Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-08

DRAFTED government schools. there have
grown up many private institutions for
boarding and coaching scholars, having
Su no H ss eo or
twice day-always accompanied by a man
IN tall hat and frock coat-to follow the
classes Of the government school.
The two little American boys Of whom
speak have been sent to one Of the regular
government boarding schools. They are
Just the right age-one nine and the other
ten years. This is the average age at
which French parents give up the care of
their little boys and see no more Of them
except at vacation time, although you meet
with many thus "weaned" from home at
the tender age Of six or seven
The little boy is led to the door Of the
boarding school. trembling and unwilling.
His little trunk goes with him 1t con-
tains the clothing outfit which the boarding
school requires of each and every new
comer-among the rest six cotton night
caps. For the next eight years or more his
life will pass as In boyish barracks, or,
you might almost say, prison.
You must not Judge the boarding schools
Of France by those we have at home. Here,
particularly in the government schools. the
poor boys lives pass under almost military
discipline Therefore when the time comes
for the young man to do his military SER
vice he feels no great hardship in changing
the school uniform for that Of the army.
All this is the triumph of the idea Of the
great Napoleon, who invented this system
Of education.
''The school should prepare for life" said
the great Napoleon. And, as he wished to
use French men for soldiers, he organized
his countrys schools as barracks. True.
they have been made more comfortable of
later years, but even now I pity these two
little American boys. The hard seats, the
coarse food, the little beds in a long row.
as In hospital ward. and the constant drill
and regulation of the students every act
will make them long for home, sweet home.
In only one Of the Paris colleges-the Pol
lin owned by the municipalty-do the boys
have separate bed rooms. For the exer-
cises Of the day-for play as we'll as study
and class-they must be together always,
bound by minute rules and regulations, al
ways under the eye of some teacher, or,
worse, some hard-hearted ''pion." AS the
word "pion" is abbreviated from "es-pion''
c'spy" or informer') you may judge the
love which the boys have for him. He is
a kind of tutor-overseer and his life Is
wretched. Very often he is a poor student,
preparing for his university examinations.
Some of the greatest men of France have
thus been "pions." Pasteur was such for
three years, and Daudet has written a
whole book to portray the misery Of his
own early life in that occupa ton.
The boys sleep in long dormitories, where
double rows Of cot beds remind the new
conner of hospital A light turned low
burns all night next to the little compart-
has his bed.
AAc y oluP " y olSudl.
In the morning a grumpy old serving man
stamps up and down between the rows of
cot beds, beating an abominable tattoo on
an old drum. Thus the boys are walked.
Five minutes after this first signal the
''pion" goes about, clapping his hands and
threatening with punishment the poor
''potache' who has turned over for an
other wink. These punishments are nearly
always in the nature Of "privations"-pri-
walton from the swimming bath, privation
from fencing practice, privation from horse
Instead of doing these things which he likes
the punished boy must stand with his face
to the wall.
1t Is at $50 in summer and 6:15 in winter
that the boys are Weakened by the rolling
of the drum. Hurrying on their clothes,
all rush to the 30-foot-long '1avabo' or
washstand Thirty spigots on each side
spout ice-cold water. The boys wash their
faces and their hands, all hurrying to-
gether. Sometimes the pipes freeze. Then
the 'pion" has to hold candle underneath
to thaw them out, or, better still, they can
not wash that morning.
1t Is true that all the new colleges have
very complete bath rooms. They may be
used at stated tmes-and not too often to
wear out the towels. Then, too, there are
long rows of foot baths These must be
used at regulation seasons, when the boys
are marched to them in squads.
From the dormitories the boys proceed in
ranks down the great staircase to the study
room-there to put an hour in with their
books-and on an empty stomach
Then they are marched out, in ranks, to