New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-01-08
WOMEN'S WORK IN PARIS.
SKETCHES OF SOME BENEFACTORs OF
THEIR SEX

We arc suner1ng now from the fcaCtlon WHICH
was bound to follow upon the recent great ex-
element The usual Boulevard topics seem fat.
Sarah Bernhsrdt would fail to create sensation
were she to go riding on an elephant down the
Champs Elysees. In respect of social events, the
season II not yet advanced enough to look for
| them. There was O reception ut the Spanish
Embassy In the course Of the week which oil
Paris attended I mean by this lie tout Paris
Of the theatrical first nights. Among the lalies
wearing the order of Marie Louise were Lady
Cathncss, Madame dc Rute and Madame Calzado,
wife Of the Spanish Deputy, who carries on 4"
banking business here and In Madrid. Lady
Cathness. has remained here longer than is her
won't to patfonizc some efforts made by divers
women Of mark to found reading room and club
for persons of their sex I am afraid she will in
vain impose on herself the sacrifice Of passing
some weeks in the cold and dark weather OF Paris
instead Of In the sunny South. whore she has
beautiful palace. The difficulty about French
women Is the narrowness OF their lives and the
irritability of their nerves This incapactates
them from making q general effort for cause
Each working in her own limited sphere can do
a good deal. But outside of that they simply get
In the way Of themselves and oil else OF course
there are exceptions. and I have in mind a grand
one, namely, Madame Bojolet who looks after
women and girls liberated from the prison Of st.
Lazare She has Just fine tact as she has ener-
gy Of character, and accomplishes great results
because Of her address, patience and insight into
the human being, whether priest, nun, laic, saint
or sinner.
The ablest woman in France, il Judged accord
ing to her polemical capacity, is Maria Desrais-
mes unmarried lady the shady side oil
fifty, and in the enjoyment of good fortune. But
she is such ropessn that nobody can work
with her unless on the condition Of being treated
as a fool. There is another very talented advo-
cate of Equal Rights, Mile. Hubertinc Auclerc
The fault with her is that her cloquence ntoxi-
Gates her and that she cannot forget to what
degree she Is endowed with the charms Of her sex,
and particularly in the company Of gentlemen
Now these two ladies both want TO belong to the
club, and all the other French ladies are against
the other. It would be hard TO get on
with the undertaking were they hostile and it
would be harder were they admitted to cooperate.
The chief promoter of the movement is
Madame de Morsier Swiss lady and the wife of
Broad Church pastor 1t was in her parlor in
the Rue dcs Feuillantines, new street in quiet
old quarter south of the Pantheon, that the first
meeting of the ladies wanting to found the club
took place. They were nearly all distinguished
women, and the most were, save Nine. Boiolet,
foreign. very charming person who struck me
having a r1diating nature was Mrs Sheldon
Amos widow of an English Judge who belonged
in the closing years of his life to the iudicature
at Cairo, and with her defended the Egyptian
fellah against petty tyrants Mrs Amos is a
woman Of q bright, strong mind, which is kept
fresh by her interest in all the questions which
now stir the world for its good She is peculiarly
English in appearance, is very tall, has striking
individuality, would be plain were not her face
the mirror of her heart mind and soul, has not
the slightest skill in setting off by sumptuary
articles If she thinks of such thingsl what
advantages she possesses, and wears little black
straw bonnet trimmed rs plainly that OF
Salvatonist lass, and not an inch above the
skull level at its highest point. And this at a
time when the hat that rises aloft triumphs
Mrs. Sheldon Amos spoke prettily in a sweet
voice and believed that there is spirit now at
work in the world which impcls women to step
out and come forward and remedy all the plumbers
which have been made through legislators and
governments ignoring them. There were so many
wrongs which they only could right, and there
was never more need for the public action OF the
good woman as a set-off against the occult in
nuence of the depraved woman. The club and
rcading-room which had been proposed were in
her eyes a step in the right direction
Mrs Kemp of Philadelphia, and her daughter,
were at this little meeting, and both spoke the
daughter in French and the mother in English
Each in her way was success but
the mother particularly. She has
very fine face. nobly outlined, sweet OF
expression, and crowned with soft graz mar
There were decision and firmncss well as kind
illness in the face. The fgure-of charming
model and erect-went well with the head. 1t was
tastefully and becomingly draped in a robe OF
coarse black stuff, This lady, speaking out OF
a wide experience and deep conviction was elo-
ouent and became moro and more so as she went
on Her elosucnce reminded me Of the effect pro-
duced by the cutting Of the wire which holds
down the cork in champagne bottle The cork
first moves a little, and then more and more
until IL at last bursts out and the foamng nectar
bubbles over the neck. Mrs. Kemp being strict
temperance woman would not perhaps relish
this smile. Her wish for equal rights in this
country springs from u desire to put down the
drink demon TO which phylloxera has given
fine field by destroying the vine and afordng an
opportunity to dstillers OF bad alcohol, OF which
they are avaing themselves Mrs Kemp give
the meeting an account OF the leading part
American women are taking in the temperance
movement, and OF the good work done by Mrs
Mary A. Livermore. She hoped the women OF
France would combine to work in the same d.
rectivn, and that they would cause children in the
schools to be taught how intoxicating drinks
acted OIL the different organs and functions OF the
body.
A Nine. Renoz, Belgian Of small stature ana
tiny figure, dressed to perfection in plain black
delivered a charming speech in which compiler
of school book literature would have found any
amount of elegant extracts. Her gestures were
prcttiy graceful and the voice OF fine piping
quality. Indeed, there not single speaker
whose voice did not fall like music on the ear
The tmbre OF Mrs. Kemp's had more nervous
strength than anything else. 1t was pleasure 70
listen to its clear. honest tones-none OF when
were mannish. Madame Bojoe is IA fresh-com-
pIcxioncd, bright-cyed lady Of fifty, with DIP
loinatic glance and readiness of address which