The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-09-19
THE PARIS BREAD-APRON.
Peculiar Garments Worn bv the Bakers
Women of the French Capital.

tecuiiar Garments Worn bv the Bakers
Women of the French Capital.
The Paris baker of worldwide fame
sends out his bread. not in baskets and
wagons, as is the custom in America,
but by woman who wears the longest
apron on record. AS will be observed,
its extraordinary length is for reason.
When it is dropped down, this apron
trails on the ground in front of her, and
Its utility is as evident as its simplicity
Is beautiful to the unaccuStomed eye.
The ends of this apron she ties together
forming sack in which the bread is
carried There is waist fitting over
the shoulders so that her load, by no
means light one, weighs upon the
shoulders and does not pull altogether
on the hips. Who invented this novel
pGnaer al pam is not known, but it must
have been some genius who could not
afford donkey cart, and desired to
economze space.
The small breakfast rolls-how good
they are!-the long and the short loaves,
the sticks of bread so slender that they
are called '.7utes," and are only crust to
be broken Up in soups, are brought in
this amazing apron. Mr.. Henry Bacon,
the artist, tells me that, when he was
in tho Beaux Arts studying under Cab
anel, there was pupil there whose IA
Their was baker, and fine baker at
that. The young fellow was tall and
thin, and they at once christened him
in the school "FIute-au-s0upe;" and to
do ,xyhn 10
chat and dine. he is called by his thor
oughly Partisan nickname.
This sturdy woman who carries bread
Is not one of the aristorrats in aprons.
She is sort of patient pack-horse 60
ing her rounds betimes, and too heavily
loaded to relish gossip with her custom
ers on her route. She seldom sees her
clients, as she leans her loaves against
the door, rings and departs. 1t is not
ring which ever penetrates to the
ears of the sleepy master or mistress of
the apartment; on the contrary, it is
only gentle tinkle, an apologetic tin
kle, forsooth, for having called so early,
before any body is awake.
These bread-aprons, which are often
UuO pIOpOIby VI Gu0 DdkOf, are always
made of dark blue linen. AS they cost
twenty-five francs or five dollars apiece,
poor working woman is not expected
to supply them any more than she is ex-
pected to furnish the bakers shop. In
Paris, breadstuffs receive a certain wor-
ship not accorded the staff of L fe in less
economical lands, and bread-making has
consequently reached the acme of per-
lection among people who look upon
flour with reverence, and its produc-
tons with intimate affection. That it's
transportation should be originally
conducted is not surprising. A loaf car
ried about in an apron is no more sim
gular than to see it tucked, unwrapped,
under buyers arm. or used as a cush-
ion for the cold sidewalk by the urchin
who pauses to watch a top spin ON his
way home from the bakers shop As
the loaves have hard and slippery sur
face, their integrity is preserved under
adverse circumstances, and when more
delicate substances must surely be rem
dered unfit for human consumption.
Let fastidious people take comfort in
that thought. But unless one rises
very early, the )aker's woman will re-
main an invisible factor in the distri-
button of our daily bread. - Wide
Awake.