The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-09-02
.,b,, ,or x,r, n. we'll a. pretty much everything

thlrsuly for a meeting OF French club women
where an American sense Of fair play and cour-
tesy would not be on hand 20 suppress rebellion.
The meeting closed with a long and graceful
speech In French by Madame WrlghtSewan'
| after which she was deluged with bouquets
In the shape OF speeches from various French
women present. II was a lovely occasion
TuE SrS correspondent stood by when tho
meeting broke up. It was a liberal education
In French compliments.
"Ah, Madame WrightSewan. said one, you
have brought us one light only 10 rob us OF an
other. Sou brought US the light OF progress
and now YOU rob rs OF yourself
That's better than they do. except on special
OCCASIONS, az sorosis.
Il have met you too late. madame" said
another. who gave a low courtesy when she was
presented.
Madame wrightsswall,' said a fourth,
here is Mile. A.. who has written eome verses
in your honor. II has been "A veritable labor
OF love for her"
Whereupon the trembling young woman
placed her hands upon her breast ana burst
into poetry Of the most fcrvid variety,
II was a beautiful thing" Mrs. Sewall said
Inter 10 the correspondent. As fine M a bit
from Victor Hugo. But really. you know,
| haven't been able to get my packing done
lO=udN DfNduNf VI iA"T w" F'''
Of poets coming To reclte their sonnets TO me
| finally gave orders that EVENT. the resurrected
spirit Of william Shakespeare putin an appear
ance | would have TO be excused. I'll be able
10 get out q volume Of sonnes In my honor
IL Il stay much longer. As tits, I've had TO buy
a new trunk TO carry the books which have
been given me by the authors. These people
break into poetry about az naturally as an
American woman breaks into ordinary con-
versatiOn,
What do YOU think OF the French women"
Mrs. Sewall closed her eyes with an eH-
preston which said that really this was beyond
her. Then she rallied
They have all the graces and all the charm;
all the beauty and all the brilliance, " she ex-
claimed.
This seemed to cover the ground pretty
enectually with the exception OF the virtues
which Mrs Sewall did not mention. But OF
course that may have been a matter OF con-
science with her.
You see I an enamored, she went on.
But it's nothing new. | have always been
an ardent admirer Of French women. and l
simply admire them more now than ever. |
think | have gone into their homes as few II
any American women have gone and l find
them charming. ! have met only one impolite
person In Paris during the nine weeks | nave
been here. lie was a cab driver
And he was rude to you?"
Yes. He couldn't understand my French
What about the French home life3'
1T il charming. As for the fathers. one
Of the most vivid OF my impressions OF Paris
il the number Of men whom | have seen carry
ing their children. In America we tell the
story OF the child who said: Mamma, who is
the man that comes and stays at our house
over sunday That, my dear, Is your papa.
What is a papa, mammal That kind OF story
would never be told about French fathers
Mrs. Sewall h~esitated as II she might be going
to say that some other kind might be; then sh'
thought better Of 1t and went on, The French
family life. "a l have seen It, Is exceedingly
tender aud close.
Are the French women given to dubs?"
NO. There is one woman's club in Paris
and only one. II is not like our women's clubs.
but like those in London. Like mems clubs.
in fact. There IL no ralson d'etre for our variety
OF women's clubs I'm Paris. The reason for
their Organization at home was to bring to-
gether a number OF women who wanted TO
instruct their minds about interesting things
and TO acquire the ability TO talk entertain
ingly about these things. There Is no such
reason for the existence Of women's clubs In
Paris. The very working girls on the street
talk entertainingly about things OF general
interest. Women over here have broader in
terests. They know and care about politics,
their own Government and foreign relations.
the newest and oldest things In literature and
music and art. They don't need clubs to stimu-
late their interest. All Paris is one huge club.
How about education"
French women are better educated than
people think they are. OF course most French
girls go TO converts, but there u u great dn-
ference In these institutions. In many OF
them a girl Is well trained In Latin and In
French. That doesn't sound very big. but IL
means d good deal. Then there are four ex-
cellent lycees In and around Paris where the
standard at graduation il about the same us
at the junior year in one Of our colleges. The
girls who attend these lyoees Utmost always
take some courses Of lectures at the Sorbonne
afterward. But the French woman gets most
OF her education as she goes. because she reads
and talks about things OF broader interest
than the American woman. With us 1t isn't
really considered the proper thing TO men
ton religion In polite society. Politics are
tabooed and everything which may possibly
involve "A difference Of opinion. The conse-
quence Is that we talk about our neighbors'
servants, clothes and private Affairs because
it, all there is left to talk about. But the
great difference, at least what lmpresses me
as the great surface difference between French
aud American women. il that the French women
have more individuality than we have.
How many women are omins mo 'he
Il don't know. Two organizations are
com ing in-the Feminisme Chretienne and the
Congrea dies GIvres ct Institutions des
PENNIES. The frs Is an organization OF Cath
olio women which manages n great number
composed OF women Of all shades Of belief
and disbelief. That sort OF thing makes no
difference In the council. However, religion
plays u great part over here and II will mean
a good deal 20 have all these women-for those
Of the Feminisme Chretienne are OF the most
conservative Of the conservatives come to-
gether in the same organization. / am. more
than delighted with the result OF my stay here"
THE LEVELS or THE GREAT LAKES.
The Unique Theory Of the Chief OF the United
States weather Bureau.
From The Chir1oo Timss-Herdd