Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-10-28

passed a lovely week following the ciass~'
and talking with the professors
what did you. on the whole. ma '"os'
striking In American society," am
ashamed OF that question; but i ooh
quite know how TO put 1t better
NEW ORLEANS Is PICTURESQUE
THAT would be hard 10 answer sara
Madame Blanc musng'y, your society
Is like your country. so biz. so diversi-
fed In It's aims and interests. Inc cnarn
of New Orleans. where l hVeu hhe III
faIryland at the fanciful time Oh c"!ni-
val. and the calm. sober charm OF bos.oh'
for instance, are quite oii''e"', p",
one thing struck me. everywhere. In all
w. 6,rrnpcnt social circles: and It GER
tainlv IMPRESSED me deeply: that was the
mar, plaved by women. They are the
society leaders And-thls struck me, 100.
very viyidly-the women In your country
ore en- interested In each other; they were
as witty ms brilliant at the ladies' iunch-
cons where there were only women as III
thcy had an audience OF men. i rear we
might cct little bored. In France, shin-
| inc for three hours without man 10
hear our best things. But your women
eecm 10 like SC. / find the friendships
among women beautiful. here, above all
uben thcrc Is not that little touch or
exaggcra don. which rather spoils them
sometimes. Friendship has nothing TO
do with passion and is not the less strong,
for that | think The chief point Is to be
able TO trust each other. and Know we
do. There Is n great deal OF true, solld
devotion between women friends in Ameri-
ca More than once | have seen two or
them who spent part or all OF their time
together. This could hardly be in France!
There one would not be likely to have
a chance to form such a close intimacy
with another woman. our customs 90
not encourage It: and French husbands
would not be pleased that their wives
should have very close women frIends.
The wife might confide too much or ms
little errors as husband. you know she
added. smiling.
But" l could not help interrupting.
II should fancy that a woman would be
less dangerous recipient Of her con-
ndencos than handsome young man;
and her pity would be far less danger
ous"
perhaps" said my French friend. smil-
ing: but he is less afraid OF the man
than Of the woman"
Women. l dare say. have less liberty
in France, anyhow
FRENCH WOMEN UNEMANClPATED.
"They are less emancipated; but hardly
think they have less power. DO you
know one thing-yOur men are admirapie'
| am fond Of them; they are so KIM 10
womcn-to women eyerywhere-lrreapsct-
I've Of the woman's youth or looks or con-
dition. vet | really don't think that they
are SO interested in women as are
Frenchmen. When two Americans meet
bv chance they talk OF politics. or the
business situation. or the like; they would
never think Of discussing women
"Surely not"' ! cried. opening my eyes.
"Do YOU mean that Frenchmen would!
"'The talk would vcer round to that
direction finally, however 1t began SAID
she. dryly.
The comment came involuntarily from
tho listener: american men have some
thing more important 10 talk about than
American women. They have 10 taik
about getting the money TO support IN"
American women. But j can see that
this trait must make French rover or
husband a very delightful person whiie
his emotion lasted. Tell me another
thing-do the novelists paint French wo-
men truly"
She grew graver MAY say that that
depends on the life of the writer? do
not sec how a man whose whole ac1uaint-
ance has been with bad type OF woman
can understand the foul Of an innocent
girl or a pure wife. He Ia only fanilla
with the nl-rcgulsted impulses and the
hysterical affections Of the women whon
he has known best. He paints with
colors dipped out OF his own heart, .I'
result is vivid, impressive. but not al
WAYS true. And II is Of necessity mar
row"
II suppose the woman described Is
usually the Parisienne? Is there I'm France
as marked difference between the life
OF the provinces and the city life as there
is here
"Oh. quite" she answered. provincial
life is free from tho faults with which
paris is reproached. But I admit there
is some dulnoss there. Society Is more
divided There you will find always the
same little knots, the circle OF the old
aristocracy, OF the bourgeoise. and hnaIiy
of the tradespeople. And you cannot
pass from one circle into another as you
can in Paris Yet it is country life that
IS most interesting after ALL
81 suppose it is very different from our
country life?
There are points of resemblance between
the southern country life and life in our
provinces.
There IS the came hospitality. ! find
many Of the same frank ~'irtues and the
same spirit Of kindness between different
ranks. Your negroes, you tell me, have
the habit of calling their masters and mis-
tresses Familiarity by their Christian
names, so too, the French peasants would
speak of the sons Of the house, calling
Monsieur Henri or Monsieur Louis, al
though they might have a title; just as
your negroes would say Mr.. Henry, Miss
Mary"
Don't you find a great difference be-
tween the plantation life and the New
England country life"
GOOD TASTE a VIRTUE.
Eyes. they are very different. The
New England estates are not so large OF
course and, indeed. different in every
way went to some fine places near
Boston; but they were villas; the grounds
about them all belonged 10 the house,
they were not in the midst Of farms. One
house / admired az something unique
was Mrs Jack Gardeners. 1t is full Of
exquisite things gathered from ali parts
Of the world. Mrs. Gardner has wonder
ful taste. 1T becomes almost a virtue
to have so much taste as that She has
been rewarded for it. Sargent has made
after her his most beautiful portrait.
Then, | saw the large western farms
near GalcshurG, where at least one very
cultivated lady farmer lives, / assure
You. and ! saw something Of the great
sugar plantations: but there is always
a show Of business about Il sugar plan
tation; 1t IS more like a mandatory
than an estate
Il suppose" / said. feeling a rush Of
many questions and taking the first. head
long; II suppose that most Of the
French writers live in Paris. not in the
country
Yes; most OF them; although in each
province there are writer's who prefer the
country life or are constrained 10 take IT..
But Madame Sand always loved the coun-
try. THIS granddaughter of Marechal
SAKE, with ell her cXperienco.of life. was
peasant at heart; that is part Of r
genius. She was outside the peasant
life and yet inside II; and she always
loved nature. 80 one has written more
truthfsliy Of the fields and the peasants,
always with a poetic touch. y strong
rustic talent you are not enough ac-
QuaintCd with. Andre Theuriet, keeps
wandering by his thoughts and imaglna-
ton in his native woods Of Larroni, even
when detained bodily IN Paris. Some Of
Theur!et's works recall more than any
thing else your outdoor library. Then
there is Ferdinand Fabre, who knows so
much about provincial and clerical life!
But you always abuse. you foreigners our
wicked novels, and never choose, however.
to read the good. sound ones. To return
to the country. Nine Henry Greyille has
always lived much there. Alphonse pau
det passes a good part of the year in a
family place called Champrose. Then
Their are the provincial writers who live