The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-12-20

Difficulties of French Parents in Deciding the
Future Calling of Their offspring.

Future Calling of Their offspring.
London News.
What shall we do with our boys7 is a problem
as perplexing for French as for English parents.
A case which has just been before t.le Paris Cor
rectional Tribunal will show what great i'm
portance some French parents attach to the
future trade or profession of their offspring.
Monsieur and Madame Paneton, during the ff-
teen years they have been married, have had
but one quarrel, or, rather, the same quarrel,
Tor the motive of it is always the same. Here
is how 1T usually begins: Paneton, a iourneymau
mason, comes home every night at 7 for dinner.
as they say, here; in England we should say sup
per. Paneton's brow is clouded. He throws
himself into a chair. and says: "What a dirty
tradel How can parents be so stupid as to make
masons of their sonsl My son shall not be a
mason; oh, no, not if 1 know it." 'Oh, you're
right there, replies Madame Paneton, while
cutting bread into the soup. "He shall be a
cabinet-maker. Continues Paneton. Never while
live" replies Madame; The shall be a woodturn-
er." "A woodturnerF' retorts Monsieur; catch
me making a woodturner of my boy. l know
ten of my chums who made woodturners of
their sons. and every one of those ten lads
turned bad characters" Rubbish! Our boy shall
be a woodturner." Il tell you he shall be a
cabinetmaker." "My son a paste pot! l would
rather strangle him with the hands" You are
not a mother to the boy; you are a stepmother."
1T is you. rather. who are a stepfather." At
that Paneton seizes the first thing that come to
hand andhurls it at Madame's head. She re-
NG+~ 80 - anu bAO " IL WY
night. The curious circumstances in this case is
that they have no children, though they have
been fifteen years married. To be brief, cries of
murder" are heard. The neighbors rush in,
restore peace and go away, knowing they will
keep quiet for tine next twentv-four hours. The
nuisance, however, has become so intolerable
that We find them at length summoned
before the correctional tribunal. The first
witness, NJ. Blanchard, d~eposeth: pane
ton and his missus are the incest people
you can wish to see, but they are always going
on with the same quarrel, and sometimes they
spend the whole night fighting. Just imagine,
your Worship, they are not very young, and they
can have no family, which embitters their
moral qualities; but that is not the fault of the
neighborhood. which has often said to them: IF
you keep on this racket, we will go and complain
to the police commissary;' all the more, yOur
Worship, because the older they get, the less
hope they have of a posterity.' To that Madame
Paneton replied: 1T is you who mistake, Mon
sier Blanchard; you must not talk of what you
don't understand" Here the Judge interfered,
and said: You disturb the tranquility of your
neighbors by a daily scandal. and that apropos
OF the trade to which you will put a son who
IS not yet born" He then sentenced each spouse
to a fine of . francs for nocturnal disturbance.
IN pay it when you like" cried Paneton; but
he shall be a cabinet maker" HE shall be a
wood-turner, 1 tell you" retorted Madame p.
Turn them out usher. Are they going to be-
gin again hereF' exclaimed the judge, in amaze
ment. 1t is evident that the future child will
be either a cabinetmaker or a woodtprner, if it
is a boy; but supposing it is a girl!