The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-05-22
SOME FRENCH CUSTOMS.
Insist Upon Triple Insurance of, and
Economize In Stationary.


The French people are great pniloso-
piers, and have evolved a simple sys-
TEN of living that is not easily UNDER
stood by otner nations. is is there, Il
at any SPOT on the race OF The Slope'
that the qu;ntessence OF oohieseic
economy Is Dracticed.
The French say among themselves
that they are only eXtravagaEt ~ one
thing, peanuts. These sell in fat1s iof
a penny a piece, and are CONSIDERED d
great luxury. In fact, no elaborate ulIi-
ner would be complete without a shidH
clsh OF them to decorate the table. a
source OF economy in Fans is postage
stamps ana stationery. 1t is Thought
cheaper 10 send a message Dy a ser
want than TO write a note. IN 1act,
notes are only sent out Tor the most
formal functions, when they MIeeo
assume formidable proportions.
No lady in Paris would ever be al
lowed TO do her own marketing, Tor the
shopkeepers and domesucs nave an
agreeable little arrangement by which
she would have to pay The most eXorpl-
tant prices If she attempted such q
thing. The servants do the marketing,
and the shopkeepers give them COM
missions At the same time they sell
to them cheaper than to anyone else
Mrs Mackay is known to have fouSnt
tins system of commissions when she
tirst went to live in Paris, prererrins
she said, to pay higher rates to her
servants But although her efforts
were all for the benefit of the domes-
tics, they combined with the shopkeep-
ers to Inform her that in Paris one
must follow the customs OF the trench.
The French are not fond of moving
about, and are very cautious II is Gus
tomary to take a lease of an apartment
for at least Is years. An insurance
policy is obligatory, and one must IN
sure his neighbOr that nVes
above him, as well as his neighbor that
lives below For, in case OF the apart
ment taking fire, these neighbors might
easily have their belongings ruined py
the fire, or the water used to quench
the fire. In their turn, however, the
neighbors are obliged to insure MN,
so that every one is protected by
triple insurance.
Another ruling characteristic in Paris
is the idea of propriety. In la haute
societe. that of the Faubourg saint
Germaine, it is thought proper for a
debutante to appear at a ball in one OF
three colors: White, pink or blue. she
is also allowed to say three llttie
phrases, Oui. Monsieur Non, Mon
sleurl and Oh, Monsieur The Va.Iety
lies in the different intonations or the
voice. DuIlUS SCooCA
Young American girl, with excellent
introductions, had, most unfortunately.
not acquainted herself with this law or
color IN French ballroom. she
therefore, appeared at a dance given by
La Duchesse de la Rochefoucault in an
exquisite yellow creation of Worth.
This breach of etiquette was never Ior-
given. and her social career in Paris
was at az end.
Saturday is the day in the Jardin
d'Acclimatation to see the brides of the
poorer classes. Naturally they cannot
afford a wedding journey, so IT Is GUS
tomary for them, on leaving the church.
to go out to the Garden, surrounded by
their attendants, and in all their brldai
splendor Then, with much coaxing and
showing great embarrassment, the
| bride is prevailed upon 20 ride upon the
elephant, after which she and the
groom quietly leave the Garden. ON
some Saturdays one can see as many as
ten or twelve brides, all being sure that
they are properly married by riding On
the eleDhant.