Evening star., 1901-01-05
A HISTORIC SCHOOL
Where Daughters of the Legion of
Honor Are Educated.
DEMOISELLES OF SAINT DENIS
Two American Girls Who May Yet
Become Pupils.
WHAT THEY WILL STUDY

Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.
PARIS. December 26. 1900.
The news that two American men about
to be decorated with the ribbon of the
Legion of Honor on account of their con
uection with the exhibition of 1900 have
decided to claim admission to the orders
aristocratic boarding school at Saint Denis
for two little girls of their families awak-
ems peculiar interest in this unique edu-
Cational institution. In the one case 1t is 8
little daughter, in the other a niece; In
both. however. the announcement is so al
most premature that the revelation of thell
identity must be withheld. The men have
not yet actually been decorated, but they
are waiting in Paris to receive the honor
which they have every reason to anticipate
their names stand well to the front
among the ninety recommended by Com
missioner Peck to the French govern
ment. If push can procure the thing they
will have it. and their little girls will ac-
quire the right to be brought up in one OF
the most exclusive educational establish
ments of Europe and be called "demoiselles
of Saint Denis.
The great Napoleon's ideal Of female edu-
cation. which is still the ideal of the school,
was communicated to NJ. De Lacepede. the
first grand chancellor of the order. in a
letter written from the camp of Falkenstein
on May -, 1907. Between battles he found
time to draw up a program of studies for
the daughters, granddaughters, sisters and
nieces of his legionaires.
Bonaparte's Plan.
''The employment of their time will 6;e-
mand great attention." he wrote THE
girls must be taught to cipher. to spell. to
write and know the principles of their Ian
guage They should know little geog-
,Gya h h,,t will ty,-a no,
no Latin nor any foreign language. Let
the older ones have a little botany, and
they might be put through light course Of
physics and natural history, AMI yet all
that might have its inconvenience. In
physics they should be limited TO what is
necessary to prevent a Grass ignorance and
a stupid superstition and held to facts,
without reasonings tending to first causes
Il do not know if there is a possibility of
teaching them a little medicine and phar-
macy--at least the kind which IS the re-
source of the trained nurse. Ii would be
well, however, that they should learn that
part of the cuisine called the pantry l do
not dare any longer. as / had attempted "
do for Fon tainebleau, pretend to force them
to learn to do their own cooking. | would
have too many against me- But they ought
to prepare their own desserts and whatever
is given to them for their aflernnn tea.
Il. therefore. dispense with the kitchen,
but not the making of their own bread.
The advantage of all this is that they will
ward be called on to practice, and that they
will find the natural employment of their
time in solid and useful things. They must
make their own chemlSes, stockings. skirts
and headwear. l want to make them useful
women. certain in doing SO Of making them
agreeable women.
Dancing is necessary for the health but
it ought to be special kind Of dancing.
not opera dancing. L also accord music
but vocal music only
Until fifteen years ago this original pro-
gram was followed with pious eXactiJude,
and the girls of Saint Daars'' had the De-
culiar distinction. in all France of at once
knowing less and knowing more than any
others of their social class. 1t was notice d
that they married with remarkable ease.
and this in spite of the fact that many Of
them, by having the pecuniary resources of
the school claimed for hem. admitted an
utter lack of fortune if not Il dependent
condition.
Revised Program.
But even this old aristocratic institution
has not been able to resist the educational
awakening of the last twenty years. In
1885 NJ. Greard, vice rector of the univer-
sity. was asked to draw up a new plan of
studies for the school; and amid storm
of criticism from the more conservative. the
new program was put into operation to the
wider opening of the interesting Young
creatures understandings.
Under the new program the studies are
divided into primary and secondary. The
primary course, profeSsed by women teach
ers holding brevet superieur is analogous
to that of the ordinary French primary
school. with the addition of a beginning of
English or German. Latin is still barred
out of respect for the ideas of the great
founder: but the school dares no longer re-
fuse its girls the two most useful living
languages. Many of them are obliged to
earn their own living on going out from
the institution.
is In he
greatest innovations have been made; and
he who conceded only enough general in
formation Ito prevent a Grass ignorance
and stupid superstition might we'll be dis
turbed al the list of them:
The elements of psychology applied to
education. French language and literature
ancient literatures. living languages (En-
glish or Germany. foreign literatures gen.
eral and national history history of civili-
cation, geography, mathema tics, physics
ana chemistry, natural history, domestic
economy. drawing. needlework. gymnastics
The girls no longer make their own bread
or their own chemises, stockings and skirts
while the idea of allowing them to mess
over the preparation of their own afternoon
tea would threaten TO overthrow the disci-
pine of great establishment. So far from
making their own clothes are they nova
days that the purchase of the obligatory
readymade trousseau on entering the
school is one of its small hardships Even
those received gratuitCusly must have the
rousseau bought for them from the estab-
hshment. al an initial price Of 300 francs or
500; and ii must be Almost renewed every
TWO years.
They Dress Alike.
One of the objects of the trousseau is to
preserve the liberty, equality and fraternity
which compose the motto of the republic.
When all the girls are dressed exactly alike
there Is left room for odious compari-
sons. The demoiselles of Sain, Denis dress
with simplicity: gown and apron of boiling
cloth or bunting, always black; collar of
white hnen blue or gray cotton stockings