Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-10-30
Paris Letter.
PARIS. October 18th. 1873,


PARIS. October 17th, 1873,
Tie early Frenchmen are reputed stall
wart and of good height. and his posterlty ;
resembles him except in statue. The
physical eharacteristics of the present race
show, in comparison with the American,
frame more compact, limbs rounder and
statue smaller. The lean, lsnky person
quite common in America is rare in this
race. The Frcnchman is more loosely
hung together, aud has more swing and
oait and gesture. A Frenchman cannot
sprawl while an American does it with
facility over chairs, counters, or dry goods
boxes. In their repose there is the differ
ence between the Dorking fowl which
perches in the sun, and the Shanghai who
basks his loose limbs in II royal spread.
But what is puzzing to the austere theo-
looue is that there are certain clustering
qualities Of symmetrical harmony and
goodness found in the character of the
French, which are not the development OF
an evil, but virtuous nature. The key TO
this apparently paradoxical state is to be
found in the mans love of the beautiful
with which he strives to invest his religion
and life. He is the cultivated pagan of
the nineteenth century, whose faculties
are developed in Il school of E3thetics
where even his acknowledged church is
made subordinate, notwithstanding its
! prestige and requirements. The beautiful
in art, in nature. in soul and physical
form, is the idea of which he is possessed,
!, and when this is borne in mind it is easier
to understand and judge him. The French
mans education, from an American point
of view, is defective in what relates to
5 geography and history of nations other
] than his own. An ordinary American lad
: would put him to the blush on a question
y upon the subject. 1t might be affirmed in
;. his presence, without fear of contradic
1 ton, that Missouri OF New Jersey formed
parts Of the Mexican Republic. He is
constantly complaining of his govern
ment, whatever it is, rs if each nation does
o not have rs good II government rs it de-
e Serves,-as if it depended on the govern.
a. nent alone to correct abuses. lie accuses
-, the administration of doing too much, and
u with reason; but he does not attempt to do
y .ny,hing himself lie is taken charge of,
II BAG and luggage, by the government in
:. mis- travels, and carefully looked after in
his home as if he were child. Even the
, omnibus conductor in certain measure
l. takes him under his protection, demand:
his fare with an air of command. and sets
n him down Mt his destination as il he were
!. , parcel. The man clothed in government
> authority assumes that laconic, MOTTO be
lie questioned air, which we frequently see r
le our naval or army officers ON duty. Th
tn official starch pervades more particularly
the subordinate agents of each branch o
W he government. The private citizen i
NC always incining himself politely right an
ed left, the official is oppressed with sens
aI of his dignity, and seems to say, Don
ho rifle with me, for have Il terrible respon
= sibilty on my shoulders The Lego
oc IF Honor must be easy-for among tn
'ln recent lucky recipients of the above Dis
tn. tinction, find the names of Edison An
10, Girard, the former one of the creates
49, men of the present century, the latter Il
It" ex clerk in the bureau of statistics /
De- Washington AMI ut present clerk in Con
ey missioner Mccormick $ office here Til
is is mentioned only by of way comparison
-. As to the woman Of France, her coque
''N nv is proverbinl. 1t is the oil in the sala
per 4 Spanish proverb has it that II kiss witt
DIN out Il moustache is like i'm egg wilhol
emf salt; and the Frenchman AYERS that
, !, woman without II certain degree OF coque
ry is like Il saltess soup. When it is foui
per IN bad company, such II frivolity, dissip
git ton. extravaganza, and the like, it may
,iIy presumed that there is too much salt
;,r The soup. The face of the Amerc;
'"7 woman is more beautiful than that of III
o Il other country, while the French woman
YER face is as handsome as that of any other
sent Europe, and fades more slowly. At lol
-. hr sue rlides into an embonpoint with an u
wrinkled face and of good complexion
'o"s ut the age when the American becou
us pale and wrinkled. The climate has son
pay thing to do with this, but doubtless
univ nourishing food, generous wine, and o
a.; of-door air, much more. In quantities
'''s purely mental character, the equal
per- American woman cannot, perhaps,
ages found in the world, but with all her kno
I2llL
49, that which make the Greeks what Il
wv have been and the French what they 6
lIiVe organic cultivation. lntwined in til
at a words are taste and art. A ripper civil
coin, ton, though not IL purer, shall invest
h an with knowledge of these things ant
duly Ind With it will come, alas, that de
blu lence in morals which always marches
sf.1s
ould. the heels of the beautiful In every age
ii in every cline. 1t is sad that such he
: tribute should be exacted as the price
TN added enjoyment, but art Is inexora
ct in Even in women given to vice. pagan
conf livutien re1eems it Of its most revol
features. Those who haunt the BouleN
of Il night in pursuit of their ignoblc {
on'9 ing are generally polite, orderly, and v
shake dressed, in striking contrast to the An
party Slxons of the same class us seen in
l;nos gent Street. in London or in Broadly
New York. In the rooms of Bull
SUN, the grsette may be wicked, but they
1e OF not coarse. In the meretricious twin
V bet and leg lifting Of Mabille. virtue ma
a ,ted thrust out, but there is devotion to a
'.., the bacchanles themselves and their !
ecu'''- niticent surroundings. The French p
J, as subjects everything to the rules of art
paper morality does not appear IN harmony
gold; them IL is suppressed ~ s" s,,e :;
IL ID :" tolerated. Vice in the guise of an
money is preferred to goodness which violate
conf proprie(ies af art. ALP
Is it -----'------
pripci woman IN o a;'r. ~ tSn d mu'
y than o of hnr SON SON who haI been killed bv a,
ss ae- cident
Mr.. Tilden is right in getting
. w. 1t is high time for somebody to
what is going on in that house of
40. TrjbuUe