The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-05-09

-, by that popular idea Of ours that
not having tho word "home" in
their vocabulary, they had not the thing
il stands for In their lives and hearts. l
soon found that the terms "chez-moi" and
"cheznous" had on friendly lips as sweet
and yet moro intimate sound, and cx-
pressed an institution as real, as dear and
sacred as our own much-vaunted house
hold life.
We hear much from tourists and novel
lists of the outdoor life Oi Parisans, OF
their spending long hours sitting and
strollinginparksand gardens, and rcposiug
and refreshing themselves in family groups
in front Of suburban cafes-"all Of which
] saw and q part OF which | was,"-but /
came 20 know also in Paris some of tho
brightest cOsiest interiors, some of the
most loving, united, and harmonious fam
lily circles l have ever known. Too muny
untraveled Americans form their ideas Of
French domestic life and relations from
French romanccs and plays-fotgetting
that our transators and adapters seize up
on the most sensational and sensuous dra-
mas and novels, us most likely 20 make
a hit and profit. Ethical questions are
not considered. In truth, these products
of depraved taste. morbid sentiment. and
gross sensualism do cruel injustice TO
French society of the better classic
French morality thus wounded in the
house Of its friends" Thenovels of Mime.
| Henri Greville give proofs of the cX-
| istence of that higher, more refined moral
sphere, e,-show how human and humane il
is, how noble and simple are its types, and
what a pure and wholesome domesticity
| it unfOlds.
In French homes 1 have remarked a
certain quiet, orderly procession OF affairs,
great apparent harmony, watchful rather
than dOting parental affection, and iilial
piety almost out of fashion in our free and
| progressive country. French children are
unObtrusiye and quantity grave, natural
and simple in their habits and tastes, but
| hardly so in their manners, which show
marks of tutoring, and are little too
| ceremoniOus. Nearly all girls oil catholic
| parents, not taught at home by governesses
| and masters, are educated at converts, as
pensiOnndires, on as day scholars In such
| Institutions they are severely drilled in
the catechism and polite manners; in mis-
| tory sacred and profane, with the pro-
fanity which initiates against the church
! lett out; are taught little OF the natural
sciences and less of geography, which,
by the way, is the weak point with most
| French people, for whom all lands beyond
their frontiers, especially across alien seas,
are resolved insO hazy, undetermined re-
| giOns, inhabited principally 10y races more
or less inferior and barbaric. While boys
are suffered to acquire not only Greek and
| Latin, but modern language or two, for
| girls, except those belonging to high cir
cles of society, one language-their incom-
| parable vernacular-is held sufficient; but
| they are taught to speak and write that
| excellent well" They are also good
arithmeticians, and are well instructed in
music, drawing and dancing. Not the
| equals of English girls In outdoor accom-
| plishments, such as riding, driving row.
ing skating and swimming, they, when
really in society, surpass them and all
| the other young ladies of the world in the
art of entertaining and the grace of being
entertained; in courtesy and tact, in taste
and propriety, and that indescribahle
something called "chic," in dress and APP
pointments. But their cTowning and most
potent charm is just-politeness Inculca-
ted from their earliest years. this virtue
becomes a habit, and sometimes takes the
| place and does the work OF several Chris
tian graces.
Very young French girls are only charm
ing in demure, shy way. They all seem
ingenious, and some are really so. They
are all light-hearted, and many light
headed. They passiOnately love amuSe-
ments and are easily amuSed-a little
pleasuring going great way with them.
The wholesomest thing know about them
is their intense love OF the country and its
simple avocatiOns and pastimes.
The French girl can hardly be said TO
"come out" in society. She is brought
out, and is never seen without her mother
or some other respectable or Watchful
chaperone. Everything, to the last
minutise of dress, is planned and managed
for her. She is not supposed to have
will or judgment of her own, least OF all,
in the matter OF marriage. / am speaking,
of course, of the average French girl OF
society. have known some exceptions
outside of Mime. Greville's novels
some remarkably intelligent, Independent
girls, whose hearts chose for them, and
whose hands were allowed to go with
their hearts. But the average mademoi-
sele. modest and dOcile, usually ac-
oepts the choice OF her parents,
without much ado-sometimes with
alacrity. He, the elect man, is profoundly
unknown, but that fact gives to him the
charm of mystery. Watched and re-
stricted as she has been since her school
days ended, she sees in marriage not bond
age, but release. Through it viii come 4
new name, new dignity, "chez-moi," and
a coupe of her own. And when she is
married, how she blossoms out! How she
revels in emancipation She who the sea-
son before could 90 nowhere by herself,
could not even see her betrothed for five
minutes alone, can drive about unques-
toned, visit and be visited, can indulge in
her lil1ings and caprices, even when they
take in her own husband. 1t is not till
after her marriage that French woman
is really brilliant, for it is not until
then that she is unconstrained; SO, many
man finds that all ''unbeknownst" TO
himself he has won a clever and charming
woman. 1t is strange how often those
made up, haphazard marriages prove hap
DIV and harmonious. l know they ought
not to, but the Gimp of the Perverse"
manages so that they do, while many a
union of poetry and passion drags tan
gled web of scandal, intrigue and misery
through the mire OF the divorce court.
We once spent several months in the
family of an officer of the Marie OF the
Luxembourg, and frequently dropped into
the Sale des marriages, to witness a civil
marriage by the Marie. 1t was usually
dry, cold affair, a dull, commercial trans
action, except when the contracting parties
were peasants or Bohemians, when there.