The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-03-08
corapondnee otMe Elaltg.ner.


the English tongue mean by the word
home. The nearest equivalent to it is
when the Frenchman speaks ches moi,
'my house." This is suggestive, for
besides lacking q suitable term to desig-
nate it, the French home, whether you
Judge it by American or by English
standards, is deficient in several more
substantial requisites, From the ma
terial point OF view 1t Is lacking some-
what in comfort In the upper circles
there is an appearance Of elegance
about French interiors, and a straining
otter effects In the matter Of adornment.
But there Is q noticeable lack OF rooml-
ness, II one may so speak, and not the
attention n could desire to household
conveniences, The guest chamber is a
rare ap%purtenance, as also are those
Aumptuons easy chairs In which one car
almost bury himself for q good rest.
Carpets are conspicuous for their alb
aence. Where taste and wealth are you
will find the polished floors streWn lux
uriously with rugs but In other circles
you have only the bare boards to step
upon. Heating is very imperfect, and
asojourn in France during chilly wealth
or leaves you amazed at the degree Of
damp and cold these people can endure
without appearing to be disturbed byit.
Altogether the impression you got is
that the French are q fne weather and
decidedly out.of-door set OF people, who
have yet to learn the art Of q co1y in
door life, and who, paradoxlcal as the
remark may appear, seem TO be most at
home when they are not at home.
Nevertheless, the formalities OF fam.
lily life arc vigorously observed by
the French than any people we have
known. There Is no country where
families hold together as they do here.
The principle governing them in this
matter is %patriarchsl. The home Of the
father and mother is tho center Of in
terest for all olive branches, and none
OF these ever become go old or so fruit
full as not to make Il a frequent place OF
%sojourn. Whenever 1t can be done the
new offshoots are prevented from shoot
ing of laterally by being still retained
under the paternal roof tree, and when
this is not practicable, the plan most
favored Is to get them settled at mar
riage in contiguous houses. w were
so happy as to sit at one family table at
which there were present, both then
and at other times, three families. The
two younger branches had domicilos
within the same grounds. They lived
apart, but ate regularly at the parental
table, and 1t was a beautiful sight to
see. This lie often done in France; 1t is
in harmony with the French ideal OF
fathers home being, as long as he
lives, the homo OF the children.
A PLEASING FEATURE.
This reminds us OF another pleasing
feature OF French homo life. the regard
shown in its arrangements for the aged.
At tho table above mentioned there
was another elderly matron besides the
venerable hostess. Who was she?
Well, she wal the widowed mother OF q
son.in.law OF this family, aud she was
there because that home happened at
this period in her checkered life 10 be
the one most naturally opening 10 her.
She was not there, however, under suf-
ferance, but was evidently an honored
guest. They attend to such things as
these admirably in Franco. Ministers
OF the gospel have assured us that to
find some aged dependant sharing the
tender attentions OF French families is
q common thing even amongst the
poorest. Usually It is au aged mother
often the mothers of both sides are
there. "The French are remarkable
for their devotion to mother" We
have heard this again and again, and
We believe II.
But the family feeling in France
reaches out Its tendrils OF sentiment far
beyond either mother or father. 1t en-
braces practically tho entire circle OF
kindred, and is almost as -egardful Of
matrimonial connections as Of blood re-
lationship. The French have numer
GUS fete days, and upon n Of tho uses
to which they put these they are GER
tainly to be congratulated. Such occa-
sions are utilized for bringing together
as fully as possible the family relations.
II a meeting is not practicable the occa-
Bion is improved by the exchange Of let
ters. The French are great on writing
to each other. This is q formality which
is never omitted between either rela-
tives or acquaintance on the first of
January, and there arc other times
when 1t Is almost as general as on New
Years Day. Besides which special ON.
phasis Is given to relationship at
funerals. In proper circles the occa.
sion Is always announced to those
interested by cards, and these cards
are In one respect q wonder to both
Americans and English. Youare invited
to bo present at the obsequios, not only
by the family, but by q dozen or two Of
the kinsfoik Of the deceased, including
even cousins and aunts, and tho names
OF these are all formally printed on the
mourning cards, What is still more
touching, you find home ties aud the
attachment for kindred strikingly OK.
hibited In French cemeteries. Tho
vaults aro nearly all family" vaults,
and this fact Is distinctly announced
over the door OF these homoliko atruct.
uroS,
AsTANDiNG R%EpRoAcH.
Those arc somo Of the good features
Of family life in France. Thoro arc
others, Of course, which are not sosood,
and some which, from our point Of
view, are decidedly bad. The email.
ness Of French families 10 a standing
reproach. II not only reflects ON
French morals, but II presents q grave
problem to French economists. While
England and Germany arc reporting q
net annual increase In their population
Of 100000 or more, Franco is growing
annually at the rate Of only about 55,.
900, and 10 not unlikely undcr present
conditions TO become stationary. APP.
preciatlvo alluslon has boon made To