Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-11-28

series of important money prizes offered
to the Paris dry goods clerks who should
walk fastest to Enghien. about the same
distance.
By this time Paris being idle. no one
talked of anything but walking matches
so that when the Course des Mldinettes
was announced it was sure of a success
such as those who live outside the gay
French capital cannot imagine.
Are you going to the Course des Midi
nettes?"
''Sure We have made an automobile
party. My sons wife's mother has invited
us to see it from her windows. have Sc
cured seven places on the terrace at Nan
terre. We shall follow them from the
NeuiIly bridge when the Paris crowd drops
off. We have three tables at a restaurant
of the Porte Maillot; shall stand on
them
You see. there are any quantity of pretty
girls among the MidiuetteS. which made 1t
the more interesting Midi means the
noon hour. and the termination 'ette' gives
always the idea Of something nice and
little. The 'Midinettes' are the smart little
sewing girls of the Rue de Ia Paix, the Rue
de Rivoli, the Avenue de rOpera and so on
who at noon precisely each day leave their
work to seek their lunch and promenade
and chat and ffirt a little. very little. lin
their hair (without hats and their smart
little costumes, made by their own hands
yet always hanging right and setting
right. and with that curious nuance of good
style which shows they know what the up
to-date things are.
Walked Too Fast.
The "Mdinette'' is also called ''trottin.'
when she is still young enough to be sent
"trotting'' back and forth delivering cos
tunes and hats to customers: and as the
great mass Of them have passed through
this stage it was observed by Parisians be-
forehand that they ought to make good
time. Helas for the little Midinettesl Helas
Co he, t,pt Jo. 4
time in their walking matches that now
their employers ask them to explain them
selves when they stay out an hour upon an
errand that could be done, briskly. in ten
minutes!
1t was from the center Of Paris to Nam
terre twelve kilometres (seven and one-half
miles, over perfect highways. with a cheer
ing multitude of townfolks, suburbanites
and country people lining it from one end
to the other.
1t was bright holiday. Each competing
girl had what they call a 'brassard' on
her arm, to show her number. Some had
divided skirts to walk in. Some wore short
skirts: many, indeed. have not grown to the
dignity of long ones. Some Wore sweaters
Lots wore shirtwaists. All wore corsets.
We are talking of PariSiennes, remember
ALI pacemaking was forbidden. What
walk is and exactly how it differs from
run was explained to them in the printed
regulations They began getting ready to
prepare to begin to commence to start at
Z o. NJ. By IL: 80 a.. m. they We're off Nan
terre is celebrated, among other things for
the annual crowning of what they call a
''rosiere'-a good girl, picked out as the
best one Of the year. obedient. serious self
sacrificing. pious. brave and lahorious
"Mesdemoiselles" (Which means my dam
sels'), said the master of ceremonies in
Paris. las you walk to Nanterre, think of
its long line of rosieres, toward whose ex-
ample you ought to tend all your best eff
forts! Let the goal be symbolic one for
you!"
For Handsome Prizes.
AS they were also walking for furnished
villa. three automobiles. two dozen sets of
parlor and dining room furniture. nine gold
watches, fifty silver and gun metal ones,
and a hundred other valuable prizes Of
fered by the big shops and prominent mer-
chants Of Paris, they made what was call
ed meritorious time. The first to reach Nam
terre was Mile. Jeanne Cheminel, IAN
agreeable brunette of twenty-three years,
doing her seven miles and a half in one
hour and ten minutes. After her arrived:
Lucie Fleurie aged fifteen, dressmaker;
Louise Balesta twenty-four years, shirt
wafstmaker; Alice Brand aged sixteen.
corset-maker; Mathilde MiEnot, aged TWEEN
ty-five. dressmaker; Suzanne Kugel, aged
fourteen, trotting; Marguerite Pradel, aged
nineteen, dressmaker, and Jeanne Brederie,
aged twenty-five, modiste. For the creoit