Omaha daily bee., 1903-01-27
OMAHA IS TAKING FRENCH
Therefore Oatarrh Of Nose and Eczema
Bstween Shoulders Are Welcome,
FOR THE GESTURES GO WITH THE TALK
Afternoon Glass Has Sim
liar to Three sheets Torn from
Census Report at RAN
dom in Dark.

Just now there are several hundred peo-
pie in Omaha who could endure catarrh OF
the nose and a touch Of eczema between
the shoulder blades without a protest. For
;hey have Joined the Nesbitt classes. started
Friday at the Young Mems Christian as
ISOLATION. and are taking French
They no longer stand upon the floor, but
upon lie plancher; are covered not by the
ceiling, but by lie plafond; are surrounded
not by the wall, but by lie muir; get their
light not through the window, but through
la fenetre; enter and exeunt not through
the door, but through Ia porte; sit not
upon the chair, but upon la chaise; eat
not at the table, but at la table; learn not
by the book. but by lie livre; write not with
the pen or pencil, but with la. plume or le
crayon; and net upon the paper, but upon lie
papier, which same may he enclosed not In
the envelope, but in Tenveloppe. In short,
each declares "Je parle francois a la per-
fection"-and expects other people to be-
lieve IT.
Yesterday afternoons class looked like
three sheets torn from a census report at
random and in the dark. One OF the most
prominent attorneys in Nebraska sat next
to a woman whose renown is no broader
than the circle of friends who have tried
her angel food. Another attorney with
specs" and political aspirations was be-
tween two cherubs from the high school.
A patriarch OF military title and great
prominence in railroad circles had la chaise
(the reader will notice how readily one
acquires the habit, directly back Of that
occupied by a girl Of u. The editor Of a
society paper shared a corner with people
who never break into his columns earlier
than the sixth page, The Woman's club
was very largely represented. while as for
teachers-tres. tres beaucoup!
Gymnnstic. Linguistic and Otherwise.
And they were all straining at the same
gymnastics, linguistic and otherwise. The
teacher would exclaim "1e plafond," and
200 hands would point dutifully ceiling
ward; he would eXclaim 'le plancher." and
the same 200 hands would as dutifully be
inverted. Then, just to try them he
would point to the window and eNclaim ia
porte,' where 200 voices would sing out in
correction, Non. non, monsieur!'
"Ah, la fenetre."
"Oui, oul. monsieur" And, OF course,
after that, there couldn't remain any doubt
about their knowing what was doing.
And the gestures go with the recitation,
They are, perhaps, in some cases, rather
peculiar gestures, more suggestive OF st.
Vitus' dance than Of artful Paris, but to
date the gestures are as good as the talk,
for both are Enthusiastically new. Neither
the French shrug nor the French nasal is,
1t is being made apparent, anything a man
should tackle after breakfast with an idea
that he will be able to have 1t ready to
take down own with him on the $50 car.
No, indeed, ce n est pas! CAT this point
the reader will place the thumb and fore
finger of the right hand surreptitiously but
firmly over the nose and say "Je COM
prends," thus proving that he knows the
~answer).
Only a few sentences were tried yester-
day. They we're rather loosely jointed at-
fairs, with the basting threads showing
plainly, but they gave hope.