Evening star., 1902-01-11

always formed an intimate part of the
great body of absentee property owners.
When they are not well-to-do themselves,
living in the rich Champs Elysees or Passy
quarters they are patroniZed and aided by
the kindly, idle ladies of the colony.
Had No Push.
The wives and daughters Of American
business men have not regularly been so
fortunate. l call to mind one such. She
Is the wife Of a wealthy young American,
the master Of his fortune and his business.
She is beautiful, young, with charming
manners, fine health, fluent conversational
French, gowns from Paquin's and almost
unlmited pocket money. Yet such is the
lack Of push of this couple that positively
believe neither has yet discovered of whom
the society of the colony is composed.
He belongs to the Golf Club, but she does
not play. How does she pass her time
In dawdling. In shopping. In eating. In
sleeping. In novel reading. In tea rooms.
In pastry cook shops. In carriage riding.
And this Is done with her mother and stray
girl friends who are proteges. l. e., hangers
on. or an evening there is an occasional
whist or poker party, made up from busi-
ness friends of the husband. Such is the
life that the wife of any average American
business man with good income must
look forward to in Paris. If she gets be-
yond it it will be due to her exceptional
push, charm and introducttons. To be ex-
act. the society" of the colony does not
seek out the families of business men. 1t
has lived long enough abroad to be slight
ly tinctured with snobbishness.
The fact that the colony has never been
able TO support an American club is sig
nificant. The British colony, with popu-
lation Of 1900, is just able to support a
club and no more; and, while it is wonder
fully respectable and dignified this British
Club Qimited to Britons born) is neither
rich: luxurious. CHEEKY nor well attended
As for Americans, the Society of American
Journalists In Paris is not properly club,
though it has it's own handsome rooms in
the rue Tronchet. The society exists as
much for business as social purposes, and
its usefulness is limited to small class
The same may be said of the Paris Golf
Club, with links and pretty club house at
Versailles Besides. it has English mem
bers The American Art Association of the
DUAL de Cont is f1ourishing organization
of American art students, backed by the
moral and financial support Of Rodman
Wanamaker. For those eligible to men,
berShlp 1t Is a real club, with spacious
rooms and an advantageous table, both at
lunch and dinner time. But for those to
whom life is not all form and color and
the only interesting accident the selling Of
picture, there is nothing in the neighbor-
hood Of the Quai de Cont to justify a pro-
longed absence from home and home cook
ing.
In the Latin Quarter.
The Latin Quarter Glee Club is another
special institution. AS has to be explained
periodically to Frenchmen studying the
language, its object is not the cultivation
Of glee but "glees." There is difference
A similar distinction may be made for the
American University Dinner Club. It Is
the nearest approach the colony has vet
made to q true club. in spirit and compost
ton; yet its name is slightly misleading
1t exists corporeally only when it's sub
scrfbers are called together by announce
ment in the Paris press to celebrate some
anniversary Of our country by way of one
or Its dinners mentioned in its name. Yet
he who should imagine that all those who
pay their subscriptions and grace the occa-
sion by their presence are graduates of
American universities would be mfsled by
words. The late and sincerely lamented DR..
Tying, who was one of it's founders insisted
On large Interpretation in this matter.
'AH are eligible who have the credit of
their country's culture at heart" he said
once, whether they have actually matricu-
lated or might have done so had not some
thing prevented them"
Sons of the A. r.
Finally the Association Of the Sons Of
the American Revolution has q foundation
In Paris, Of whose existence scarcely three
In ten Of the members of the colony have
any adequate knowledge. Under the presi-
dency OF Ambassador Porter it invites the
oeScendants OF trenchmen who aided US
In our fight for independence to Join in and
have their names put ON the list of mem
bership. On Decoration day or the Fourth
Of July of each year some of its members
are sure to be seen atthe memorial ex-
ercises held at the tomb Of Lafayette,
But it is upon the fourishing conditions
and the worldly Importance Of the colony
that we should pride ourselves. not on ex-
aggerated numbers The American colony
Of Paris Is the choicest colony OF Paris
1t has no laboring element always getting
into trouble, as has the Italian colony, the
Belgian and the English. It is troubled
with so few Of the hard-up- p-and-away-from-
home class that its charitable society finds
little use for its funds, while two charitable
societies. hospital, an Old Folks Home,
an orphanage, girls home and an over
worked embassy struggle, none too sue
cessfully with the unending push" Of des-
titute English men and women in Paris.
The American colony Of Paris brings its
money with it. STERLING HEITIG.