Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1889-12-03
JACQUES BONHOMME
By MAX O'RELL, Author Of "JOna.har
and Ills C,niinsnt,- John Bull
and rs lslaad.- John Balls
Daughisrs,' Etc
m-rne WOMEN or FRANCE.

81 1870, AMI no one need Wonnfr NJ "
They have become more susceptible.
they are now the most sensitive people
on earth.
The rage Tor equality Is often mani
fcsicj by a fcrocious Jealousy Of those
Who ri.e. either In literature. the tine
aris or politics AL these are failinsS
that We pl~-csscd before the France
German war. bat In a much les de-
gree
What has not changed. fortunately, IL
the character ~ the French womcn-l
mean especially the women of the poo
pie.
Cod society IL much alike every.
whsrc-like hotels; u 10 a question Of
more or lcss manners In the former. u
morc of les ticas In the latter. Cool -
cicty In France Il no exception To the
rule 40 more are the hotrls-far the
oontmD. Hut what u there 10 b. learn
cd In what ,s termed "hish society" en-.
ccIA g,-sip from club smoking roomi
ami FROM boudoirs, which might. pcr.
hap. furnish a few pages % Scandaloua
Chruniclcl IL u the people who preserve
th. traditions ~ a country; therefore IL
is the middle classes. the working clas-es
IN town and country. that the observer
must turn to
That the French women of the upper
classcs are the leaders ~ fashion all over
the world. everybody Knows. bat ! can
not pass them over without dwelling
upon the MASON why our b-t men are
siill at the fc,t - our women.
III wcrr queen. aid Mmc Rccamief
one day. Il would command Nine de
Siael 20 talk 10 tue all day long" and Q
contemporary ~ thi. celebrated author.
~. relate, how be- and some friends of
his wcrr driving with her one day. aud
we're suddenly surprised by a violent
storm bursting over their head. without
their having noticed a sign II IT, gather.
ing ~ absorbing were the charm and
viVaciiy II hrr cony,raiiOn. There are
plenty Of French women ~ whom SINH.
lar thing might b, said frum the
Seventeenth century they have continued
% hand down this charming sovereignty
~ conycr.. Mother bqucaihc. II &C.
daughter. 90 Il - Transmitted Ia the
blo.sl. and. o. my mind. this u MIA.
chiefly distinguishes them FROM thc 40.
men ~ other countries IN spite ~ icle.
graph and railways. Ia spite oi politics.
which In thr-c days al-=urb all ranks of
Frynch sociciy. people still cau.cut ir
) France. and this. thank. O. French NO
men Excuse me Tor using the word
causcr. bat YOU have no equivalent foi
IL Ia English. Chat l. perhaps the near
ct approach 10 II. bat even that fails ts'
rcnder IT, meaning. AcaussTic D. mark
ei not only by interest u subJrCl. bui
ai-o 10y lightne.s % touch which the
French language eminentiy lends H.
LII o..
Can you imagine a drawing roOm
attractive without the presence Of la
die, Have YOU never noticed that,
left % themselves. the most clever
men fall into argumentation. that their
oraiory fails o. interest OF convince
you. and that thcrc u a general feel.
ing ~ coldncss and restraint Bui
lct a woman come in. a woman % taste,
and gaycty CONES with her. convcrsa
ton bcco,ncs animated ani attractive.
Il runs gracefully from ouc subject into
another. ike a buticriiy from spray to
spray. Il touches each lightly. rises TO
high thoughts. CONES tO earth again.
uassing from lofty to lovly subject.
from grave % gay. with infinite mean
der, Every one u moved Ia show HIM
III NJ his bcsi. and draws from his yo-
cal ~ his choicest expressions. his
happirsi reflections. suua.ses himself.
ami j. ssdrpriscd 10 find himself inspired
a. by muse. Just noS they were kill.
ing time. now every one l. enjoying
himself All constrainl l. gone. zach
one gives frcc expression to his thoughts
In a word. Just now they were talking.
now they causent And In taking leave
Of their hostess they might rcpcai the
expression that u certain couTtly abbe of
the Eishieenth century used In speak.
ing 10 a grand dame who had communi.
Gated TO him something Of her irrcsist-
iblr spinti Madame. | am but an In
strument. on which you have played
with s.ill.
81 much for the French women 81 the
upper classes.
Nov let us pass on 10 the different
working classes ~ society. There. too,
We lind woman's sovereignty indisput-
able. and the men In leading strings, In
the French household the woman 10
queen Her empire over her children is
perfect. and she leads her husband by
the nose. lie does not complain of this;
on the contrary. he enjoys IL. and he
thinks that, after all. much worse might
happen Ia him. The wife knows all her
husbands Affairs, and when be- has =
few savings TO invest be does not think
IL beneath him To ask her advice. She
knows. as well as he. the current price
OF stocks at the Bourse; and II he should
be seized with a pruriency to embark In
speculation. she brings To bear all her In
fuence over him To induce him 10 buy
consols or any other government secu.
rities. Call ON her husband on business,
aud IL he l. from home you will not need
o. make second visit on that account;
she has all the affairs % the firm at her
fingers end.
She Is the goddess of economy and o.
der.
Every little bourgeoise keeps a memo
randum book. In which she writes down
all her expenses. Nothing Is forgotten.
not even the halfpenny 10 the blind beg.
gar who plays the flute at the street cor
ner.
The French woman has q genius for
cookery. and 10 thoroughly awake To
81" fact that IL is good policy In married
life 90 ~. that monsieur dimes we'll !
believe there IL a saying In England that
the way to a mans heart is through his
stomach. but ! fancy there are many
English women who donot use this path.
way as much as they might.
The politics Of matrimony IL q science
lnt,orn In our women. Let French wo
man he rich or poor. she has always the
charm of feminality. She Is always
smart. always alert. and has little Hut
tering busiling way with her that is
bound to keep awake your interest In all
she does She may be sometimes little
affected. but she is never vulgar On
Sundays and holidays she dresses still a
little more elegantly than usual. but she
never appears TO be In Sunday clothes
The middle class French woman is lady.
like. not only In her dress. but In her
speech You will never see her loaded
with cheap jewelry. this great stamp OF