Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-08-27

But the price demanded IL but q tribe more
than Tie laundry expenses would be II you were
the owner Of the linen: For special occasions
any table decorations in glass ware china or sil.
yer can also be rented at these places.
rHK FRExoH MAID OF ALL WORK.
AFrench maid Of all work is valuable &C.
qsisiton. She knows her place and il without
any idea Of not keeping it as long as she is paid
She Is active and industrious, with unfailine
good humor and quick to carry out any instruc-
lions given her. Her tact Is something quite
wonderful TO one accustomed to servants else
where, and she Is always ready to undertake
any service. from cooking q dinner to dressing
her mistress hair. French cooks pass through
certain schools and get b certificate of pro-
hciency. Even the ordinary servant, who does
not study with the object Of becoming q pro-
fessional cook, is taught sufficiently well to get
up remarkably good dinner. The French
bonnie 10 also able to keep accounts. and il sent
out to make small purchases for the household
will present her little account or memorandum
In due form correctly enough spelled and added
up. Perhaps there is a very good reason for her
surprising willingness to do the family market
Ing. There is an unwritten Law, which it
is useless on the part of her employer to
try to eyade, by which the bonnie receives
from each tradesman a slight commission
on whatever she purchases. These small per-
quisites she jealously boards against the time
when even she must have her little dot il she
wishes to marry. Dressed in her tidy gown,
her white apron ard jaunty white cap in strik-
ing contrast with her rudy cheeks and dark
eyes and hair, she makes a pretty picture fit
ting from door to door. 1t may be added that
she needs q good many OF the jaunty white
aprons and caps; that they must be sent to the
laundry regularly at her employers expense.
not to speak Of the first cost for their purchase
which he must also bear
In the Paris apartment system the bonnie has
several things very much in her favor. The
rooms are all upon one floor, consequently
there are no stairs to climb every time the bell
IL touched. The fats, indeed, may be upon the
fifth floor, but even 20 there need be only one
or two trips a day to the street. and some
houses have elevators, while tradesmeu send all
purchases by the servants staircase to the
kitchen door Of your apartment. Then the
kitchens are very conveniently arranged, and
with their bright tiled floors and their rows Of
shining copper vessels are really quite attract
i've. The cooking apparatus is very complete.
In the Kitchen range there ia one compartment
for coal or coke fire, another for small cooking
over charcoal with third compartment which
resembles in miniature an oid-fashioned fire.
place, and this is for roasting. Besides this the
Paris gas company furnishes gratuitously to
every family which uses gas a complete gas
stove IN order to encourage the consumption.
Ice Is comparatively little used. although it is
not dear; but the invention-or makeshift-
substitute. 1. is a closet built in the house
under the large double window Of the kitchen,
quite open to the air Of the court. with only q
flne wire grating to protect its contents. This
Is sufficient to keep out insects and dust and yet
admits the air freely. Even the summer
climate Of Paris allows food for the most part to
be kept some little time in this manner. Re
frigerators do not go with furnished apart
ment.
THE CONCIERGE.
Without the concierge the Partisan apartment
house system could not be kept up. There
must be some one responsible for the house. In
those American cities which have borrowed the
fiat system jokes begin cropping out at the
expense of the autocratic janitor. The janitor
and the concierge are nearly the same, though
the concierge is generally woman, and the
Jokes are very much the same. though few
Americans would 20 SO far as that Partisan who
recently died leaving in his win direction that
his skin should be tanned and used a. the head
OF drum to. wake his concierge. All through
the day the concierge sits at her window in the
great entrance and watches those who come anG
go. She keeps out beggars. peddlers and othe,
Objectionable people. II tenant warns mel
against troublesome visitor Of his own h,
cannot pass the concierge again unless he
possesses remarkable assurance. The concierge
IL responsible person. She is usually chosen
| for her past good record in some other capacit,
and has great deal Of responsibility on hel
shoulders. She arranges the preliminaries Of
renting and she ia the one to complain to il the
| tenant overhead has music too late at nigh.
Lastly, one must ring for her to open the door
II he wishes to enter his own house after II
o'clock at night. No one carries front door
key in Paris. She opens the front door BY
pulling a cord which hangs at the head Of her
bed. The one who enters calls out his name as
he passes her window. which shows that be is Of
the house and known TO her. Under these con.
ditions it is needless to say that the concierge
we'll paid by the tenants and thrives accord
ingly. The first rule Of a good concierge il to
be polite and obliging; the second rule is not &c
gossip. She breaks the second rule oftener
than the first.
cHEAPNEss OF LIVING.
When we Americans at home are reproached
by some traveller who says that Partisan fam
lily could live on what an American family
wastes we should stop him and ask a few i'm
portant questions. 1t is not altogether through
virtue that the Partisan is saving at his table
In the first place ii is the Partisan beyond every
one else in the world who is stricken with the
fever for holding on to money. That is what
makes Paris the most pleasant city in the world
to visit. Every citizen of Paris is the strang-
ers servant, differing only in degree SO long az
the strangers money lasts. In the second
place, and as partial result, food and fuel pro-
in Paris. Not to be tedious, take the one ex-
ample of kerosene oil. Every one must use it,
as few Paris houses have gas in the bed rooms
even il they have it in the parlor. Outside the
walls OF Paris q certain quantity of kerosene
costs ffty-five centimes Inside Paris the same
quantity costs seventy-hve confines. i believe
this is due largely to the octroi or municipal
tax, which falls almost exclusively on articles
Of home consumption. The octroi receipts OF
Paris amount every year to something like
$50, 0O0, 900. OF this $4,000. 900 are
from wine and liquors. while sc, O00. 600
are collected on eatables, and $4,000. 200
more on fuel and other combustibles
On horse food and provender alone more
than 81 ,00O. 900 are annually collected. Thus
not an article OF food passes the Notifications
but is taxed for the city's revenue. As re-
suit beefsteak is 40 cents o pound, butter 60
cents pound. good chicken costs o. and one
good mutton chop IL cents.s Naturally the Par
isian learns to become saving at his table. The
methods Of retail trade assist him. Butchers
cut UP meat differently from the English and
American way. One need not buy an ounce Of
bone, meat or fat that he does not want. Plain
roast meats are not used to excess in Paris
ragouts and stews are very much in order,
while immense ingenuity has been acquired in
making the most out Of little things. Again.
people who drink wine at meals do not eat as
much heavy food md do eat more Main bread