Middletown transcript., 1896-02-01
THE FAMILY IDEA IN FRANCE.

+ band or fielding daughter, but per
9 her position in the home is pre-eminen
and an attitude of courteous deferen,
] is maintained toward hsrin public an
+ private by visitor and iumate alike.
England, on the contrary, Max OsRs
notices that among the W5ll-.u-l
, classes the mother is II 1t always to b
found in the foreground, aud he as
cribes it mainly to the fact that she en-
ters portionless upon her married life,
4 He says: 1.-THE dot gives to the Frencl
| wife certain feeling of independence
and authority in the house. She is some
body, her husbands equal. In England
she is something more than a housekeep
er inpoint Of rank, but at the same tim,
something less, if we consider than nc
wages are due to her and that she Car
not give notice to leave.''
In every French family where there
is the smallest margin of income over
expenditure provision for the future
of girl is begun as soon as she is born
and each years economies go toward
augmenting the dot. Moreover she il
sure of her Inheritance when her
thrifty parents coms to die, for the law
forbids the denuding of a natural heir
by the caprice or the prejudice Of the
testator. Even in the rare event of q
headstrong marriages. ecorous
French elopement, shielded from sc .n-
dal by the legal formality Of the "re-
spectfal summons the exasperated
father can only forbid her presence or
the utterence of her name in her old
home during his own lifetime. When
death calls him away she will re-enter
inevitably upon her rights and share
equally with brothers aud sisters the
inalienable moiety, at least, of the pa
triomony.
Sharply defined and sure are the
channels Of inheritance, and the cer-
tainty Of working of the laws govern
ing property tend to make the French
family compact-unit, with solida-
rity SO complete that what touches one
member affects them all. A stain OH
the mercantile honor of a father
smircbes the daughter and warrents
the family of would-be suffer in for
bidding the bans.
A phase of this solidarity of the
family which is most interesting to
the foreigner is the COUNSEL de fam
ille," which holds authority not only
by custom but by law. This power
has been invoked in all ages in family
disputes over money, even 50 long ago
as when the SON of the aged Sophoclas
used it to summon his father before
the tribunal to show cause why he
should not be interdi tied from lavishly
dispensing his property to the detri-
ment Of his legal heirs.
In France this family council has
yet nobler use in the protection of
those weaker members of society who
are dailv sacrificed as victims to their
own'generosity and another Is selfshness,
Such was the case of a French artistic,
whose studies had been directed with
the sole and modest ambition of be-
coming successful teacher of art, and
who had at last attained the reward of
years of patient work. Her reputation
was establishedin Paris az good in
structor, her studio was crowded with
Glasses and her earnings suffi; ed for
many luxurie5 in her CHEEKY comfort
able apartments. There she lived,
happy as the day was long, near neigh
bOr to devoted friends who had helped
her tide over the hard places in her
struggle for success. Abruptly c4me
IN appeal from heartbroken brother.
3is wife, had died suddenly under ps cal- |
arly painful circumstances, and he !
iistractedly besought h er to come and |
AXE charge of his home and mother
ess children. He vowed eternal graft
tude and undying affection, aud said |
he was his only hips and atoms could
i've him from despair. She MAS moth
rless and fatherlsss, and In this cuuu-
ry or England there would have been
My what is called the ufficiousness Of
interfering friends to prevent the
sual sacrifice.
There were, however, living in Btis-
any, two old lady .aunts, who immed-
ately called into Family council, the
distant relatives. Their de-
ision was that if Mile, x. sacrificed
er assured career and the happy life
'hich she preferred above other possi- :
llities on earth, her brother in return
lustsettle upon her little capital suf
cient to secure her Independence and
I'VE her future from want or bitter de-
upon cold charity. The
WidoWer might console
lmself with new wife, or il he
HANGED to die the children might
AXE her feel burden upon them.
be brother was. therefore, eujoined $
make at once and in proper business :,
rm safe provision for her future. b
the ''council'' would not permit her b
follow the generous impulses Of her = =