Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-03-17


drilling between. Not only reading and
writing are taught to these tiny children,
but stories are told them. in order. from
their country's history. 1t has been the
complaint of religious people that all Bible
history and sacred stories are forbidden
What are called lessons in useful things are
also Kept up constantly.
AT last. toward noon, the most interest
ing hour OF the day arrives. Ii IS the time
or lunch, or breakfast, as the French ray
with their habit of taking little besile a
bit of bread and coffee in the early morn
ing Some OF these children are glad to
go 10 school with nothing at all N their
stomachs If at noon they can stay their
hunger at the city'S expense And Il must
be remembered that these schools are not
private charity, or an experiment in
some corner. They are the Uubllc schools
furnished by the city of Paris in every ward
and district, to every one of the population
who cares to make use of them Every
tnlnS Is arranged to avoid any exhibition
or charity and To spare the feelings of these
little hearts. y few of the children whose
parents wish IL and who live near enough
to the schools, will always 80 home at
this time. But the great number remains
and they are fed on a footing Of perfect
equality.
All Attention.
Each child brings in his basket If
his parents can give it to aim, 4 piece of
bread and often little bottle of wine (the
universal beverage in the poorest families),
and some fruit and bit of cheese by way
OF dessert. The city is supposed TO furnish
none OF these portions of the meal. But in
the great eating room attached to each
school there is given out to every scholar n
plate OF soup, piece of good meat and a
veSetable-all steaming hot from The can
tine. For all this each Child is supposed to
pay daily ten centimes 1.-TWO centsD But
tne same Is given to all, whether they are
able TO pay or not, and nothing IS said
ABOUT II. BY arrangement with the parents
the children of the very poor even receive
the piece of bread to bring with them in
their baskets, SO that no self-respect is lost
or any division of riches made in this little.
world. The system. which certainly has
the merits of tender pity ana practical
benevolence, is followed out consistently IN
all the Paris schools up to the highest No
tampering is allowed with a SYSTEM which
Is intended to insure the absolute equality
or all the students. Only a Week ago a
professor was severely blamed for discIus-
ing the fact that an idle pupil OF his ella So
in higher school was a boursier Of the
city.
Does 1t Lead to Anarchy.
There are people who shake their heads
at all this and say that by srpprcssiag all
inequalities of fortune inside The schools
the scholars find the inevitable ineuua!ity
of the world outside all the narder to bear.
This may easily be imagined in the case Of
a youth like Emile Henry, the bomb throw
er, who grew uD to mans estate with a
higher education and wearing fitting clCtnes
at the city'S expense. Hence add the wise
acres. when the city's protection Is with
drawn in the face Of fellow-stu,lents Who
have fortunes of their own the protected
child is filled with envy and ]iscontcnt and
hatred of society-and practical anarchy.
Meanwhile the principle is carried out to
the extreme. In these maternal schc Jls the
city furnishes, in case of need, hat and
blouse. breeches and shoes, so that 10 Grid
need blush before it's mates in tnis French
revolutionary land of liberty. equality and
fraternity.
Home From school.
After the lunch. without which many d
child would go hungry. there is a longer
play time. Then all this little world is
marched together to the lavatory to wash
faces and hands in order This may be the
chief lesson of the day for some of hem.
For the bath is not esteemed among the
lower-class French. Then they lille into
class again, to their eternal singing, with
more moralities and encouragement to self
admiration-a trait of personal character
which so distinguishes the French.
The hour has come for class
Little friends, let's take way.
Each to his place must pass.
And each one should obey.
Every one will love us
If We are very wise;
They will know how good we are,
And see 1t in our eyes.
This everlasting singing Of doc;.;arel Is a
great Inconvenience to the nei gh5ors and
at least one American boarding house owes
It's failure In Paris to its neighborhood v irh
such a school.
The afternoon follows like The muraiag.
and there is nothing new until school is
dismissed in the evening. But this is o,ict-
nal enough. In this wicked CITY even the
little children Of the poor are not trusted
any great distance alone on the street Ac-
cordingly, things are so arranSed tina. The
children can be taken as he parents re-
turn from their work. The difficulty was
how to prevent these little devils firm
rushing out altogether, with the true pnri-
sian childs taste for running off adyant;Ir-
ously. To solve this they are ,ot LET out
by the great gate Of the school which thev
enter in the morning; but a little rostorn
| through which only one can pass 1T 4 tire.
under the guardians watchful eyes
So the day of the least Partisan chiI1 is
over. In these maternal schools toy-s and
girls are kept together, with only women 10
teach them. But when the child j.. siy
years old all these pleasant days are over.
He becomes bona 1de school boy END she
a school girl-each limited to his or her Awn
kind-in the other schools of the city There
Is no more make believe Of learning though
this too NAV have been not the least useful