The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1888-10-26
rAE EREnnH WOMAN
Mrs. Leslie says She IL Far Less Romantfs
Than Her American sister.


lind most conspicuous on French soil
are those which In the United States
are ms conspleuously absent Flllal
piety the absence OF which Is mourned
by nearly every American father aud
mother to-day, still forms tho sub
stratum of tire best qualities 20 be met
with among the French In every rank
OF society. II IL not only the devotion
OF n son 10 his mother. Il feeling which
In France Is SO unfortunately mingled
with sentimentallty as to have lost. IN
the eyes Of most people, all the merits
It might originally have possessed; but
the obedience aud respect OF son even
toa Dad father Is taken for granted. and
the most tyrannical abuse OF paternal
authority Is not considered In the least
as abrogatlng illlal duty.
The Frenchwomnn often seems what
she is not When bent ON amusing her
self and IL is through the medium OF
this mood of hers that we generally
weigh her character and Judge her
actions--she leaves. IL Is true, all caro-
at home and enters upon the business
Of pleasure with the spirit Of child.
But II Is unjust TO call her frivolous
and idle on this account. Perhaps no
women are such industrious and serious
workers as those of France. The
material prosperity OF their country Is
certainly largely attributable 10 their
admirable capacity for making them
selves useful In all departments OF life
from which they are not shut out by
walls they can not hope 10 scale walls
which they show their practical wis
dom by not trying 10 pull down.
The typical Frenchwoman's charaC-
ter Is not deep but IL has been traced
out by nature with no unsteady hand.
/ Her spirit OF independence, her com
parative freedom from that timidity
which is often represented as "a charm
/ ing weakness OF the sex. have enabled
her TO conquer much Of the ground that
belongs additionally TO man. simply
/ qualifying herself TO compete with him
industrially and intellectually Ia
multitude of ways. She likes 70 be
/ self-reliaRt. and 10 feel that la case OF
need she can do battle with the 'yorld
Although Frenchw0men generally
\ marry early and under conditions OF
4 parental Influence which invest the act
I Of putting on the bridal veil with about
hs much sentiment as that Of taking 70
their first long gown or gathering up
Of their girlish tresses into a maidenly
coil OF plaits. the majority of them
make good wives, and still better
mothers.
The Frenchwomnn Is not, perhaps,
the most afTectionate of spouses. but in
her devotedness To her children she is
not 10 be- surpassed. while the interest
she takes in her husband work and her
desire 90 help him Tor the common good,
throw into bold relief the strongest
side OF her character. II he l. doc
tor. she will make out his bills for him;
II tradesman. she will look after the
accounts and preside over the till;
whatever his occupation. abe win lend
him helping hand.
What | wish 10 lay stress on is the
lact that the Frenchwoman, although
extremely emotional at times, in the
ordinary business OF life looks at moth
Ing through a purely romantic and
sentimental medium. 1t is this pecu-
liarity which marks the chief disttnc-
tioB between her and the American
woman. The latter is just as passion
ate, but she is less practical
There is dreamy sentimentality In
she nature of our American woman
tnat easily and frequently merges into
religious melancholy "a malady almost
unk uown in France. From maiden
hoOd to old age her views of life are
romantic. Even after much misfor-
tune aud disappointment, she rarely
sees things as they really are. Con-
sequently. she is not the helpmate in "a
material sense that tho Frenchwoman
IL.
But the deficiency is abun0antly Y
made up in other ways. II is the ex-
ception when she loves her children
more than her husband. while the
Frenchwoman' affection for her OF.
spring is generally all-absorbing. The
sentiment;lity Of the American woman
is at once her strength and her weak
ness. II is her strength because It is
intimately associated with strong re-
ligious instinct and reverence for
moral principles which color all her
thoughts and direct her conduct. 1t is
her weakness. because it is apt to make
her rely too much upon others aud tC
cause her to hope when she should act
--Frdnk Leslie, ia Philadelphia Press
FOR bunions and corns Cannn III,