The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1878-11-29
Correspondents
OUR PARIS LETTER
The French as seen with American eyes
What our CORRESPONDENT has Learn
ed During his Eight Months Visit iu
the Gay Capital.
From our Regular Correspondent


PARIS, NoY. 6, '7S.
The extravaganza of French polite
ness is as remarkable in the present as IL
the past. Three centuries ago there wa
such an ado when two people met, tina
the Chevalier Marin said that all conver
sation began with ballet. Fourscor
years ago, graceful antics and high howl
compliments we're still in vogue: but tli
deep triplicate salutation, with tn
Beautiful marquise, your bewitchini
eyes make me die of love" passed ava,
with the revolution of '93. The eccen
tricities of gallant speech and gallant act
constitute one of the principal arterie
running through the body polite, from
lis earliest history to the present time
Under cover of the French dictum tina
it is impossible to be too polite singula
extremes are reached, especially by thu
elderly men who affect something of tn,
Regency manners. In some cases it il
carried to a point where it might bt
called the gymnastics of social inter
course-where the man insists of keep
ing his bald head uncovered in a ho
sun, or runs with hot haste to convey q
lap dog TO woman waiting, or bows low
with grand swoop of the hat to another
man whom he sees two or three times g
day. There is an historical instance ofa
well known aged nobleman, who. de
scending the stairway, meets youth oi
twenty mounting. The nobleman stops
to let him go up and the youth does the
same, inviting the former to pass down
the nobleman stands firm, and requests
the youth to continue who responds, ia
MUS with hand ON heart; he knows to
well what youth owes to age, upon which
the elder commands him to mount when
the young man, with bow says, Youth
owes obedience to age" and passes, thus
saving the situation as he believes.
There is an elasticity and adaptability
in the Frenchman in the presence of the
woman, of which the Anglo Saxon has
but meagre share. The former, be
fore all classes of these, catlike, falls on
his feet, be she countess, or grisette; and
to be Unexpectedly in contact with any
of them never seems to disconcert or
even surprise him. The Anglo Saxon is
taken at disadvantage under similar
circumstances from which he does not
rally Immediately. The susceptibility OF
the newly arrived foreigner, for example
is put to rude trial when he buys a
pair of gloves. Behind the counter stands
several smiling, self possessed young wo-
men, whose eyes turn on him with dis
concerning steadiness. He approaches
the nearest of them, and signifies his de-
sire to make purchase. Are the gloves
for monsieur. They are. Will monsieur
give himself the trouble TO sit down be-
fore the counter2 He slips on to high
stool which brings his head on a level
with hers. She purringly inquiries his
number, which he generally does not
know, when she daintily measures the
masculine hand, holding it, after the tape
measurement, lightly by finger tips, to
examine the form of the glove required.
She in the same tone inquiries his color
to which Frenchman would probably
reply, Whatever your. taste may sug-
gest;;' but to which the newly-arrived
foreigner gives an answer destitute of
any kind of embroidery. When she
softly takes his hand in hers agein, and
looks into his face with smile. Amer
icus begins to think that this is indeed a
tender business. Before, however, he
has any time to make many reflections
on the situation, she is at work on his
hand, and slips on the glove, carressingly
introduces the fingers, the operation
sandwiched with arch glances and CHR
rupy speech, and then the glove is but
toned, and the last fold is smoothed out
with a gentle pat. This incendiary per-
formance is followed with the question
whether monsieur will have his other
hand treated in the same way. The moth
Of course, will haye another go at the
candle, and by the time he is through he
is naturally somewhat singed. Happily
for family peace, the betrothed Mary
Jane or the espoused Mary Ann cannot
look into his heart at that moment. The
eyes of the feminine Mephistopheles be-
hind the counter follow out his retiring
figure with a slight elevation of the eye
brows and terrible monosyllable uttered
to one OF her companions. The modest
foreigner goes through another ordeal
with the flower girl. With a smile as
bright and attractive as her flowers, she
asks him if he will not have one He
would prefer not to encounter those
winning eyes, and endeavors to pass on
but he may not do SO; she holds him as
securely as the Ancient Mariner held
the wedding guest, and he signifies his
acceptance of the rendered opening
bud. He may not receive it with his
hands; she with her nimble fingers will
attach il. to his button hole, and the en-
barrassed man stands while the girl fon-
dies over the region of his heart, and
looks into the whites of his half averted
eyes. And the havoc thus committed in
ten short minutes may not be repaired
in six months. There is no fixed price
for such favor, and he is told with an
expression that would have troubled the
soul of st Anthony, that it is anything he
may please to give. His betrothed Be-
linda, alas would think it dear at any
price.
The wide dissemination of art feeling
among the French has refining tenden-
cy on the manner of all classes. Beau
tiful squares and parks, with walks and
shady forests, fountains and lakes, are
open to all. The eyes OF the people are
made familiar with architectural beauty
as exhibited in the boulevards, bridges,
and public edifices of the great city.
The magnificent art galleries are free to
all who wish to see them, and the work
ing people visit them frequently; especi-
ally on Sunday and fete days when they
are kept open for their benefit. Thus
the man in blouse is often familiar with
the great pictures of French masters. In
the houses of the poor, there are no vapid
keepsake heads in glowing colors, but
copies of pictures exhibiting more or less
merit. The deep red and blue Daniel
IN the Lions Den, and the doll faced