Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1883-05-10
HOME LIPE IN PARIS.
PecuIIartties OF the parisIans. - How
People 1.-Two in the French Capital.


This picture of home life In Paris is
given by writer in the Decorator and
Fnisher: Wherever one sees yellow
bill upon the door of Partisan house
he may be tolerably certain Of discover
ing within neat apartment, well
furnished, having at least bedroom,
IA parlor, dining-room, kitchen, and
usually an ante-room into which the
entrance door opens, The windows,
extending to the floor, are hung with
lace and stuff curtains; the doors have
portieres upon either side, rugs. as a
rule, take the place of carpets, the bed
Is under the protection Of canopy,
even If it be no more than muslin, and
"A heavy wardrobe, with a full length
mirror in the door, Is often the point
de resistance in the room. A snowy
silk down quilt is thrown over the bed,
and bolster Of huge proportions rests
at the head. The top of the mattress
averages three or four feet from the
floor, and suggests the advantage of
step ladders and the utter discomfort
of little people. The peculiarity, how
ever, of the French bed Is its rcstful
quality, for it is 50 whether il be found
in the Palace Of the Elysee or third
rate apartment house on Montmatre,
in the Hotel de L'Athence, or themost
provincial Of pensions.
The elasticity of prices in the rent
ing Of apartments is wonderful. y
Frenchman pays $50 month for a
nicely furnished flat in the Pailis
Royal. or. We will say, in the ncighl ,.
hood of Trinity church, taking the Two
extremes Of localities, and an Ameri-
can tourist gladly pays $50 for the
is fortunate and rents from a family
that may be going to Nichy for fcw
months, he possibly can arrange for
silvcrwarc, linen, and crockery, but If
this il denied him. he will find n most
agreeable company organized for the
very purpose Of supplying the transient
resident with all the necessary appur-
tcnanccs Of housekeeping, at a price
that allows one to display magnif-
ccncc approaching royalty at the most
al 4 l.
had at e. per month, che Of those
smart French girls that does every
thing from cooking the meals TO dress
ing her mistress, and who insists upon
doing It. Seven dollars. be- il under
stood, is not starvation pay, II is muni-
iiccncc, and one may expect from such
a girl all the c-thctic cooking Of the
I French rcpcrtoirc-pcas, not As We
have them in this country. yellow and
7 hard but dcliciously swectcncd, tender
"a cream. The bunnc does all the
marketing, wrangles with the trades
people. and hands in her account every
/ day or week. or course she has a
percentage from the stores. but who
would hegrudge that to get rid Of the
intolerablc nuisance Of shopping?
\ stroll on the boulcyards, visit to
the Jardin dAcclimation. a ride to the
Bois de Boulognc, by the way Of the
Champs Elysec, all these are pleasures,
and combine with the attractive fur
nishings Of the house 10 make one
/ forget the annoyanccs he is subjected
to and the crude and primitive domcs-
. tic surroundings he is called upon to
endure. lie IS induced 10 forget that
on his way home he may be run over
1 by vicious cab driver and then arrest
ed for being in the way Of the horses,
for. Of course in parisan streets
vehicles have the right Of way.
The concierge is an important factor
/ in French lie II one fails 90 come
down with the proper amount Of
subsidy in the shape Of pour boirc"
the concierge, whose place is at the on
trance to his building, takes very gooi
care that his Close-fistcd tenant does
not receive his mail. certainly until one
day after its delivery at the door, and
his visitors are informed that he is mot
at home" when in truth he Is await
ing their coming in his rooms. Should
the tenant protest to the landlord. his
life will thereafter be miserable. a sue
cession Of ills and tcrrors that will
finally drive him from the house. to
look for other apartments. But he is
known to every concierge in the city.
and, despite the flaming yellow poster
that announces from the outer wall
there is an apartment TO let. he meets
| everywhere the one Tpply "There IL