The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-09-23
FOR THE sIEsTA.
Figaro ImpIorcs Frencsnisn tc Drop
Prsjudices and Initiate Orienta's.

In France nothing is unrcalizable ex-
cept small reforms. and that IL Why
doubt whether this one in PARTICULAR
However. many honest mon desire 1t,
and think that In the dog days the
exotic custom Of the siesta should be-
come a French usage.
IL seems also tha. we should be en-
couragcd to II by the example OF
country very much i,i the mode at pres
ent, and whose geographical stuatioI
would appear to separate IL, much mere
than ourselves. from Oriental ways; I
speak of Norway.
One of our colIaborators who passed
some days at chistiania. tells US OF
the astonishment OF two PGrisians who.
going to khocL, about 4 o'clock iG the
afternoon. OF tho door of lbscn. were
stupehed by this lciG ace from the 5er4
want: Monsieur Is asicer."
Our amiabie compatrio;s believed
that they were being made lun OF: that
this was polite fashion of gettins, rid
OF them. Not the least I'm the world
the Norwegian In spirit is not given to
this sort OF pleayantry. Ibscn was real
ly taking his siesia, following the ''Ori-
entail custom practicsd at that epoch
OF the year by nearly all the inhaDi-
tants of towns in that county.
They dine in Scandinavia ahout
o'clock. and i'm hot weather take light
nap after dinner. IL i3 not unusual
when dining In the house of a stranger
that reclining chair Is offered to the
guest at the mcmcn. when he rises
from the table. He rcposcs there half
an hour, and the coffee, meant TO walscn
him. 10 not brought ill the end Of the
half hour and the sicsta.
We live in preiuoices. IL is held by
the majority OF persons 3moDg rs that
nothing is more contrary TO the laws
of hygiene than to take horizontal
repose after eating. And this prejudice
is so firmly rooted in Frereh brains
that even in the Orient, in, the hottest
hours OF the day, when the poorest
people repose. one sees our compatriots
running about The Orientals have a
proverb about il; they say. in speaking
of the burning noon. when all tho
houses arc closed. when life pauses.
that IL is the moment when one sees I'm
the streets "ony rrenchmen and dogs"
And this association of terms Is not
meant tn wound. IL is a simple state
ment OF fact.
by dint Of writing In our Biographies
and repeating To ourselves that we live
I'm temperate climate we have snd-
ed by believing ourselves able to dis
pensc with all the precautions used II
foreign countries officially designated
hot or cold" And as we have the
advantage Of enjoying alternately each
year temperatures Siberian or tropical.
OF which our meteorological tradition
takes no account. the result Is that oui
good country of France is sometimes
the least comfortable 10 live In of any
on the globe.
Our hygienists are like Molere ply.
sician. who blamed his patient for dy.
ing contrary to the rules of medicine
They do not admit that I'm climate
officially cIassed as temperate" ona
can complain of being frozen or broiled
Whereas II Is not uncommon To hear
Russians say that they have never been
as cold as at Paris I'm winter. or To see
Brazilians or Indians in the month ot
August sitting about the verandas OF
our restaurants and regretting Santos
or Colon no FIGARO.