The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-05-17
WORKING WOMEN IN FRANCE.
Eva ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Describes Their.
Home Life From Personal Experience
Their aome-Irusbana
and Wife Toll AIike-Seanty Fare and What 1t
COsts-Wine al


aIconol stove formed, with bread, the first
curse The tiny bOwlful Of soap merely
Mhelted my appetite. The plate of spinach
Maue ABOUT TWO bites apiece. A glass OF
VINE finished the meal Madame and he-
husband had evidently made a very salts
Factory meal, and were quite uncon srioffs
that had not done likewise. AS a sacriace
70 pQhteness l said that 1 had an excellent
Hledl ana tnat everything tasted very
SSoa 20 y DID. Ny mental reservation was
tnal L had only had a taste.
The working day closes at 6 O'Clock
before gong home We stopped in to a
cate, where monsieur and madame had
Ihelr evening glass Of absinthe A spoon
Iu4 IS diluted with glass of water and the
mixture sWeetened. The cafe was crowd
ed with people. all of whom ordered alb
slntne. 1t Is very cheap. costing only
cents glass. 1 did not like the stuff;
IL reminded me of cheap soda fountain
mixture. 1t has no alcoholic flavor
You Ike absinthe2" / Queried.
On, yes, they responded in chorus
one must always have a glass or two
before dinner. 1t is an appetizer"
GU are not afraid of getting the alb
slnthe habit, and being unable TO do with
out it,"
I think we already have the habit"
said the young woman. I'VE both drink
more than we did a wear ago. 1 could
not get along without my evening glass"
Don't you think it bad for the health?"
on, yes! oh, yesH' chirped madame
we call il the route TO the lunatic asy-
lum. Abs,nthe is alkali and burns out
the nerves. But what difference? one
lives only once"
For dinner we purchased a little plate
OF boiled beef for IS cents. another loaf
OF bread and Gruyere cheese for cents.
The latter is % cents a pound. l quite
agreed with the sbopkeeper, who called
our purchase petite morsel" l could
have eaten the bread. cheese and meat
myself: likewise the dandeliOn salad
which followed; but it was supposed TO
make a meal for three. Madame gener-
ously offered to encore" my portion of
meat and thereby deprive herself, but I
heroically refused. l wanted TO live for
one day as they did always. The French
are accustomed to scant food and small
variety. This family's bill of fare varies
very little from week to week. 1t is
good illustration Of the standard of living
among the hest paid workers, there are
many forced to exist on much less.
/ estimated the days living expenses for
three thus: Breakfast, six cents; dejeu-
ner, tWenty-eight cents; dinner, tWenty-siX
cents; making twenty cents for each, or
forty cents for the usual family. To mon
sieur's and madame's daily expenses We're
added absinthe, six cents, alcohol tor
fueD, five cents. and fifteen cents for wine
and cigarettes in the evening a the cafe;
giving a daily total of sixty-cents for lV-
ing expenses.
Madame was a very acute little person
and managed to see my calculation. ]
feared thatsI had given offense. On the
contrary, she kindly showed me her ac-
previous month.
Expense:
meals ana VINE sss.s..sss.sss. s9sJ.lO
Kent observation-disclosures. l.VO
Care Of child OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. ZOO
Child's clothing ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. LOO
WaShing OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. LOU
1886
Income:
Madame, zoe per day ...................$1s2O
Monsieur. soc per day .................. 2OSO
~ 4 (. + $500
Monsieur sometimes earned 81 day
but had so many idle days that the daily
wages that month only averaged so cents
So they had 1924 cents a month for cloth
ing and incidental expenses.
We adjourned to the cafe after dinner
and passed the evening there. 1t was
more comfortable than the home, being
warm and well lighted. All the friends
and acquaintances gathered there. The
was a perfect babel of tongues. The wo-
was much hilarity and animated cOnver-
sation, yet no approach to intoxication.
The common wine of the country contains
little alcohol and glass or two suffices
for the whole evening. They thoroughly
enjoyed the relaxation from the sterner
realities of life All their evenings are
spent a. the cafe. Often there is music,
or amateur theatricals. The cafe is the
one bright spot in the workers narrow
hte; and with their vivacious and pleas
ure-loving temperament, amusement ana
social diversion is a real necessity. TO
them the cafe atohes for many other pri-
Ndtlohs. Eva McDonald-Valesh.