Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-12-07

ana simple snowy cap. Snc Is cleau ana
tidy and the personiHcation Of industry.
I do not doubt, however, that, thanks to
the blessings of gratuitous and compul.
sorry education, the time will soon come
when she will want 10 initiate the ladies
Of the town in her habits and dress, and
that her sons will despise the dear land
where they were born, and will all want
to be clerks, and swagger In town with
high stand up collars, tight trousers and
sticks. Thank goodness. this sickening
spectacle is rot yet 10 be seen in France!
This good, hard working, thrifty wo-
man is the backbone of the country.
The arnount Of work she can get through
is simply prodfgious. You will always
see her busy, either working in her field,
selling the produce Of her little farm In
the market place Of the nearest town, or
engaged about her little household.
Whether she takes her COW to the field
or is on her way TO town; whether she Is
sitting behind her wares waiting for Gus.
toners, or In a railway station waiting
for her train, look at her fingers busy on
n pair Of stockings. She does not know
what II is TO be idle for single moment.
A'iiS htN'i ttit i'stf anu
for her the world Is made up Of her
"three acres and cow" But she has
got them, and thanks to her frugal
habits and splendid management, her
family can live and thrive on them. She
Is not attractive, but she is picture Of
health and contentment.
Shares and bonds may go up or down
without disturbing her peace; she holds
none. She trusts her savings to nobody.
Bankers, she thinks, company directors
and stock brokers, may be very respecta-
BILE persons; but when the old stocking
is swollen with five franc pieces. she
rounds of her little family domain and
buys new wfield-something she is quite
sure to find In its place when she wakes
up in the morning. Her daughter goes
into service, and makes a capital SER
want. Like her mother, she thinks but
of one thing-saving her wages. She does
not get new hat every month TO get
photographed in it; she puts her money
in the savings bank.
Let me give you an example of her
frugality, and allow me to take it from
a personal recollection. My mother has
housemaid who has been with her
twenty-five years. Not long ago, while
in France, took aside this old servant:
II know how devoted you have been
TO my mother" | said to her. "You are
not strong, and dare say you will not
wish to go into service again. but make
yourself easy about this. II anything
should happen to my mother, ! shall see
that 10 t.l, o., L.. n
your life. But" said inquringly. 81
have no doubt you have something of
your own by this time?"
Imagine my surprise when ! heard
her tell me she had saved over IL, 900
francs, all well invested, including one
share in the Suez Canal company!
Since have mentioned the Suez canal,
why should not take the opportunity
for trying to explain the uncasincss that
was some time ago created in France by
the British policy in Egypt? You must
bear In mind that tho Suez canal was not
made by big capitalists II was made
by the savings bank of France; by the
'old stockings" that is to say, by the
small bourgeois. tho working people and
the servants When VIC reflect that the
riches of France arise from the econ
omy imposed upon every French house
hold by the women. l might even say
that the Suez canal Is the work of the
French women. This canal is essentially
national enterprise, and the least
French mechanic will tell you "we have
made the Suez canal" You will find
very few French families possessing as
many as ten shares. They are spread
all over the country.
Well, let few unscrupulous jour-
nalists attempt to prove to the peo-
pie that the English want to annex
or protect Egypt in order to seize
on the Suez canal, and you will
easily imagine the effect What pity
it seems that nations can only talk TO
other nations through their political
press! What n pity it is that the British
people cannot let their French neighbors
know in plain words that they admire
them for the gigantic work they have
made, and that they will never dream of
being connected with the Suez canal
otherwise than rs good customers to help
them get good dividends.
These same women of France did
something grander than this. 1t was
they who redeemed their beloved coun-
try, aud paid Off the Prussian eighteen
years ago.