Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1892-12-28
NEW YEARS DAY IN PARIS.
It Is the Custom to Give Presents, but
the Concierge Alone Profits.

It Is the Custom to Give Presents, but
the Concierge 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 de
Fan is emphatically the day of families
as they call it. which means that it Is on
that day that friends and relations de-
vote themselves to each other. 1t Is a
day when the intense altruism of life in
Paris is momentarily suspended, when
the 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.
1t is the pleasure of the wits and Of
the grumblers to complain of this day.
1t is the day of giving presents, and
those who give least are loudest in their
grumblings about custom which they
qualify as an intolerable 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
year-be the gratuity only fair one
and those who have dwelt in Partisan
fats will know how Indispensable it is to
be on good terms with the porter
1t is through his hands that all the
dodgers letters and parcels pass; it is he
who answers all questions that visitors
or inquirers may have to put; it is he
who pulls the doorstring to let one in
and out at night. When one remembers
that surly concierge, pretending slum-
ber, may leave one for long minutes ex-
posed to the present icy winds of the
Partisan streets before affording ingress,
one sees how we'll 1t is to be in his good
books. As a matter of fact the porters
are SO badly paid that but for the custom
of etrennes they would not be able to
exist at all The sums received on New
Years day form part of their income.
and this sum is taken into consideration
by the landlord when engaging them.
1t Is usual to give at least sovereign.
but in many houses a couple Of louis
would be considered 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
80 often hear, "Je vous la souhaite bonne
ct heureuse.' II wish that it may be
good and happy (the new year) for you.
Elsewhere, in answer to this greeting,
he puts out his arms and kisses him or
her who makes it resoundingly on both
cheeks; here, however, 1t is his purse he
puts forth, and In lieu of the smack of
the kiss it is the tiny tinkle of the golden
pieces that is heard. With the con-
cierge, however, as 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 and 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. 81. Sherard
in London Graphic.