New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-04-07
TOPICS IN PARIS.
A KIND-HEARTED PRESIDENT.
HOW NJ FAURE GIVES AWAY DOLLS-SATNT
CLOUD IS TO DIsAPPEAR-THE MOST EX-
elusive CLUB IN FRANCE


Paris is par excellence the city Of dolls There
is no place in the world where they are TO be
found in such dainty perfection as on the banks
Of the Seine. and people send .here from all quar-
tiers of the globe, even from China and Japan for
these beautiful counterparts of the Parisienne,
both great and small. Just at the present mo-
ment there is an altogether uawonted activity in
the doll trade and the manufacturers are Jubi-
liant and loud in their expressions OF good WI!
toward the new President. for IT is he who Is re
sponsible for this boom in dolls. Ever since his
election he has made a practice Of devoting at
least two mornings week to visiting hospitals
not merely ordinary perfunctory official VISIT
but an inspection into which he throws his whole
heart and geniality Instead OF contentng himseIl
with marching through the various wards es-
corted by the officials of the establishment, he
makes a point of going from bed to bed, shak-
ing hands with the patients, inquiring into their
condition. encouraging them with cheering
words and all this without the slightest appear
ance Of hurry or being pressed for time. 1t Is
especially by the bedside Of sick children that he
tarries the longest, and. as he is very tender
hearted. he generally asks the little patients
what he can do to give them pleasure and to
make them forget their pain. The answer al
most Invariably is "Une poupee." and down goes
Presidents aides-de-camp. with the result that
on the following morning there arrive several
boxes containing superb dolls-not mere cheap
things but really expensive ones. such as one
would expect to find in the nurseries and play
rooms Of the rich. | should be afraid 10 say now
many dolls the President has given away since
he became Chief Magistrate, but should mag
inc that il must be over a thousand-ln 1act
considerably above that figure; and inasmuch as
not one of them has cost less than ~ or ~ francs
It will readily be seen that this peculiarly 'ouch-
ing form Of charity has made little hole in the
Presidents large purse. The best OF 1t Is that
the example which he has thus set has been eX-
tensively followed, not alone by the so-caled
"nouve!les couches." or shining lights OF the re-
publican regime. but also by ia haute finance
and even by the noble faubourg. In fact. every
body is sending dolls TO the ch!ldrens hospitals.
orphan asylums and homes for foundhngs and
the doll-makers are at their wits ends to meet
the demand. No wonder that one hears NJ.
Faure spoken of among the rich as among the
poor, and especially among the latter as on
le brave homme." which may be rendered in Eng
lish as What a good fellow" The strange thing
about the whole affair is that If NJ. Casmir-
Perier had done precisely the same thing he
would have been set down as a popularity hunter
and his Kindness would have been denounced as
mere pose" 1t is difficult to account for this
inconsistency. unless it be that the personality
of the present Chief Magistrate is so much more
sympathetic and pleasing than that OF his prede-
cessor.
He has taken advantage of this good feeling
toward him to institute number of much-needed
reforms not among the least difficult Of which is
the revision and very radical epuraton Of the list
OF people who have hitherto been permitted TO at
tend the various entertainments at the Elysee
These functions have often excited rsdicule and
unfavorable comment on account OF the eXraord-
nary people who were TO be met among the guests,
persons whose antecedents and whose present con-
dition were such as to debar them from access to
any respectable salon. NJ Faure rightly holds
tina. there IS no reason why the President Of the
Republic should be expected to receive and enter
tain individuals who would not be permitted to
cross his threshold he in private life. and Is
of the opinion that their presence is not only dis
courtesy toward his other guests. but calculated
to injure the social prestige of the Presidency and
of the Nation. Accordingly, the days of the hap
py-go-ucky method of entertaining at the Elysee
are now over Those who possess uniforms ex-
pected to them. just as they would be obliged
TO do at any foreign court function. while it may
safely be taken for granted that women IN ordi-
nary street dresses and men in frock coats and
scarlet ties will no longer be seen walking
through the salons Of the Elysee. Glowing Ambas-
sailors and prelates IN their anxiety to get 10 the
well-served buffet.
The good nature andindulgence OF the President
seem to have affected all classes OF society, and
there is so much goodwill abroad as TO tempt one
20 believe that the millennium IS at hand. Thus,
at the Palais Bourbon find the President Of
the Chamber. Henri Brisson, professed atheist.
actually inauguratlrg system Of Lent menus"
for those of his guests who are devOut Catholics.
That is to say there IS set Of dishes for those
who eat meat and another for those who do not
during the penitentia1 season. None Of his prede-
cessors at the Palais Observation-Disclosures some Of
them professed fervent piety-ever ventured TO
start such q scheme. and it has remained for the
most uncompromising OF atheists TO do Then,
too French n1en-of-war are preparing to take part
in the opening Of the Baltic and North Sea Canal
as the guests Of the German Nation Senator Jules
Simon declaring In print that Emperor William
speaks French with an infinitely better Partisan
accent than either Napoleon l. Napoleon III or the
Duke Of Orleans; and finally, We have had the
solemn dedication. in the presence OF Count Min
ster, Of the first Lutheran German church on the
banks of the Seine. II matters go on at this rate
there will be no obstacle whatever to Emperor
William paying his promised visit TO this city in
connection with the international exhibition which
is to signalize the advent Of the twentieth CEN
tury.
Saint Cloud has played so notable a part in
the monarchical history Of France during the
last $50 years that the announcement of the de-
cision Of the Government to cut up the glorious
park into building lots excites universal regret
The pleasure ground owes Its origin to Cardinal
Mazarn, who. away back IN 1858, acquired II
from the tax-farmer Hazard for the young Duke
OF Orleans. The price paid was 100000 francs
and at the close OF the last century Queen Marie
Antoinette purchased it from the Orleans family
for 100000 francs. It was there that Napoleon
I proclaimed himself Emperor and that he cele
brated his marriage with the Austrian Arch
duchess Marie Louise. and again 1t was In the