The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-31

Tor agriculture. Arthur Young tells us that
no never had such u practical lesson In farming
as iron, the lips Of the young arlstocrat, Nine.
dc Lnneville, who farmcd her lands, and under.
stood her crops to tho great profit of her purse.
10 literature they nearly all inclined as to their
natural elements; their letters were as mastery
as their talk; thus they gave another proof Of
tho Gracious facility for measured expression
which distinguishes Paris from London, and
makes n frivolous Fronchman q being moro
important and less offensive than a frivolous
EnGlishmnn.
Nv.
Another quality which distinguished even the
giddicst among the women Of tho Ancion
Regime was their power and knowledge Of
feeling. Many of them digniled their days by n
lifelong passion; all OF them were capable Of
sympathy. emotional or intellectual. though
they did not always use their gifts. Even the
vanity OF affection. the need Of pleasing, spurrcd
them on to share the mental life of those they
cared for. As tho men became more absorbed
in sociological and scientific questions. we hear
that the works OF Crebillon and other light
hearted authors vanished from tho drawing.
room tables, and gave way to Mot .Jsquieu or
to ltaynnls book on the emancipation OF slaves,
a treatise as experimenting as BeaunIarchais's
Figaro The frivolitics as well as the Rravi.
tics OF tho French ladies OF tho time meant a great
deal Of intelligent companionship. To convince
ourselves OF this, we need only look at their Or
binary day. Rising at nine. they had an hour
or two OF rcposeful neglise, and then. even in
the earliest stages of their leisurcly toilet,
gentlemen were admitted to visit them. Tho
American Minister, Gouverneur Morris. nc
custor cd to the Puritan habits of such over
grown villages rs Philadelphia and Boston. was.
Mt first. rather RlOCle l Mt the enae with which
his feminine friends would say to him, Mon
sicur me 1c,'mettrd de co,pinuer ma toilette ."
AMI would then suit their actions to their words.
Ono lady even received her guests in her bath,
which she modcstly thickened with milk. After
the dressing OF their hair, the social flow hardly
leased. Trey dined att the villagers standing at
the window and watching them as If they were
characters in q play; then they talked and re-
ceivcd again till supper. Most OF them went TO
church once u day. Some were devout in OBJ
scrvance; the younger folk bee anne weary on
occasions and played tricks. such as putting
c ating Bishops: The evening, again, would be
given up TO talk a d festivity. Sometimes, it
Vas spent at the Opera, which was then at tho
performance was over. the ladies' ana their
attendants stepped out into tho gardens
each ,othor to past midnight. Then they
retired to the stately beds In thei stately
Meanwhile. the early influence o. the con vent
wns by, no, means forgotten: Tho kindness
with whic" they had been inculcRicd was still
there. and their social graciousness was height
encd by the usage. OF the world. They talked
more gently OF each other than we do now. With
their servants. especially. they, were on q ia
came to them for help in every emergency; they
nyen acted with them In private ,hcatricals.
This ind lsence WAS sometimes carried to the
point OF folly: The Abigail OF Nine. de Genlis,
although plain and middle.aged. was permitted
10 fulfill he" desire Of playing q romantic Phyl.
lis; md "hen tho infatuated. maid entreated
that she might always wear her pastoral cos.
tune, and carry her crook. her mist:c ss con.
scntcd, and allowed her attendance in this
strange livery. There was another occasion when
a village girl, II tenant OF the .Genlis, came
10 the same pntroncss with a tale OF trouble.
her; she was expecting a child. Nine. de Gonlis
wrs deeply moved at what she considered n tale
OF niartyrdom: her husband the
enormous dot, and thus indnccd the now too
willing sutton to accept his bride; Sister.in,law
Gcnlis presented her with nuptial lace; brother
in.l9w GeulIs, with three pairs of fine sheets:
Madame herself. with n trousseau, aud the
whole dc Gcnlis family danced at the wedding.
hum unitarian efforts into public life, A pecrcss
OF the time instituted bureaus of Virtue and q
gnniLition Society in fancy dress. Its embcrs
"erc told OF in pairs. a lady and her cavalier,
to investigate a certain number OF cases, and
asserted that tbs cavalier sometimes con.
WINGED the lady that charity ought to begin Mt
homsf; But this entirely by the way; A month,
deed; badges, ribbons. and embraces abounded.
Love for mankind in the abstract, was.
g PsTh'RI n .p aGs of inc the only, 5urr 1sins f seEsioDed 1
good deal OF serious work was done. In
q woman's maturcr years. indeed. MS under
her cloistral discipline. personal ministcring to
the poor and Intercourse with them were more
naturally accepted by average people than oven
in these times OF institutions and associations.
II 0aea pvifhnnf aavfpp TINT ouan Uood sootnt-