The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1882-10-07
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WOMEN OF FRANCE
What Marks the Chief Distinction Between
Them and English Ladies'

Here in England, says the London Globe
we have very ilippant way of hitting of
the characteristics OF the French woman
We say she is frivolous, idle, and inordl.
nately fond of pleasure. The description
will not bear looking into. Firstly, il
should be noted that the French woman
often seems what she is not. When bent
on amusing herself-and it is through the
medium of this mood of hers that English
critics generally weigh her character and
judge her actions-she leaves, it is true, all
care at home and enters upon the business
OF pleasure with the spirit of a child but
1t is unjust to call her frivolous and idle on
TINS account. Perhaps no women are such
industrious and serious workers as those of
France. The material prosperity of their
country is certainly largely attributable
to their admirable capacity for making
themselves useful in all departments
OF life from which they are not shut
ont by the walls they cannot hope to scale
walls which they show their practical wis
dom OF leaving alone. The typical French.
woman $ character is not deep, but il has
been traced out b, nature with no unsteady
hand. Her spirit of independence, her
comparative freedom from that timidity
which is often represented as Il beautiful
weakness of her sex, have enabled her to
congue much of the ground that belongs
additionally to man, simply by qualifying
herself to compete with him lndustriousy
ana intellectually, In number of ways
She likes to be selt-reliant and to feel that
in case of need she can do battle with the
world.
Although French women generally marry
early and under conditions of parental in.
lluence, which invest the act of putting on
the bridal veil with about rs much scnti-
meht ny that of taking to their first long
gown, or gathering up their girl:sh tresses
INTO maidenly coil of plaits, the majority
OF them make good wives and still better
mothers. The French woman is not the
most ailectionate OF spouSes, but in her de.
votedhess to her children she is not to be
surpassed, while the interest she takes in
her husbands work, and her desire to help
him Tor the common good throw into bold
relief the strongest side of her character, II
he Is doctor, she will make out his bills
for him. If a tradesman, she will look over
the accounts and preside over the till,
Whatever ms occupation, she will lend him
helping hand. IL will be correctly sur
missed that We are speaking of the bourge-
olSe-the all'poweriul woman in France.
| me extremes of luxury ana poverty have
the effect of so modifying the salient points
| ol u nations character that in inyestiga.
tons of this kind it is always better choose
ones types from the great middle class.
| What we wish to lay stress on is the fact
that the French. woman, although OK.
tremely emotional at times in the ordinary
business of life, looks ut nothing through n
romantic and sentimental medium, Ii is
this popularity which makes the CHIEF
distinction between her and the English
woman. The latter is less passionate, but
she is also less practical. There is dreamy
sentlmentality in her nature that easily
ana frequently mergesinto religious melan.
choly-a malady amos, unknown In
France, From madenhood to old age hcI
views OF life are romantic, Even after
much misfortune and disappointment She
rarely realizes things as they are, Conse
quenily she is not the helpmatc in a mate
rial seGse that the French woman is, But
The deficiency is a0undautly made up In
ways. IL is the exception when she loves
her children more than her husband, while
the French woman's affection for her oil.
spring is generally all absorbing. The sen,
timentality OF the English womanis at once
her strength and her weakness. II is her
strength because Il is intimately associated
with strong religious instinct and reyerenc,
Tor moral principles which color all he,
thought and direct her conduct. IL IL her
weakness, because IL is apt to make her rely
100 much ON others and to hope when She
| should act