The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1889-11-06
Housekeeping in Paris.

A niece of mine has been staying
with me, Just home from Europe. She
has been a student in Paris for year,
and some ideas of life in that beautiful
city may interest the WATCnMAN read
ers. She, with lady friend, hired an
apartment of three rooms and kept
house in very inexpensive way. A
certain amount of service goes with the
apartment, just what you choose to pay
for. None of the servants live in the
house, but at certain hour one will
come in, make up the fire in the small
CRATE and place your hot rolls and
coffee on the table, with fruit if you
like. Another brings fresh butter and
you salt it yourself, and that is the first
meal Having done just what you
have agreed with her to do, she disap-
pears and you see her no more till
such time as is agreed upon.
The servant class is very distinct and
self.respecting, as rule, and never at
tempt to copy the dress or manners OF
the ladies they serve. AT first my
niece used to say "good morning" or
attempt some little remarks to the serv-
ants, as at home; but friend told her
not to do so, for the girls would say
among themselves, " Miss 5. is not a
lady, for she speaks to the servants"
and would soon be inattenlive or leave
her, for they scorn to serve any one
not " a lady"
Housekeeping is very easy there, for
no one ever bakes bread or does much
cooking of any kind. Bread is sold in
immensely long loaves, often yard
long. and it is funny sight to strangers
to see servant girls on the street carry
ing a long loaf under each arm. Chill
dren often carry loaves as long as them
selves; and if one end drags on the
ground, no matter. They never do up
anything there, or use paper bags, as we
do. My niece learned to carry basket
to mark t, after buying few potatoes
and being obliged to carry them in her
hands as best she could. The servants
will do the marketing or 90 with one to
carry Things, and know what to buy
better than a stranger does.
The girls, after being invited out to
several gatherings, undertook to give
little fete in return. They went to
the shops and bought some things for
refreshments; among others, some thin
fiat cakes, which looked very white and
nice. They noticed that nobody seemed
to be fond of them, and the next day
found out they were food prepared
for birds and not for table use. Flowers
are everywhere in the windows and in
the shops, and often when you buy a
few vegetables or bit of anything at
the green grocer's, flower or two will
be laid on top for you. Everybody
wears them, if only one or two bios
SONS, and always with dainty grace,
peculiar to the people. Geraniums
grow very large, and the fuchsia is
trained on the outside of house or on
wall .and will cover large space.
Business in the middle class is car
ried on largely by women, for every
young man must serve two or three
years in the army, just when he ought
to be entering some trade or business.
AT twenty man often has wife and
children; and if he goes as a soldier,
she may carry on his business or work
at his trade, and when he returns he
may perhaps do something else, and let
her continue it. Housekeeping is so
easy that it leaves woman most of her
time, and they have splendid health,
being so much out of doors and en-
gagged in muscular exercise. They are
devoted to their children, always seem
to have plenty of time for amusemcnts
and pleasure, and are contented and
happy. A. NJ. s.