, 1889-08-22

,hc ptusunt women uie seen WOtklnp SlIc
by side with the men, gathering the
grain, turning tho hay. carry heavy
burdens, and doing their part with cheer.
flil alacrity. But In the citics-in Paris
the woman merchant Is u feature of
| the city. She controls large cstub.
lishmcnts, while the smaller booths of
women are multiplied upon every
square,
THE WOMAN MERCHANT,
| IL so declared, has also some privileges
under the law not rClegated to married
women as class. She can enter pro-
cess oflaw without her husbands con-
sent III matters pertaining to her scpa-
rate business; contract and be contracted
with, or dispose of the business without
his signature as though she were Il
femme seule; while i'll ordinary married
life she has no control either of the COM
mnnity property or of her separate
estate.
In t he market she Is as busy as the
men; Keeps her stall; measures out her
vegetables and fruits; or cries her mer-
ghandisc upon The streets, often push
ing u large cart before her filed with
vegetables, or the fruits OF the season;
lowers 1t may be, for which she Is sure
to 'ind market. Tho woman mingles
so generally in commercial life in Paris
that II would be difficult to say where
- :" '",i VI III Nhul eitcrpliSc olc lius
not purt
On July 8, 1889, the chamber of dept
ties, without discussion, adopted the
| text OF the proposition of Ernest Iefcb-
vrc, conierring upon women the right to
vote In the elections of the members OF
the commercial tribunals. This Is Il
step forward, but has not yet become
law.
" AN AMERICAN WOMAN
| must earn her own living, she does II
| coyly, hesitatingly, as it ashamed of her
position, rarely entering into 1t as IL per-
| manent business and always looking
around her for u way of escape from
what seems TO her dreadful necessity,
always prcierring poor pay and starvj,-
| ,loh wages, III any thing that carries with
IL an ar OF .gentility, to good pay and Il
good nome IN domestic life. Not so the
| French woman. She ut once adapts
herself TO hor condition, takes hold of
| her work checriully, gladly; pushes her
| business with the intention of making il
| permanent resource; advcriiScS it; is
courteous and obliging to her customers
delicate in presenting her bills, and uses
all OF the arts of trade necessary to sue
cess. She Is not ashamed or afraid of
any labor in connection with her busi-
ness.
The French girl of the upper and mid
~ Nihoc'Ni anu tlllN 10 Oiltll true OIL tnt
lower classes, is 1.-the and symmetrical
III FORM, beautiful in feature, and grace
ili III motion. Nor is her beauty lost
when she rounds into mature woman
hood, but she docs not grow old grace
illly like American women, nor CON
tinuo to use those arts to nuke herself
attractive that graced her childhood
Among the upper classes she grows
stout and rod.taCed, or lean, wriiililed.
and haggard, instead of the fresh, ROSY
face that should be woman's crowning
glory until 40 or 70 years. | do not
know to what cause to attribute this,
unless II be that the excessive pleasure
loving and living of the French people,
the late dinners and late hours, and
especially excessive wine drinking, so
apt to grow with years steals away the
beauty ol lace and form, the elasticity
of step, aud freshness that has not ex-
hausted all the joys of life.
IN TiiE MIDDLE AND LOWER CLASSES.
and especially the latter, the women get
IN time permanent bronze from their
almost constant outdoor life (for all
Paris lives more or less out of doors) and
irom the constant carrying of burdens,
get permanently htmCh-backcd, lame
and rheumatic, so that woman of 90
will show the iniirmities of 75
1t IL palpablc fact that French wo.
men of the middle and lower classes
have fewer privileges and are not cared
Tor as well rs American women, but |
have drawn you II picture OF the plain,
practical, every day life of Paris as IL is.
one might come here, visit the grand
exposition, drive down the Champs Ely-
sees, the boulevards, the Bois dc Bou-
lognc, witness ictc, and believe that
Paris was one grand holiday filled with
superbly dressed women and men i'm
of 4
dainticst of kids. But, of course, there
are exceptions To all that have said.
spent most delightful day ut Yer
sailles in the home of Nine. Maguisunt,
II woman of more than 80 years, who has
preserved all of her yivacity and fresh
ness with AN incXhaustible fund of
intelligence, and whose snowy white
hair added radiance to checks that
might have made the roses blush. Eff
teen years ago she cschewcd the use of
WINE because 1t flushed her face.
a reception given 10y NJ. Yves Guyot,
minister OF public works, and stroll
through tic gorgeously furnished and
magnlicently lighted rooms, with
riIE GRAND GARDENS
and the circuitous walks bordored with
red, white ana blue, the cosey c,fe half
way down the walk; the buffet at the
END Of the saloon grooming with choice
viands; the strains of sweet music,
the hum OF merry voices, would
lead one To think Tor a time that they
were on enchanted ground, with which
care and work had nothing to do. Here,
too, one gets taste of the extravaganza
the prodigality of the former kings and
queens ol France, but it is only at Yer
sallles that one can enter into the daz-
2ling dreams of Marie Antoinette. whose
dream life drew so heavily upon the re-
sources OF the poor people of France,
that 1t cost her not only her kingdom,
but head
But she would be strangely in contrast
now with the simply but elegantly
dressed woman, Madame Yves Guyoi,
who so we'll represents the republic, and
who is receiving, gracefully and cheeri-
iy, one would say, at least IL thousand
guests. 10 receive Is the French
woinan's forte. With her guests she is
at home.
1t was with much pleasure that | re-
spondcd to n special note from the presi-
dent OF the republic and Nine Carnot to
attend reception and musicale at the
presidential mansion ut O'Clock p. M,
one Sunday.
The usher in very distinct tones pro-
nounced "Belva Lockwood, the advocate
from Washington" The president cor
daily extended his hand, but he speaks
no English; Nine. Carnot grasped me
warmly by the hand ,and with pleasant
smile and IN good English, exclaimed:
"Mme. Lockwood! know you well
have heard OF you often, am very glad
in black satin, hand.cnbroidcred in
colors, with petticoat of gray satin,
slightly decoettc in front, and with
demi traine. She has very pleasing
countenanco, pleasant address, and
quick perception. She Is 1.-the in form,