Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1890-01-21
NUMBER 3.

never hear n ITonchman ak fofcigneri
"Sow, what DO you think of usr
We never trouble 20 show our besi
side 10 the foreigner. This Il what mis-
leads completely so many outsiders. In
France, the vice that there l., is on the
surface for every one 10 sce. IL "a all
opcn O. every locker oni there u very
/ little hidden. What there Il. that you
-. No slightest effort l. made to hide
/ defects. IN c0mes the Englishman 90
the American. and forgetting the care
fully hidden vice which exists. and With
q vengeance. IN his Own great towns.
cries out upon the immortality ~ PariA
/ 1 will 20 ~ Gar as o. say that. In France,
there l. not even ~ much vice as there
appears to h..
1t mo explain myself
Far from attempting 81 hide our faults,
We, ~ a matter of fact, often make show
~ thoss We have MT Tho frcnchmAn
Is tho braggart - vice. II you say 10 an
Englishman. ~ know you arr 'iriuons
man. ho will think you only give him
his due II you were to pay The same
compliment o. Frrnchman b. would
rrsent L. like the Anglomaniacs rcprc-
ssnis,i In that charming American oom.
civ by Mr Br1ns1n Howard. The llsn'
rrtta. "each fellow. IN France. wants
every other fellow 10 believe that ho u a
devil II a fellow but De- isn't"
Reduced o. literature fora means of
knowing something of the r,al frcnch
character feal. then. tho-s Fr,nch wrt-
~. who portray the home life % the
p.ople lfur. after all. we have q few
Who Dol. not the. Who build up eN-
trawgant iales - Ia-sion, from the ma
l,rills every uatiou viii afuri to tho-e
who go in for SENSATIONAL novels Would
you Judge the English p,ople by the
works ~ "Ouiil or Mis- llhoia Bruugh-
tuui Take rather the writers vho, with
only the uneycntiul lives of ordinary
French people as material. have suc-
cssded in giving to the world the
most charming novels For delightful
picture. % hirh lifc. go 81 Gusiayc DroI
ami Octave Fcuillet Read ChsfbulicE
AMI Edmond Ahout. u YOU would know
what brave. honest folk our p.s,saniry
ar. tern to Errkmann Chairian. Ihoss
are the feally popular authon in France.
My own conviction l. that the obloc-
tiouah,r buoks puhiishe'l in France arc
morr patrunited by foreigners than by
th. French tfcmsflyss for seldom come
arr,s.. among my French friends, a man
vho has Rad them. ". Iola's books are
rad I admit. but not Zoe the same rra-
sin a. they are read in England. Here
they I'll AZ obj blecti1uablo hooks;in France
they s,ll a. che works ~ a transccndant
artist. Wc r,ai Inla'. too often repul.
sirc details or ths -ak- ~ the mastery
cruiu, displayed in the handling. No
lo.ly / imagine. r,ads Shakespeare 90
ths B,llr fur thr sake u manv nithy pa
agrs. Nuuo the lDs every man ~ tasto
regrets the prostitution of such a genius
as Znlas to such an unworthy cau-c
An Undergraduate wa complaining 10
ms one iay that uu suri French mD'isn
novel could b. obtained 40 oxford. "Al
We can lind iu the lruch department u
our bookseller" he saii "are the works
u " Iola There arc piio' of Ia
Tcrrv'"
"wsll. my dear sir." Interrupted,
''do.- % not strike you that booksellers
are tradssmen. and that they ~ cUurss
korp the articles that afo wantoH "
there Wa ~ demand for IA Icrfc,'
there would ho no supply. and you
would noe aec pile. ~ the book."
The manager ~ a great French book.
selling firm in London told me once that
hi. arm alone bad r,-,is~d orders for
more than ten thousand copies - ia
Tcrrr- in England.
I don't wish q grt up a caso against
the Engli,hrople Judge for yourselves,
have stated facts.
as.rrt that. % those who viii look Al
us without bias. vo must apprar in our
true lisht the harpisst and most home
loving people among mo-lern nations.
The Frnchmaus wife and children
are his al .ti0n. The former l. his
friend AMI couhdanie. who Thoroughly
eniers into his aim. and aspirations, AMI
knows to innc the amount of biz AZ.
count IN the bank. The latter are rays
of sunshine which brighten his daily
life more than any gold could ever do.
Rich In the love and camaraderis - hls
dear ones. AMI in the things which he
knows bow O. do without, be clings 10
hi. home and country. AMI gets the full
enjoyment oui OF the blessings that
heaven ssnls him. bat has no desire %
grasp more than his share. and sighs not
, after wealth.
Obi that bis critic. would look more
at hi. qualities which are gr,ai. and les
AZ hi- defect. which are inhniiesimal
compared with them. and which, for the
most part. are but the exaggeraiion of
them.
What l. his narroWne.s bat the out
growth oi his love u homer What Il
D M. over,lone interest in women bat the
outgroWth u his warmth of heart
Look al his foremost place In the ranks
of art. science and literature; look At
MI. magnanimity in conquest, bravery
In danger. pluck Ina adyer-ity. Look AZ
the Wotid's work done by him. He IL
; prouder of his Pasteur than u the great
Napoloon. not bccausc be bas saved the
! silkWom industry 81 France and Italy
from destruction. AMI taught the French
vine makers to quickly mature their
vine; not bccause hs has effected an
D enormous Improvement and economy In
the manufacture % bccr, and has rs-cusd
the cattle of Europe from the peculiarly
fatal diseass u anthrax. not bscanse he
has conquered that horrible monster,
Rabies. bat bocause the great savant has
, shown his perfect disinterc-iedness by
! Offering his services a. free gift 10 his
native country. and indeed 20 all man
Kind.
Ihave lived many years In England; !
have Travelled a great deal In Europe and
In America. The day on which meet a
more happy. home loving couple than
; my countryman Jacques Bonhomme and
his dear wife-then will let you know.
TIE END.
{.
!. Cleanliness . Modern Virtue.