Omaha daily bee., 1896-02-09

wear, and no fashion could compel her to pu
on something she realizes would be unbecom
ing. l think 1t is this which gives French
women the reputation for being chic in theiI
dress; chic is the power to make the best
presentation of ones self, regardless Of what
any one else may do. l think American
women should remember this more than
they do
LACK OF INDIVIDUALITY.
The fact is that it may not be easy to con-
vey this idea in the cold. ter-of-fact at
mosphere of printed column, that this out
spoken, delightful French woman was simply
talking away as he felt and the thoughts
came to her without the least particle of at
tempt at posing or criticising. She was de-
lighted with the country with the women,
with her reception here, and yet when her
ideas were asked she gave them frankly.
And one of her fixed ideas was that America
in it's streets, its buildings, its women, its
customs lacks al marked individuality and
typical national characteristics Without
saying 1t in SO many words, for she was too
polite, che seemed to look at this country
as a rather incongruous though interesting
and wonderful mixture of Continental imi-
tations and dilutions. She could find Paris
here and London and Europe, but she could
not find America
why" she said, "let me tell you Of some
thing that caused me real disappointment.
These last two or three days l have been
driving all over New York. buying things to
bring back to Paris, and, Of course, ] wanted
a lot of souvenirs for my friends, something
that would possess flavor OF the land in
which had been. And do you know that
among all the beautiful and costly things
they showed me l could not find any bibelots
or articles of any sort that would seem to me
absolutely American. Stop minute-there was
one, the typewriter, but that was too big to
bring back by the dozen, and l am afraid
my friends would not have been able to use
acp't hat cpan at
Broadway could find everything that would
be on sale in the great shops of Paris or
London and scarcely anything that would
not be on sale there?"
THE AMERICAN HUSBAND.
We wound up our talk with reference to
American husbands and wives, and here
Yvette thought that the former were to be
at once congratulated and pitied; congratu-
lated on being married to the most brilliant
and beautiful women in the world, pitied
because it seems necessary for them to slave
so hard to make their wives happy. She
thought the rush after money was too hot
and fierce for that even enjoyment Of
domestic felicity so common in France
It seemed to her that American husbands
work so hard through the day as to leave
them no strength for the wholesome enjoy
ment OF the evening with their families,
An erican wives are left so much alone by
their husbands there might be danger of
their seeking the companionship they crave
outside the family circle. She thought it
strange. too, that in America 1t should be
considered bad form for wives In moderate
to do daily work just as their
husbands do and as women often do in her
country.
~ suppose II is all right though" she
said with Characteristic lifting Of the eye
,rows, 'if the husbands do not want their
wives to work, and the wives are unwilling
o work, why everybody is happy. 1t would
eem queer, though, to people in France
Why in Paris, you know, nothing is more
,yery day with her husband and assist him
n the business, either selling things or stand
ng at the little desk and keeping the ac-
counts Indeed, French women are often
he guiding spirit in their husbands affairs, |
nut in America 1t Is the fashion for wives to |
lpow little about how their husbands earn |
heir money. ! am told though. that they |
Inow how to spend It,"