The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-09-19

themselves. and classified according TO scien-
tinc method. But Fronchmen, he says. are bet
ter than the portraits drawn OF thom, even
though these portraits are painted with the
colors fabricated by thoir own acts. To arrive
at a sound judgment concerning his country
men, one must boar In mind, ho says, that the
manner Of life and tho habits OF mind of the
French people have long been at variance. and
that there are two co.exlstont Frances, one Of
which amuses itself with what the other
writes. but declines to put it into practice.
Undoubtedly, IL France were to DO judged by
its literature exclusively, II would have to
be denounced as rotten. BY those observ.
ors, however, who study life as well rs
books. the strength Of family ties in France
is recognized as distinctly as is the superficial
corruption OF manners. Neither political rovo-
lutions nor economic disturbances. nor even the
vices by which the ruling class has been often
ravaged, have apprccinbly distorted tho French
conception OF the family. That conception still
rests to-day on respect for the wife. on tho con.
filling tenderness OF the children. on vencra.
ton for the dead. and on love of country.
DetraCtors say. indeol, that the manner
In which Frcnchmen treat women Is more
compatible with gnllantry than with true
respect: that the relations between parents
and children seem TO be stamped with q
roguish tonderness; that the religion Of
mourning and OF the cemetery is both vague
and formal. and that the attachment to the
domestic hearth, in its rather petty narrowncss.
IMPOSES restraints upon great ambitions and
bold enterprise. Very different is the French
family type, analysed by lie Play, which rests
squarcly on the strict observance OF what he
calls tho eternal decalogue. Therein tho action
Of the father preponderatcs, and his author "
Is absolute. The children are allured to the
practice Of manly virtues; death Is regarded as
a normal accident, and the fitting OF the young
birds from the nests as an inevitable law.
Frenchmen allot more space than do other
European peoples to passion. to sentiment. to
DIR ans. Their conception of life is different;
life itself Is less austere and moro attractive.
This is because the influence Of woman is pow.
erfully excrted. Eloquent pages have been writ
ten about the Frenchwoman. but our author
thinks that they may be summed up by recog.
MIXING a simple but capaciou fact. namely. that
while In other countries the woman movement
Is continually becoming more accumulated and
is already producing some disarray on the
border of the family, in France 1t inccssantly
miscarries. and its declamatory dissertations
provoke nothing but h~ilnrity. Evidently, the
Frenchwoman will take good care not to re-
nounce for the sake Of acquiring an elusive
equality the domain OF which she herself has
fixed the limit, the part which she has chosen to
play. the sovereignty OF which she has secured
to herself the usufruct. She has managed to
transform marriage by introducing into it
habits OF fellowship, a harmonious cqui-
librium. an insight into one mothers
soul. a fusion of sentiments which scarcely
seems to have existed in the world be-
fore her advent. She counts no sacrifice too
dear for the sake OF obtaining the goal which
she appoints to herself, to wit. the absolute and
complete possession OF her husband; and, in her
desire to please him, to be always at his side. she
avoids not the opprobrium which may befall
him. although, by exposing herself thereto. she
often causes herself to be falsely judged. Her
children belong to her, first of ell. and above all;
she does not give them to the race; she gives
them to herself, TO love them. to pct them. to
procure for them that for which she herself
thirsts above all others Of her kind, namely. hap
piness.