Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1896-03-04
From the Baltimore Sum-
MAX O'RELL AGAIN.
Another Bright and Racy Talk at
Peabody Institute.
HER ROYAL RICHNESS, WOMAN.
The French and the American Cir
CIeverly Contrasted.

HER ROYAL RICHNESS, WOMAN.
The French and the American Girl
CIeverly Contrasted.
The Former a Perfect Companion to Her
Husband and the Latter Unaffected, Bril-
liant and of Unique Type-A Sketch OF
the Lecturer.
Her Royal Highness-Woman" was
the title given to Max O'Kells lecture
last night at the Peabody Institute.
AS in the lecture of the night before.
his racy comments were enjoyed by a
large audience. He discussed at some
length the characteristics of French
and American women, paying to the
former the tribute of being perfect
companion and helpmate to her hus-
band, and to the latter that of being
an unaffected, animated, brilliant type
of womanhood. Some of his piquant
remarks were as follows:
woman has played part in things
since the beginning of time. In the
first drama recorded she had the star
part, while the minor characters were
in the hands of a snake and man.
The snake played the villain and the
man played the fool.
''rhere are just two countries where
the women have the men in leading
strings-yours and mine.
French women understand perfect
ly the politics of matrimony. They
know that it is far better and more
lasting to try and appear interesting to
their husbands than to try and make
themselves beautiful.
1.-The woman who changes the style
of dressing of her hair every three OF
four weeks is more sure of keeping the
love of her husband than the woman
who doesn't.
True love may get over curl papers,
but it is extremely doubtful.
Society women are the same the
world over. 1t is not to them that
you would look for the typical women
of any country.
English people sometimes say the
French are frivolous. Thank God
that they are SO. 1t is that 'frivolity
that keeps their husbands home. You
won't find one Frenchman in a thou
sand belonging to club And as faI
as women's clubs-well, you don't hear
of them in France. Our women are
not of the advanced kind. the new
woman kind.
when French girl marries she
gains her liberty. When an English
girl marries she loses hers. But when
an American girl marries she retains
hers.
"If there were any young man in a
quandary whether to give in to his
mother-in-law or shoot himself l would
say to him, Shoot her.
Every Frenchman you see is almost
certain to have been or to be in the
future ruled by three generations OF
women. His mother never surrenders
the influence she once had over him,
his wife soon learns how to manage
him and his daughter, when she grows
up, adds her persuasive powers to the
two elder women.
IAN English woman usually thinks
that money is round, made to roll, but
French woman always knows that it
is flat and made to pile up. You will
always find Madame as cashier and
bookkeeper in Monsieur's shop, and
she knows the business just as thor
oughlyas he.
1.-THE ladies who are kind enough to
serve as help in this country always
strike me as being reduced duchesses.
'There is as yet no typical American
man. Brother Jonathan is young yet
and hasn't had time to develop. But
Mrs. Jonathan is thoroughly develop
ed as a type.
THE American woman has the soft
est berth in this world. 1t l could
change my sex and my place of nativi-
ty l would like most devoutly to be an
American woman.
ITO me the American woman is the
most interesting woman in the world.
This is because of her brilliancy of
conversation, the animation of her fea-
lures, her utter lack of affectation.
She is at home in the drawing room
and everywhere, natural and sincere,
and able always to entertain men, She
is unique.
'.To any European the charm of a
visit to America lies largely in the total
absence OF stupid looking faces. In
Europe there are too many of them.
You can't all be beautiful in this
country, but you at least are intelli-
gent-looking.
1.-The behavior of the American girl
startles Europeans at first, but in the
end it invariably charms US. Iexplain
her actions as due to the supreme re
spect shown her by American men.
when a Frenchman meets wo
man and steps aside to let her pass he
never fails to stare at her and study
her. We are artistic and we love to
look at things beautiful. But an
American man under the same circum
stances would lower his eyes and miss
the vision
1.-The American woman always ex-
poets and always gets a triumphal arch
everywhere that she goes. The troub
lie with us is that we don't put up any
such arches. But must say that the
American woman doesn't seem parti
cularly grateful for what she has got
ten.
when an English woman becomes
Learned she usually thinks that puts
her above the necessity of keeping her
self neat. But every advance ia learn
ing that the American woman makes
seems to cause her to pay even more
attention to her dress and her appear
ance."
Paul Blouet is the real name of the
witty Frenchman who is known every
where as Max O'Rell. He was born in
Brittany forty seven years ago, was
O0uCdOCO Ill ais. IOuSuU Ill the
Franco-Prussian war, was captured at
Sedan, fought against the Commune
and was severely wounded, went to
England in 1873 as a newspaper cores
pendent, taught French there for a
dozen years, mastered the English lam
guage thoroughly, wrote some educa-
tional books. became great traveller
and lecturer. and in 1888 began the
series of witty satirical works which
have made him SO we'll known. Among
them are John Bull and His Island
John Bulls Daughters" Friend
and Jonathan and His
Continent" He is slightly above
medium height, with a bright manner
Of speaking and expressive gestures. |
which add much to the charm of his |
ectures.
From Charlottesville Progress.l