Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-01-03
AMERICA In FRANCE,
A Bold Writer Who Blames Us for
Spelling Their Good Things.
THE ARISTOCRACY OF WEALTH
And the Destruction of the Salon Two of
Our Worst Doings
FRENCH WOMEN ARE misunderstood
WRITTEN FOR THE DISPATCH. ]


French women at their true value, or in
their real character In fact he admits in
a sort of way that after an experience OF 80
years he hardly knows them himself He
frankly states that in England it is difficult
for strangers to cross the threshold, but
when duly accredited and introduced, they
are made to feel themselves as part of the
family, but this is never the case in France.
There they are willing to show themselves
upon the stage, bpt strangers are always
kept in front of the footlights. In other
words, they are always on show, but never
allow those most interested to take in mat
ters behind the scenes.
In this they widely differ from Amer
leans who enjoy no friends so much as
those who have tine freedom of the house,
and who are not frowned down by the
'formalities" that make society a burden
and its laws sort of tyranny almost un-
bearable at times. There are no friends
like old friends, SAYS the old saw-the
friends of youth, who went to school with
you, who stand by you for old acquaint-
ance sake, who have warm side for you
through good report and evil report, be-
cause you lived next door.
Youthful Friendship in Paris.
This sort of friendship, we are told, does
not iexist among the French-at least,
among Parisians There, girls and boys are
educated in different schools, and have
little acquaintance with each other. The
daughters of wealthy families are edu-
Gated in converts and have little oppor-
tunity to form the abiding friendships that
stand the test of time. Constantly under
chaperonage until married, they have none
of the freedom of American women.
foreigners know nothing of the actual
life of France to-day" says Simon 'They
can only know French women specifically,
and as life goes on in Paris, it is almost i'm
possible to obtain intimate knowledge of a
Partisan woman" After asserting that
personal observation is impossible, he
also takes time to explain THAI neither the
novels nor the PLAYS are to be accepted as
picturing the times, or portraying the
women of to-day in France. No writer of
less genius, or of less power in the delinea-
tion of character than Moliere can be
trusted to show to foreigners the Partisan
women, and Moliere-like ShakesDeare-
stands "without an equal, and without
second" sAbove all,' continues this
writer, "do not trust the newspapers, and
shun most especially, those which pretend
to describe society. These show up the
women of the aristocracy as devoted to
pleasure, and scandal, and immortality. They
make the nations outside imagine that Paris
is a great Babylon; that the women of the
famous city are more devoted to the world,
the flesh and the devil than are those of
London, Rome or Berlin"
Not a City of Saints, Only.
He admits that there is a small corner of
Babylon in Paris that may be somewhat
larger in dimensions than the same in other
places. but that this fact is owing to the at
tractiveness of the city and the greater
number of foreigners. "There is no more
amusing madcap," ne observes, "than the
Partisan courtesan, and no more sensible
and charming person than the Partisan
woman; but these DWELL apart in distinct
worlds. and have nothing in common but
their hats"
He admits, however, that the few thou
sands in the Babylon corner attract more
attention than the 500, 900 good women of
Paris, or the 10000, 600 in all France. En-
glish and Americans and other foreigners
are not the only ones that thus mistake and
misjudge French women, Tor the novels and
the plays of the period have even impressed
Frenchmen with the same idea. History
shows that the morals OF the nobility of
France in days gone by were certainly most
abominable but Simon holds that even then
the mass of the people of France were as
moral as their neighbors.
In his attempt to make the world under
stand his countrywomen-whlle acknowl-
edging that he hardly does himself-he de-
votes but little attention to those OF the
aristocracv of birth. The women of this
class, he saws, are devoted to royalty and
religion. They are full of the most obstin-
ate prejudices, they entertain the most
narrow views, they are virtuous, religious,
charitable, have keen appreciation of art
and literature, and with all, have their full
share of vanity and worldliness.
The Aristocr@ cy of the Dollar.
Second to this class are the women of the
aristocracy of money, the real aristocracy of
the nineteenth century-when the king is
the almighty dollar" as we in this country
would put it. In this class foreigners are
made welcome, if rich enough. Even q few
of the exclusive nobility by what they
esteem 'sdivine right" will accept invita-
tions into this society while carefully keep
ing their own doors shut in its face. This,
however, he assures his readers is not
Partisan society. 1t is that which owes its
being to the invasion Of Paris BY Europe
and America. America constitutes the
greater part, and has introduced into it its
manners and characteristics, "the most de-
plorable of which is the separation of the
sexes"
Upon this text he dilates at length.
Nothing ne remarks is more anti-French |
than this separation. In old times he |
mournfulIv observes they had "bed cham |
her receptions" when rhe literary women of |
the famous salons fourished-when Cor |
nellie read his tragedies and Bossnet aired |
his oratory Then came the gathering of |
the famous men and women in their dress
inc rooms Then women were gradually |
trained down to receiving in their boudoirs. |
Finally, it is now the drawing room. Men |
hate drawing rooms, so they leave the |
women in their state and elegance and ''go |
of to argue and smoke in the tap ROOM"
A DetestabIe American Innovation.
This new fashion, introduced by Ameri- |
cans, he detests He claims that it has |
killed conversation; that it detracts from all |
pleasure in having brains or enjoying the |
intellectual powers Of others. French |
women, he accuses, instead of resisting this
hateful innovation have surrendered. They |
have been false to their duty and their
history in not making these Americans con-
form to their own comfortable style. They |
are found lacking in Patriotism in not en-
forcing the old French WY of having agood
easy time in morning wrappers, and In re-
ceiving the French brethren in such way as
not to lead to a separation OF men and
women in their intellectual pleasures
Here Brother Simon wakes wroth: "'Oh,
yes,' they tell us in gentlest tone, 1 do not
object to tobacco But look at their hypoc-
risy. But, madam, it is you whom L object