Morning journal and courier., 1893-01-09
No. 7

changing caries de risite at This sessou.
everybody does Ii with everybody he
knows. The ordinary calling card is used,
and the custom lie so extensive that these
missives are received at the Tost Offices in
separate boxes. To handle them in con
nec.ion with the other mails wuuid inter
fere seriously with business. As II Ia.
however, they are distributed and dis
patched at the convenience Of the officials,
and IL sometimes happens that the enor-
nous pile is not entirely cleared until the
New Year Is three or four weeks old.
A distincively French functionary is
the concierge. he Is literally ubiquitous
In the cities and towns. You pass his
room, or hers, as the case may be, every
time You enter or lesve your apartment.
However late you msy come in at night
the concierge, by some attachment near
his bel, unfssiens the door for you. he
receives your letters. stands in with The
servants for every bit Of gossip about
your affairs, and collects regularly the
rent you may pay. For iheee and various
other purposes he Is hired by the land
lord, but much of his keep is drawn from
the tenants In the shspe of tips and fees.
fou will never 20 smiss IN masking q pres
ent 10 this functiouary, and what is Eppro-
pirate and wiee st any time. becomes ct
New Years your solemn aud never-to- be-
forgotten duty. ! very expensive one.
too; for If you are living in fairly good
style ii will cost yOu from q hundred to
two hundred francs.
1t Is pleasant to know that the New Year
is time when the poor are specially re-
membered. As this season sPprS hes the
people are universally appealed 70 through
the buresu of public assistance for 8 spec
isl contribution OF nancy, and few are the
families who do not rospond This hu-
reau operates ihrOU GA local societies which
exist In every munio3 pAlity, AID q part of
that which is collected j1.t Def, re lhs New
Year begins is given cut IN New Years
day as q special bounty to thoss in need;
the rest being kept 81 fund for the more
systematic relief of poverty all the year
through. In addition 10 ihis New Years
benerolence. Many will be ths calls at
your door, A1d 1t you are in q typical
Frerch family you Will fnd that hardly
sny caller is sent empty away.
In France. too. our own American cns-
tom of making New Ytsr's calls is in
vogue, but this function, which is falling
into disuse with Ne, Sc siill, Bs 1t always
has been, the life and soul of the New
Year to q FrenchmAa- Every pDbis cfi-
ciAl Is duly vieite6 by every subordinate,
and as for the President Of the republic,
sieged AL dsy long. The entire diploma
tic CORPS wait upon him on New Years
day, and an in.erminAbls string Of other
carriage folk. But not the commonsns,
for the French President is surrounded by
more fuss and feathers than the occupant
of the White House, and &c draws q strict
line socially even 81 New Years
Turkey and tFuffi=s is the great dish for
q stylish New Years dIantr. The fIutfiss
are steepe5 in Madeira wine, and after be-
ing slioed are inserted between the skin
and the meat Of this lu-ciops fowl This,
however, is d luKury which only lie rich
can enjoy in France Among the pas
ants the ne " year is pig killing tine, and
q little pork 81 the essaBt's special rel
ish for tie New Years dinner. Bot what
ever the fare OF the table, there s. always
good feeling in the heart and always pl~n-
ty of good company Ei tie 5res3dr. Not
only must the members Of 1he household
cit down together on New Years day, but,
If pots;bls, the relAfiv,s must be gathered
10, even TO the most distant cousin, and
one Of the very hsppiest oi sll the New
Years customs il thai which s.izes upon
the day IS = suitable time for healing the
breaches Of friendship md far tnoFing
the pipe OF peace over qGsrTels which
have divided families Il T.