Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-10-12
THREE PROPOSALS
A STUDY OF FRENCH SOCIAL LIFE
BY AN AMERICAN.


and hearts.
/, therefore, have a story to tell. Of
course, l was not one of the three. Oh,
dear no. / never would choose a wife.
Ii Is destiny with me, or nothing.
In the fall Of the year 1870 / was one Of
q number Of guests at a French country
house. situated Just out OF the fine old
town Of TrOyes, in Champagne; magni-
hcent old place with the caves Of the
house meeting above the narrow street:
with its fine inns, where the traditions Of
the old school Of French cooking are still
preserved; where you can get a pasty
such as Shakespeare's heroes would have
hOnOred; where the girls are rOsy.cheeked
and malicious looking; where the priests
live with the people, are not addicted to
reforms, and where simple praise is the
a-cest part Of Gods worship.
There are many interesting things in
Lroyts-the old walls outside the city, the
ancient college with quite a reputation
.. D- lie the town; but the browning
IS n. all is the cathedral, where good
Harry of England did most peremp-
aut calamity marry Catherine of
nee.
wv 1 happened TO have time to spend
49, 4-lyes is not a matter for narrative.
In brief, / had been invited 10 spend three
weeks in the country. l accepted. Hos
pitality in the country has delightfully."-
inviting air. Your hosts are prepared to
entertain you. In fact there is nothing
else 20 DO. Your room is always we'll
aired. and fun of subtle housekeeping at
tentlOus which are absent IN the Whirl
OF city life. In the city you look after
yourself; in the country the house looks
after you.
NV hostess, Nine. de St. Cyr, and l
were on the best OF terms. Nine. de st.
Cyr was most positive but amiable wO-
Han, not without good sense. We never
nrf Hr= af.A oh IVu#
always agreed to disagree. And to every
proposition that would advance, however
paradOXical, Nine. de st. Cyr would an
swer with smile, and say, sweetly:
''Nou are quite right"
This is true urbanity. Have your own
way, but always agree with everybody.
The General de st. Cyr. a friend and old
schOOlmate Of my uncle's, was an excel
lent man, also positive, and, for a French
man, singularly independent. However,
be never thought of interfering with his
wife in any matter which he thought
came into her province.
The control, the education and the hap
piness Of his daughter. Mademoiselle de
st. Cyr, be left entirely to his wife. Was
~ that young lady's lovely face and de-
liEhtfully elegant carriage, her small
CUpid's DOW mouth, or a general philan-
thrOpic interest in the sex which gave me
50 lively an interest in her welfare: Who
shall saw
Let it be sufficient that one soft, warm
MONDAY, lust after a delightful IL O'Clock
breakfast. Madame de st. Cyr and l were
discussing the education Of young girls
IN general, with a latent reference TO
MademOiselle de st, CyT.
I think | have remarked that | was
young. II any evidence OF this fact, other
Ehan my bare evidence, was needed, il
W0Uld be the delightful manner in which,
at that time. / was fond Of ignoring all
other preiudices save my own,
Doesn't it occur TO YOU said l, ''that
there is something wrong in the education
Of Young girls in France'"
eyes"
-|Eheu they should be out in the world,
are they not in the convent? And when
thev should be in their own homes, are
they not out in the wOrld?"
Yes again acquiesced Madame de st.
Cvr. with a hOneyed smile.
And then this thing Of choosing a hus-
band for E girl; making the whole matter
a mere transaction of money. The young
girl. say, has a dot of 100000 francs and a
good character. The young man has
fortune Of %, 200 francs and a bad charac-
ter. Which is he to make up, the good
character in which he is lacking, or the
5000 irancsE'
the 5000 francs. Of courseg' again
agreed Nine. de st. Cyr, with gracious
ness.
1sDOn't you see, madame, that your
whole system is all money? Marriage
should be the conservation Of love. If
your daughter is fortunate enough not to
fall IN love, why then IS she need not be
married. In fact, Ii Will be an atrOcity
70 ask her to do that violence TO her feel
IHgs."
.And suppose" added Nine. de st. Cyr
quietly. that nv daughter shall happen
20 fall in love with young gentleman,
and the young gentleman shall not hap
pen TO fall in love with her. What theno
Then she'll have the consciousness Of
having loved and lost Her life Will be
sWeetened with the ideal memories Of a
hope unfulflled."
..But is not a girl like that in your cOun-
Try called an old maidT"
This argument staggered me a little. l
freely confessed to my self that the express
sion thus wickedly made use Of by Nine.
eie St Cyr did have an awful sound.
Besides, what will you say 70 the many
happy marriages which take place on ex-
actly opposite principles" continued
Nine. de st. Cyr suavely. ''Of course, l
am speaking now really for the sake Of
argument. L am quite of your opinion, as
matter Of fact. But, in all fairness, we
must often cOncede that there is some
thing 10 be said on both sides. Mile. de st.
Cyr. as ! suppose you know, is educated
q FAag'GtSe."
- Il what?''
"a FAHgldiSe-On the English plan. She
is allowed to make a free choice Of her
husband
sNIy dear madame, you don't say SOP
Yes. and this very day VI. Frederic
de Lambert will arrive from Paris on the
noon train to receive my daughters an
poor fellow" said I, show I pity his
suspense
sufficiently well-Off, and, besides, quite
good-loOking. He is not the husband L
would have chosen for Adele; but, then,
ne is a friend of her fathers, and, besides,
Adele, as 1 told you, has been educated
i suppose they have known each other
Tor a long timer
Nine. de st. eyre drew herselfup little
stif1v, fancied.
M. de Lambert is very favorably i'm
pressed with Mile. de st. Cyr's good quail
Ties"
Had l committed a breach OF etiquette?
Had I heen guilty Of some indicate in
trusiOn into the family affairs of my kind
hostsS 1t would seem so, for, with a
quiet smile, Nine. de st. CYr changed the
subject, and took me out walking in the
long garden behind the house. We talked
about peaches and grapes. We sat down
on a rustic bench and watched the foun-
tain play. Then we walked back to the
house again. Nine. de st. Cyr excusing
herself. /, after a slight glimpse at the
sail pOplars fringing the country road
for miles and miles, also retired to my
room.
There the wind was playing with the
white lace curtains. A volume Of ''Mon-
sieur. Madame ct Bebe' was lying on the
little rosewood table near comfortable
lounge. 1 soon found myself yawning over
the book and fast asleep.
was awakened by the sound Of wheels
and the shutting Of feet on the porch. NJ.
Frederic de Lambert had doubtless ar
rived. My curiosity to see NJ. de Lambert
was whetted. A romantic Erenchman in
Unromantic France, "loye match" to
quote against the advocates Of sOrdid
matrimOny! l rubbed my hands with
Clee. Education q PAH9idiSe was well.
The entering wedge Of reform was break
ing down the barriers Of French preju-
,djce.