The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-09-14

them properly IN life Is the cnleI use Oh Ine
heads of the family.
One day last week l was allowed to visit
a young Brooklyn girl who for two years
has been an inmate of boarding school
near Paris. did not Intentionally choose
a phrase suggesting bolts and bars, but the
establishment ITSELF though beautifully SIT
uated, succeeded admirably in reminding
one of the walled garden in which Jean
Valje In lies Miserables" wore DELL on
his leg as he tended the vegetables, in order
that the sisters and their charges might be
warned of his approach and flee before the
face of man. The park which surrounded
the school building shut it off effectually
from the world The tradesmens entrance
was shielded by thick hedges, and women
were moving the grass on the lawns be-
meath the windows, lest the sight of blue
blouse of sturdy laborer disturb the fair re-
cluses' peace of mind. The demoiselles were
chatting under an avenue of lime trees, it
being the recreation hour, as only French
demoiselles can, but they did not move
about with the activity of English or
American school girls-tennis and other
athletic sports meeting little encoul agement
as tending to a too vigorous developement
of the figure. For the same reason the
amount of meat in the dietary was limited.
though here the regulations were SO incon-
sistent that | was at loss to understand
~ w.
attainment of trim waist. and hence pc
tatoes and milk were absolutely forbidden
to some-as to my Brooklyn friend, whereat
she grieved-as feeding tendency to avoir-
dupois; whereas cakes and many sorts OF
pastry were supplied freely, as well as fruits
stewed with sugar, and wines.
The French girls, many of them from the
f'faubourg,n ate three times a dav-rolls
and butter with coffee--black, if the waist
e. an rfG
radishes or salad with little fish or poul-
try and compete of fruits, or a mertngue
dltc continues at II; soup with light en-
trees and dessert at $3.50; wine, mixed or
unmixed with water, being the drink ex-
cept at the morning meal.
The curriculum would not greatly tax the
capacity of Vassar or a Wellesley girl
geography to the minutest details, French
history in popular form, French htera-
ture, very little mathematics, the text
books in algebra, for instance, showing a
deep rooted distrust of the feminine intel
lect: botany in sentimental sort of way,
music and drawing, but the former only
with any thoroughneSs or degree of energy.
Two periods each of three-Quarters OF an
hour were given daily to the cultivation of
the graces required in society. Drawn up
line the pupils were required to bow, to
give the hand, to present and to be pre-
sented, to rise from the chair, to sit, to cross
the room, to enter and leave an apartment,
to go through the formula of greeting and
farewell, to manage the arms with grace
when the hands were empty, to carry
bouquets, prayer books, handkerchiefs
and fans. The various ceremonies
struck me as extremely funny; useful
enough, many of them, but absorbing a
wholly disapproportionate amount of time,
and performed with a degree Of solemnity
that indicated the Importance attached to
them Ny sympathies were aroused for the
young girl l had come to see, who, being
rather awkward. though charmingly warm
hearted little creature, was constantly max
ing her safutations with the wrong gesture,
Jerking off the gloves she should languidly
withdraw, and getting herself into disgrace
generally She said that once or twice a
week they had practice in mounting the
wooden model of horse, and occasionally
in putting on and throwing aside an opera
wrap or a lace mantilla Two or three
times term also, practice parties were
given in the evening. when sham hostesses
and guests entertained one another almost as
stupidity as might be the case at real func-
ton.
The system of seclusion, OF repression
until after gaining the protection OF a bus
band, the French themselves are beginning
to see does not work particularly well. One
hears the French girl, that carefully shielded
bud of innocence, characterized as treacn-
erous, decetful, hypocritical. Probably
she does not deserve the worst OF the SLAM