Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-11-30

s-rNg FRENCH At SCHOOL.

sd "a - - o" sos Asre1
+ Or dear parents IN France are Conc
!, ~ tod1ins their children that there are ns
t1ovs - happy In life ~ school daya
Akeer I had tasted what school life
4 zooAy was I can well remember that
! otmed : vsry poor idea Of what awaited
4 - eeyond the school gates.
Nv opinion ID that when French parents
}ny0 made up their minds to send boy
~ yuan old to lycee till he Is 20, they
&nSo ooutenccd him to something very
\ oass h severity. to ten years penal
Evituds.
Winter and summer the French school.
lboy rises st in the morning; or, rather,
3 ~ = supposed to do DO. The FIRST bell
tangS at s .. M, to tell him he IL to &c,
\ iups second one rings at 5:2S, "a xhforIc
him that In five minutss' he must bt
DOWN; and third bell, at $50, enjoins
dm TO leave the dofmitory. OF course
: - rjoes a& 5se5, puts on his clothes with
y t6digious rapidity, gives himself dry
polish, Il Squecrs, with towel, or
moro often with his knuckles, and is
quito ready at $50 to go down to tho
I study room. From this you will easily
Z Infer that pint Of water goes long
\ way In q dormitory Of sixty French
sboyA In the study room, under the
supervision Of an usher, called pion, and
Of whom shall have more to say by
and by, he prepares his lessons for the
s professors till 7:50. Breakfast is ready
~ 8. Considering what the menu of this
7 repast consists of, l have always won
( dered how it could take the cook so long
to get It ready. During the free ten
minutes that precede breakfast time, a
few boys 60 and have wash. These go
BY tho name Of aristos (aristocrats).
III The three meals Of the day bear tho
grand names of breakfast, dinner and
supper. Breakfast consists of plate Of
noup and a large piece Of bread. Most
boys keep chocolate or jam, or buy some
Of tho porter, to eat with their bread
At $50 they have to be in their respcc-
tive class rooms with their masters
The class lasts two hours, after which
they return to the study room to prepare
until IL for tho afternoon class. From
~ TO | they dine and play. Both these
words would convey to an English mind
I . meaning that 1t has not in French.
q The dinner generally consists of stews
and vegetables, swimming In mysterious
snuces. The bread is ad libitum. When
. boy has finished his piece he holds up
bis hand as sign he is ready for an
other. A man holding basket full Of
cut loaves is stationed in such position
~ will allow him to fill all those pairs Of
empty hands as fast as they are put up.
He filings, the boys catch; it is quite q
dexterous game, assure you. II boy
misses the piece intended for him, his
neighbor not infrequently catches and
pockets 1t, partly as a precaution against
1 possible pangs Of hunger before the next
meal. partly for the love OF disobeying
tho rules, one OF which enacts that no
3cod shall be pocketed. Tho drink is
called abundance, and Is made up of q
good tablespoonful of wine in decanter
10 water.
Al for play, it has to take place in a
nore or less large yard, surrounded by
ugh walls, very much like prison
walk. Not tree. not blade OF grass
no be seen; . mere graveled yard, moth
SApg more. There the boys walk two by
ew0. or In larger groups--.he big ones
lklng politics, and smoking cigarettes
nsidc their coats. while the usher is ut o
istance; the little ones indulging in q
Rme of top or marbles in one Of the
pcrners. At o'clock they are to bc in
their places In the study room til 2,
when 1t is time to go to the afternoon
Glass, which lasts till O'clock. On
5tnving the masters, to be immediately
banded over to the ushers, they each re.
ceiye at a piece of bread. which they
afc allowed to eat in the yard with what
ever relish they may possess, or wish to
\ buy Of the porter. They play till $50,
when they return 70 the study room to
I Q0 their lessons for the following day.
Al 8 O'Clock supper is ready. To this,
1fko to all their other meals, they 60 two
61y two, after having previously all formed
5nto ranks in the yard. The supper con-
I ptsts OF boiled beef, or q course or two of
getables; sometimes an apple or few
ErAerries, according to the season, bright
'en n the not very festive board. In my
knc cherries were the most popular des-
5prt; after having refreshed the inner
10Y, 1t provided him with missiles, which
zero turned to good acccunt on the spot
when the usher had his back turned.
4 For drink, the mixture as before After
D9bls frugal repast the boys repair, two by
\ no, to their respective dorinitories.
hose who care to indulge in little
nklling may do SO before going to bed,
6Sns to be clean the following day.
NJ those who care" for never will an
1er make remark to French boy
yer ~ (when he is no longer under the
|lperyision of matron) because he is
lFty, not even in the refectory. Pro-
3ded he has cravat on, nobody will
soid him for having dirty neck. If
cieanliness is next to godliness, the
french schoolboy is most ungodly.
Il On Thursday he gets holiday--that
~ 70 say, that no class is held; but he
NJ to be in the study room the whole
Drning and evening. In the afternoon
~ goes for walk. Here again an Eng
tishman would not understand, without
s0me explanation, what is meant by the
french schoolboy's walk. The college is
|ttsided into big, middle and small boys.
Zach division is formed into ranks, and
bus. two by two, accompanied by ush-
Rk the boys are marched through the
eets. Silence Is compulsory while in
YNn, and the ranks are not to be broken
utu the little battalion has reached the
~nfry. There they can play, walk or
On the grass, under the eyes of the
9eFu, for an hour or two, when the
rks are formed again and they are
vshcd back to what have no hesita-
calling their barracks, not to say
Prison. On Sundays, the boy who
his parents or guardian in town is
9ed TO 80 home for the day if he is
1A0I1f In Tor 81 Il.