The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1892-12-30
NEW YEARS DAY IN PARIS.
Il IL the Custom Ia Give PRESENTS but
tho Conoicrgs Alone Profits.

It IL the Custom Ia Give PRESENTS but
tho Conoicrgs Alone Profits.
On New Years day Paris. most un-
domesticated Of cities. makes sacrifice
to that domesticity which is the pride
Of other nations in general. and Of our
dear England in particular lie Jour dc
Pan is emphatic,llly tho day Of families,
as they call it. which means that 1t is on
that day that friends and relations de-
vote themselves to each other. II Is a
day when the intense altruism Of life in
Paris Is momentsrily suspended. when
tho family reasserts itself for too short
time, when the boulevard and the cafe
and that M. Tout-le- Monde in whom on
all the other days OF the year Paris takes
so vast an interest. are momentarily left
to their own devices.
II is the pleasure Of the wits and Of
the grumblers to complain Of this day.
II Is the day Of giving presents, and
those who give least are loudest in their
grumblinSs about custom which they
qualify as an iutolerable tax. As mat
ter Of fact. ones duties in this respect
are of the slightest. There is the con-
cierge to be fed. to be sure, but in pre-
senting ones gratuity to this servant one
feels that never was largesse better in
vested. 1t buys civility for the rest Of the
ycar-be the gratuity only fair one
and those who have dwelt in Partisan
fats will know how indispensableit 1t Is TO
be on good terms with the porter
1t is through his hands that all the
lodgers' letters and parcels pass; 1t is he
who answers all questions that visitors
or inquirers may have to put; it III he
who pulls the doorstriny to let one in
and out at night. When one remembers
that surly concierge. pretending slum-
Der. may leave one for long minutes ex-
posed to the present icy winds Of the
Partisan streets before sffording ingress,
one sees how well it is To be in his good
books As u matter OF fact the porters
are so badly paid that but for the custom
Of etrennes they would not be able to
exist at oil. The Sims received on New
Years day form part of their income,
and this SUN is taken into consideration
by the landlord when engaging them,
1t is usual to give at least n sovereign,
but in many houses a couple Of louis
would be considered n minimum
1t is from the porter that the Partisan
on New Years day hears for the first
time the phrase that he shall that day
SO often hear. "Je yous la souhaite bonne
ct heureuse." IL wish that it may be
good and happy tthe new Year, for you.
Elsewhere. in answer to this greeting
he puts out his arms and kisses him or
her who makes it resoundingly Oh both
cheeks; here. however. it is his purse he
puts forth, and in lien OF the smack Of
the kiss it is the tiny tinl,le of the golden
pieces that is heard. With the con-
cierge. however. rs things are today in
Paris, the duty of giving begins and
ends The other creditors Of ones boun-
ties have been satisfied long ago. The
postman, the telegraph boys, the dust
man aud all the tribe of the humble
servants of the city's social life have al
ready in the early days of December
been satisfied. What else Of etrennes,
then, the Partisan gives on that day are
such as his courtesy and his affections
prompt him to bestow.-R. H. Sherard
in I,ouI,,, (,I.rnhip