The age-herald., 1901-12-08

It is the duty of every gendarme to see to it that the children upon his beat are not cruelty treated by any one. relatives or strangers. and sometimes these laws lead the enforcers thereof into grand houses among magnificent people.
 Besides the gendarmes and che garri- sons of the Grand Armee. there are the Gardes Municipal, who make picturesque and soldierly figures at the entrance of theaters, cafes and various public build ings.
 The Deputy is a provincial of the Bour- geoise class who Is seen along the streets of Paris with a bland smile and a black portfolio. The portfolio is always with him and the smile never leaves except when he is busting a ministry.
 The middle class men of all nationali- ties are not as a rule interesting, and the type in France is notable for it's in- dustry and bad table manners. How cleverly though, one of these ordinary Frenchmen answered an Englishman's criticism of the Gauls manner of putting his bread in his sauce with the reply that there was not sauce worth sopping up with bread in all Great Britain.
 The French soldier, or at least the one who wears a common soldiers uni form, is the most interesting of any type. Since every man in France must, according to the law of his country, serve three years in the French army. one is just as apt to find a prince as a lackey beneath the rusty uniform con sistng of red trousers and a blue coat with Che long pinned-back coat-tails of Napoleon III. This military dress is the soldiers grievance and an insult to the sartorical taste of France. For know you that there are but three sizes of 1a in, I,,II F0r ', French army. utterly without regard to the differentiations of the human mascu- line shape. When one considers that ev- cry Frenchman has to spend three years of his life in these peculiar garments, it is hardly remarkable that masculine France has acquired the habit of bad dressing.
 Fancy Monsieur Coquelin in the guise of a piou-piou (the term of contempt for common soldier) marching about dis consolately in one of these ill-fitting uniforms, and concerning himself over the ignoble necessities of buttons and shoe strings Yet such was his lot for three years of his life, since this obliga- tion is one from which no Frenchman can escape The hardships can. of course, be frightened by men of wealth, and the nobility always manage to have one of their servants enlist with them and in that way have man to act as cook and valet.
 The Bon Marche and some other large establishments in Paris pay their em- ployes half their salary during the three years they serve in the army. and it speaks very well for the honor and sense of obligation in the heart of a French man that this generosity is justified by faithful service after these three years of army life.
 The officers of the French army do not revel in fine salaries and each one of them considers it his duty to marry a rich wife. if possible.
 All the officers of France wear pictur- esque costumes and the spectacle of the Grande Armee, mustered on some festive occasion, Is very splendid indeed as it's companies march by, the Zouaves in their blue coats and baggy red trousers and white gaiters. the Chasseurs d'Alpines with their Alpine hats, chamois coats, dark blue boomers and high leather leg