New-York tribune., 1876-06-03
JOHN PAUL IN PARIS.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF FRANCE.


PARIS, April 10.-Parbeu! You see how |
begin my leter-Paris and Parbleui That's because I'm
France And the language OF the country flows natural
like from my pen. There several ways Of going from
London 10 Paris without mentioning rather roundabout
one via Brest But one way only of going from
Brighton to Parisunss choose to coast It to folke
stone by rail and there cross the Channel-Dy way OF
Newhayen and Dieppe We came. Nor Is IL an
uncomfortable route 50 far as experience goes though
friends looked aghast when avowed an Intention ol
trying 1t. We had a fair nights sleep on very good
boat The Channel was so that had 1t not been
for the dash the paddlewhees would never nave
known we were afoat, and got into Dieppe beunes
next morning. and had good breakfast before taxing
what Mrs. Mornnglory called the shimmy dc Fur
for Paris.
Dieppe Is quaint looking old town. made up chiefly OF
hgh-gabled houses with red tiles fishermen in bouses'
wrnklcd market women in caps dogs, and fleas. Fa-
nous for its carved ivory and herrngs you smell one OF
the other manufacture you pass through Outside OF
Dieppe one gets his first nklings Of French scenery
More picturesque than the English, 1t IS not 81 COM
Portable looking Ons misses the symmetrical hay-rcks,
hawthorn hedges, and stacks OF Brussels sprous when
the English cottage and impart to u an AR of
comfort aud cleanness-which not disspated uil'il
YOU enter the interior.
Along the line OF railroad you see women taxing care
of switches | do not their own back hair, but
those ingenious contrvances for throwing train OF the
track and tine blame anywhere but where 1t belongs,
which no welregated railroad is without Passengers
who have ever been IN smasup will know what sort Of
switches I'm talking about. But railroad accidents are
not frequent in France. And calling to mnd now well
women worked switches when was boy do not zee
why they can't do IL quite as we'll as men. 1t IA long
indeed since such vivid recOecons of youth ami an old
stone scboohouse s this sight revived have been called
up TO me.
The Frcnchman is not big feeder. He breaks his fast
In the morning with a little coffee and good deal OF
bread and butter. Along toward noon, II raVenOusy
hungry he sezcs radsh perhaps the hind legs "
sparrow which latter make 1t adGener Ia toTehete
But for dinnor-ye GODS what gorging is there Two
spooniuls Of soup the backbone OF smelt, morcl or
meat the size OF saddlerock oyster, mushroom an
onion Glove garlic smell Of cheese gallon OF red
wine and he's ready for an opera or the theater'
The Frenchman can cook dinner, but when
it to eating one, why, biess your
son, an Englishman can eat all around nm
Yet al 6ait though he be dressing fish or fowl,
the Frenchman does not my thinking dress himself
who ia ncither-we. His sleeves are too short his
skirts are too narrow, and he has altogether skinny
look When lie attempts to be elegant he Is only dand
fed and when lie sets out 10 be heavy swell he Onl
succeeds In being hashy But the French woman-
an! she knows by instinct what to put on
and how. supposing Eve TO have been French
il Is safe 10 assume that when the idea OF dress
daUyued On Eden had there been I'm the garden Il
leaf more becoming than that OF the fig she would have
gone straight TO the Little given TO didence, the
mere discovery that she had nothing could never nave
distressed a French Eve very much but the sudden
awakening to guilty knowledge that she was not well
dressed would have Just about killed her. new and be-
coming bonnet pair OF hgh-heeed shoes, might have
relieved her fee Jugs and the situation and saved vdua-
bic fe II you doubt the correctness Of my generaza
ton. 20 the opera any evening and sec what Is con
dcrcd full dress This beng the rule under the ReP"p
Ic what must It have been under the Empirei
Asit s compelled by the prejudces Of society to wear
some clothes, the Parisienne considers the Hhes-oE
roses on her checks az there be there remedies
the omlssou decaely, oDrusiyely), and adopts The
style Of dress which most becoming to the figure that
God la, gwen her. the color most becoming To tue com
plcxon whichshc generally regulates for herself Not
for wOrds-no not for TRIBusEs, eyen-could YOU per
suade the Fronchw oman oyermuch given 10 embOnpofn
into pln-Daok which should bring the drawback OF he
nrire too prominently forward As for Following any
fashion implicitly. this she will not do That folly Is ef'
or the fair OF my own native land who, so far rs can
see enjoy monopoly OF 1t. For the Englishwonan fol
lows nuthn but dresses herself by accident with some
reference price OF consos and the state Of the dry
goods mlrket putting ON the first thing that comes
handy aud stopping round in 1t with supreme sefsatis
faction.
But with this frank confession OF the superiority OF the
FreuchwOmau in dress, let the abascment Of my nation
end For the male bird is horse OF another color
tiroly. And come out Of the Valley OF Humiliation
where have Just been crawling To remark in stentorian
tones that II could dress ny self better than the
Frcnchnau does himself Ia drown mysclf-aud perhaps
him as well. 30 let each country hold TO It's own.
But though the Frenchman cannot dress, he can
ancc-therc's gainsaying that He's but for 1t
metaphysically AZ well as physically. II any one
succeeds In dying it VIII be Frenchman That his
bones are quite rs light and hollow as birds VIII not
positively assert but il any wishes to bet that they
are notwhy, have little money and am always look
ing round FOR judcous investments Even In his ordt
nary walk lac is balcony Nothing is difficult than
for him 10 keep his heels the ground, which Is poss
bly, the reason why he balasts his coatta with
Even thus handicapped carrying ten pounds OF copper
on each side OF him. il he attempt to raise an eyebrow or
open his mouth without putting his mind severely on
what ne is doing his shoulders fly above his As for
gliding in the dance, that's not his idea OF IL. He
prefers stand III one place and Junp up and
down--more times up than down-or else bounce
about like kangaroo after grasshoppers. His spring
forcshadows fall and when his feet are once of the
floor you scarce expect them TO touch It again it would
not surprise you TO sec him keep rising like thistle
down The effect Of much motion is not pleasing 20
one who has sweet memories Of tine Oldme minuet. 70
capcr ia such fashion undgnihed, and would never
forgive it in an Engshnan. But with the Frenchman
we are more lenent, in this as In other things.
There feeling that nothing better can be expected OF
him. For he does not speak our language he never had
Magma CAarta nor Mayi0wer has not much OF sab
bath. and probably never Will have much OF govern
mont A society acquaintance merely, whom we meet at
a ball or "A dinner, and with whom we exchange
sionaI calls and perhaps glass OF wine, there ties
of blood between 10 excite anagOnism, no similar
forms Of government TO disagree about-we have not
even the same religion To quarrel over.
DO not think that given TO generalizing from IN
sufficient observation. did not write line about En-
gland and English government TIL had been IN London
n week and this is my fourth day In Frlnce-s0mething
more for we arrived the afternoon, and 1t is WEI
on IN the evening. | went TO "a masked ball Mard-
Gras TO dinner horse flesh the next day. and have
had several extended Conversations with an accom-
nlished ynnng lady In the shop whore buy gloves.