The Hawaiian gazette., 1884-10-01


Some year or so ago sensation was
made in the literary world by the publica-
ton of a boSk entitled John Bull Z, son iie. =
| II was a clever work. the author was fair
observer, nevertheless he made some anus
inc mistakes. In retaliation apparently
an author under the nom de plume of
"a brutal Saxon has given his opinions
on France, based upon many years resi-
dence and a thorough knowledge OF Ian
Suage, people and country. We give a
number Of extracts, OF French morality
he says
1t long ago passed into a proverb, that
French literature was coarse and immoral;
but one must live in France and read
French to thoroughly understand the
degrading depths Of filth that French WI
tiers descend to As soon as ever g.rls and
bows commence to read they fly instinc-
lively to this class Of literature, which
renders them prrrient almost before they
have cast off their bibs 1t is pitiable TO
hear how girls OF tender age Will talk OF
| things that shock sensitive ears. and to see
how youths, while yet the down Is on their
cheeks are debased and debauched- This
national immortality Is, as 1t were, pesti-
lential blast that sweeps through the land
and blights.
/ once heard a distinguished Russian
nobleman say that it would be difficult to
find an honest man or virtuous woman IN
all France. am not quite prepared to
indorse that, but fearlessly assert that
| immortality Is a national vice. You see 1t
staring YOU in the face on the BouleYards
at night; You see it in the cafes; IN the
L TO-. IN
stead of men; in sculpture galleries, IN
picture galleries. in illustrated papers, IN
| shop windows. in the theatres; 1t displays
itself in the talk of the people and the acts
Of the people.
And this Is the way he deals with the
old French sarcasms about the large feet
| Of the English
So far as my own limited intelligence
allows me TO form an opinion upon this
question. l would respectfully beg leave
to advance the proposition that large feet
are not altogether drawback. Mr.. U Rell,
in common with all his countrymen, when
he expends his Gallo wit upon our feet
quite overlooks the anatomical view of the
subject. He himself represents Latin,
and consequently a smallbOned, race OF
people, while we, being SaxOns, Normans-
| Danes. and NOrsemen, come from stock
of large boned men and women and
believe that it Is admitted by ANTAGONISTS
that in general way that people with
large and bOny frames are more energetic,
more determined, stronger and longer
/ lived than the races with small bones.
/ This would seem to account for three
things: ~ Our superiority to the French
as a fighting people; ~ our superiority
a explorers and eolOnists; ~ our having
worsted France in all our encounters with
her. whether Of naval military, or diplo-
matte character.
II the above deductions are correct, We
may fairly feel proud Of our big feet. But
suppose we turn our attention for mo
ment to the small feet of our French
/ friends
Itis pretty certain that some day there
viii be included In exhibitions of = instru
ments Of torture that modern instrument
OF torture. French boot 4 Paris chiro-
podist Of some note once told me that
seventy-five per cent Of French people had
deformed feet. Whether this had any
foundation in fact or not l have never
been able to satisfactorily determine, but
1 am strongly disposed to believe 1t did
not fall far short Of truth For French
man Is eternally racking his brain to try
and discover the very smallest possible
amount Of space into which his feet will
compress. The result Of this Is, as every
one has seen, that painfully mincing gait
50 peculiar to French people.
/ He illustrates French vanity by the fol
lowing not altogether novel anecdotes.
But. as have said. French vanity Is a
very real thing. 1t yields TO nothing or
nobody. And could this be better exem-
plifed than by citing the case of the
French Duke Of Lewis, who used to show
an old painting. which represented one of
his ancestors, a Prince Of Judah bowling
to the Virgin Mary, who says, 'Conyrez
vous mon cousinl7 Then the well known
family of CrUy possessed no less silly
picture. which showed Noah entering the
ark. and e1claiming, -Sauvez les papiers
de Ia maison de Crcyr But this quite IN
keeping with the expression of Madame
de Ia Meilleraye, cousin of Cardinal
RichelieE, who, speaking OF the Chevalier
de Savoie, a man of high birth but most
dissolute habits. who had been rebuked,
said, Depend upon it. God viii think
twice before dsmning gentleman II his
quality
The Due de Clermont -SOnnerre also said
in speaking Of himself. God will never
dare to damn duke and peer"
A people who can be guilty OF such silly
vanity as this may almost be pardoned for
thinking all other nations inferior to
themselves.