Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1896-07-08
A FRENCH VIEW OF US

A FRENCH VIEW OF US
AN ARTICLE ON AMERICANS TAKEN
FROM A PARIS JOURNAL.
Our luns Women Have Some Good Points
and Others That Are Not So Good-But
the Writer Only Knows Us by the Amer
lean Colony In Paris.
Yes, Paris is becoming Americanized.
In several quarters Of the city. on the
Champs Elysees and near the Trocadero.
fayorite resorts for transatlantics with
large fortunes, as we'll as near the Pan
theon and the Luxembourg, places OF
quiet sojourn for young lady students
and artists from New York and Chi
cago, one sees unequivocal signs OF the
growing importance of the American
colony in our city during these last
years. Around the Opera, the veritable
center of the business of this colony, are
to be found, recently opened, numerous
barrooms, each with its prodigious dis
play Of TASKS, customers standing be-
fore the counter, and barkeeper lording
it about in his disorderly dress Next
door are steamship agencies. money
changers, tailors, bankers and other
representatives Of the arts and industries
who make speciality Of American busl-
| ness.
There are certainly twice as many
Englishmen as Americans in Paris, but
| half of the former hold only inferior
positions, like that of coachman, groom,
nurse or governess. On this account the
| English are much less noticeable than
the Americans, who are usually in easy
circumstances. Few English families
choose to pass any length OF time In
Paris. They prefer Cannes, Pau or Bou-
1ogne.
| What is remarkable is that IN the
American colony there is only about one
man to every five women. Indeed, there
are families in which the stronger sex
| is not represented, the husband or IA
ther being occupied on the other side OF
! the Atlantic in making the money that
is indispensable to his wife and daugh-
ters who are shining in a foreign land.
One of the motives that induce these
families to live in such an unnatural
way is the desire or pretext to learn
French. It is the fashion in the States
for children to acquire the Partisan ac-
cent. Upper tendon in New York does
not consider it's education complete
without finishing off in Paris. Anoth.
er reason why Americans are fond OF
residing in Paris is that the cost OF
living accommodates itself to every
purse, whereas in New York you must
CODY either the rich or the poor.
The first thing that an American does
i on arriving in Paris is to rush off to the
United States minister, whom he pur-
sues pitilessly. For this reason there II
always a crowd at the legation, and the
functionary who directs it is in constant
requisition for the private business OF
his compatriots. He must direct them
to good family pension, to the bes
school for boys or girls; he must give
them, confidentially, his opinion ON thu
price and quality of the merchandise
sold in such or such large store
Women of severe mien ask him mora
questions about 'the modern Baby Ion.
Modest spinsters wish the addresses
places of amusement that they may ire
ouent without danger of being shocked
Of course, the refrain to all these de
, mands is request for complimentary
, | ticket to the balls given by the presl
dent or the city or the ministers, and t
all the official entertainments. You Sc
that the diplomatic office OF the repre-
sentative from the United States Is n
l. sinecure.
A characteristic feature of America
a life in Paris is the absence OF Parlsla
l. Young ladies in American drawln
n rooms. This is explained by the disllA
d that French mothers have to the manner
D of American misses, whose assurance
l. independent carriage, and oftentlm'
ID eccentricities, seem to them bad e.
& ample for their daughters. Is this just
a. fable? 1 think not. 1 believe that ce
er tain uhases of American education
h found in the best of families, OF cours
would have a beneficial effect on frent
he girls. Our good mothers rear the
as daughters as they themselves were rea
IS ed-following sacred tradition. SUI
ey training tends to crush out original
is and the desire to adopt anything ne'
ne It is perhaps for this reason, from alta
'ir ism that is, that the vital, productlv
ls) progressive qualities seem to be dyn
,es out among US as a people. A lit
ne Americanization would seem to be NJ
ny essary.
see On the other hand, if our ladies sh
lit American receptions, our gentlem
Sc flock to them, and are esteemed accol
ore ing to their titles. A wealthy Amerlc
lee girl feels highly complimented to
lge ceive count in her drawing room, S
,od goes wild over marquis, and du
hat or prince would, without doubt ra.
is her to the seventh heaven. -Translat
. From a French Journal.