine during meals IS cheap Uin OrdiHQre-Onc
OF those common things which better in their place
than costly ones bread better for common use
than plun-cake. Country fc-morc's the Iity-is
stantly growing more expensive in France. Ten
twelve years ago the small squis spent did spend
their money they pleased old clothes drove in
shabby old vehicles used the furniture their fathers and
erandatheTs used before them and nobody thought
of crlticising them. Now the old French simplicity
silently giving way a Of Englis finish and luxury
In a word, the French becoming This word
comes cOSSe pod aud who Is is a
Portable, weprOteccd man. IL is good thing TO be
this when you easily afford IL but bad thing 10 De
forced into 1t when you afford by the universal
custom OF your neighbOrs StiI yet, the French
man dream Of having any such retinue
ants as the welltOdo Engshman considers necessary.
The tendency that respect rather toward the Ameri
can way OF living-the Frenchmans dreams not Of
some periecy-appojnted English house with its trained
domestic for each separate duty, bat rather OF In
genious machine at home and restaurant next door,
which will relieve him from the cosiness Of 6onHes.
Of tI.e