The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-08-06

hands tho bulk Of the household money
over to the "Hissus' or to Madame la Mar
quise He would not dream of attempting
to do otherwise, nor would single French
woman stand his attempting it for one
hour. For that matter, she generally has
q bit Of her own, be she ouvriAre or Faubours
st. German great lady. It Is an absolute
fact that the finances OF France are In the
hands Of the women Of France.
They are worthy. OF the trust. They
devote their acute brains. unima ginative,
II You will put possessing sheer genius for
the practical life, to the two ends Of exist.
ence already spoken Of. They will spend
hours Of time and incaloulable energy and
intelligence on looking we'll. Nor is it
merely, looking we'll. but being really we'll
dressed. A French woman will rather stay
In bed than 60 out with an undarned hole
In garment, however impossible it may be
for the outer world ever to see the
blemish.
It would be there and she must feel, as
great LADY so.s al her toets m 1he
nutely, the little bourgeoise who has to
manage with husband and two children
on GOO year does just the same, and the
Partisan workwornan as much as she. The
merest midinette Is paragon Of neatness
be run over, Of which there are always
many chances In the streets Of Paris, and
taken to a hospital to have broken leg set
not an undarned hole would be found In
petticoat or stocking.
dress freshsned up into a summer one By
some mysterious transformations in har-
mony with fashion, and madame being
finally satisfied that she looks well, then,
but then only, comes monsieur's dinner.
He would never dream Of asking for it,
maid-K they have one-or With her own
needle and thread In humber households.
But tho secret Of monsieurs dinner. of
course, Is that 1t Is madame's also-that Is
to say, that she enjoys 1t just as much
a. he.
Every single article Of food. except fruit
than In London for various complicated
economic reasons, the dinner in question
must always remain mystery to those
unfamiliar with the arcana Of cookery.
But the facts are there. Some facts are
meat. 1t is true that Paris meat Is usually
uneatably cold, 30 1t must be done up; but
how it Is done up!
Observe how the thrifty French lady
has a luncheon served Of Juicy omelette,
unknown in England-where the thing
s Sssd oss :, is spsy s Thick and n
secret way which makes you eat it, ILL
potatoes-the cookery Of which is appar-
emily elementary, II not instructive. with
Frenchwomen, while We must 60 to first
the pastry cooks round tho corner to fol-
low, then Camembert just ripe to a turn,
and rawberries-but these must not be
boasted about, for they are always better
In London, whittier, Of course. the best are
sent from Brittany. To cap i all comes
CAFES, always undrinkable In London cafes.
usually perfect In Paris houses where the
thrifty wife has looked after 1t.
! was once privileged to receive the con-
idenoes Of French lady who had lived in
maid Who was .; perfs rec haa and general
cook, who was English-in fact, Cockney.
The cooks ham and eggs were really su-
perb. Her boiled dumplings were ex-
quisite. Beyond that her science was dim.
Tho French lady leo she told mel took cook
iette before her eyes. The cook sat down
on chair with q face like an astonished full
moon. She said 1t male her that nervous
70 see madame whisk the eggs about so.'
The omelette was done and ready to serve
before cook had recovered.
Then madame stewed up yesterdays
mutton. She made some auburn-colored
sauce, she oonjured with herbs, she juggled
with condiments, she kept the pot on the
nove over three flames Of the gas stove
all tho time. Cook sat hopping her fore
noed. Wnen inc olsn was zone, COOK
tied her bonnet strings, which had hitherto
been dangling, and shook the dust Of the
kitchen from her feet. She was cook,
she was not going into service at her time
Of life to do necromancy.
Az a matter Of fact, the French lady was
no cook at all In her own opinion. She
would not have ventured to counsel a good
general servant knowing cuisine Ia Paris.
She merely knew the half -dozen simple
tricks OF cookery which every ordinary
French womap seems to know.