The San Francisco call., 1897-05-09
NATIONAL SENSE OF PROPERTY IN FRANCE

| $50 very French is an expression
which one hears constantly in this coun-
try in order to indicate utterances, be-
havior, literature and art that are lndell-
cate and calculated to offend the sense OF
propriety that prevails on this side OF the
Atlantic People who employ this form
OF speech are probably ign norantof the fact
that identically the same meaning Is ap'
| piled in France to the words "Bien Ameri-
cain, !" which may be rendered as $50 very
American" and to those who may feel dis
| posed to doubt the truth of this assertion
1t may be pointed out that within the past
| fortnight popular sentiment at Paris has
| forced the authorities there to quietly pre-
vent the appearance in living pictures at
the Theatre des Folies Bergeres OF an
American girl, who after deserting her
princely husband and children, had been
divorced under circum stances sufficiently
sensational to render her an attraction to
resorts of the music hall order. No harsh
measures were employed by the Project OF
Police, but after having in vain appealed
| to the ex-Princess for the sake of her chill
dren to abandon her projected debut on
the stage, he summoned the manager of
he theater and informed him that if the
appearance of the lady gave rise to even
the smallest demonstration on the part of
the audience he would instantly have the
Folies Bergeres cleared and closed on
grounds OF public morality. True, she
had previously failed in her attempts to
secure engagements on this side of the
Atlantic, the New Y York impresarios, who
have their toretingers on the pulse of pub
lie taste and sentiment, being of the opin.
| ion that she would not prove ''draw." !"
But thstonly goes.to prove what I intend
| to convey, namely, that in spite OF the
| very widespread impression to the con-
| trary, based upon misconception, the ma.
| tional sense of propriety is much the
same in both the United States and
France. and that it is immensely superior
to that which prevails in most of the
other civilized nations of the world.
With regard to the misconception that
exists in France concerning the American
standard of good taste and delicacy, it Is
attributable in the main to the infinitely
superior amount of independence of
| American women, and especially of Amer
lean oung girls, to that enjoyed by their
French sisters. The latter do not under
stand this or make allowance for it, and
when they see married women from across
the ocean arrayed in frocks that are con-
sidered as daring, and young girls going
about unescorted, flirting and attending
theatrical performances at the Palais Roy
al and the Athenee Comique, they straight
way take 1t for granted that the American
sense of propriety must be imneasurably
inferior to their own. They do not realize
that the flirting is of the most innocent
character, that the independence is nei-
ther boldness nor "brass," but merely the
result Of the different social condit tions
that prevail in this country, and that if
American misses" are seen at theaters to
which no French mother, be she grande
dame or petite bourgeoise, would bring
her unmarried daughter. 1t is because
they are &utterly incapable of fathoming
the true meaning OF the indellcate but
witty play upon words which constitutes
the chief and only Objectionable feature Of
these entertainments.
Then, too, it cannot be denied that
Americans, like their English cousins,
allow themselves a considerably larger
amount of latitude abroad than at home
with regard to the conventionalities OF
life. They look upon the trip to Europe
or the stay there in the light of a holiday
and their exu uberance of spirits sometimes
gets the better of their discretion. Eng
lish people, for instance, will 60 to the
races and even to the theater on Sunday
when abroad, whereas they would hold up
their hands with pious horror at the no.
tion of dong anything of the kind at
home. So it is with many Americans on
the Continent of the Old World, who cross
the Atlantic with the feeling that among
strangers, away from the observant gaze
of their felIow-citizens, and above all free
from the prying eye OF the American
press, which constitutes so healthy re-
straint upon their behavior, they can doff
for the nonce their strait walstcoat of
ultra. respectability and enjoy them selves
like boys and girls out for holiday and
for "real good time" This, too. is not
understood by the stay-at-home French
and all serves to warp their comprehension
OF the correct standard OF American pro.
priety.
With regard to the misconception that
prevails in the United States concerning
Gallo morality and delicacy, it is the
French themselves who are greatly to
blame, although some responsibility
doubtless attaches itself 10 scribes OF the
class of the brilliant young American
author who, after six weeks residence at
Paris spen according to his own admission
in Iounging on the boulevards and haunt.
ing resorts such as the Folies Bergeres
and the Moulin Rouge, wrote book
about the French metropolis in which he
gravely asserted that even the most de-
graded and abandoned women of the
American colony on the banks of the
Seine could never descend to the depths
OF moral infamv of the best and mos. re-
spected OF the French wives ana mothers.
But the people who are chiefly response
BILE for the reputation with which the
French are undeservedly saddled in this
country are band of more or less distin-
guished Partisan novelists, rlaywrights
and journalists If the French have one
fault it is that they are wanting In hospi-
tality IN the American sense of the word.
They do not throw open their house
to the stranger or admit him to the
intimacy of their family circle, even when
warmly commended by mutual friends.
The consequence is taat theareal French
society-and by that mean not only the
great world, but also the bourgeolsie-re-
mains terra incognita to the Amer
ican, whose only knowledge thereof
is derived from Parisian novels, plays
and newspapers. Now knavery is
always more interesting than honesty,
while virtue and morality present less at