New-York tribune., 1905-12-18
DINNERS IN PARIS SLUMS
Mother and Babe at the Free Res-
taurant.
Paris. December a

speak Of and alternate, with equally dapidated
blanks and buildings on either side. The street
leads nowhere in particular. but meanders
toward the Notifications close at hand and is a
turning out OF long. busy thoroughfare thar
cuts across the heart of a poor and dismal
quarter of the Paris of the Left Bank. The res
taurant consists of small house. kind of cot
tage survival Of the days when Vanves va.
more suburb than city, and 1t still has a yard
one side. In which either chickens or sun
flowers might have fourished long ago, before
the advent Of the factories for preserving the
''harengs seurs." OF which such large guam
titles are consumed in the Paris brasseries or OF
the automobile factories, now one Of the
features Of the landscape. A rickety pump and
broken down fence occupy the yard to-day
and the cheerful kitchen of the little restaurant
keeps bright eye on both until what time the
last poor guest has carried her baby home N
bed
The Free Restaurant opens It's doors at II
o'clock IN the morning for lunch. and at $50 AZ
night for dinner, and the clients punctuaL
Tho establishment has only kind Of Gus
toner. The poor nursing mothers Of the quarter
are alone eligible for the charity Of the Rue
Jcnquoy, and SO the table Is garnished with as
many infants as there are diners. Not that
Mme. Henri Coullet looks upon her guests as
Of the "osuvre' considers that In placing two
wholesome meals a day before these Door
women shs is paying the debt OF the state to
those who In the face OF enormous difficulties
ere rearing future much needed citizens for
Franco While the birth rate Of France Is less
than one 70 thousand Of its population. every
little life saved is a help TO the country. and In
the thirteen months that the Coullet Charity
has been working the mortality among the In
fants who have proated by the good food It pro-
vidss for their mothers has been per cent
and of these three two deaths were from men
ingitis, and from pulmonary complaint
hereditary and not preyentable.
On cold wintry nights the window Of the littls
dining room in the Rue Jonquoy wears IN
viting aspect. Not that there is any attempt
at decoration, beyond vase Of flowers on the
bare table. Under the swinging lamp there Is
an enormous fat loaf OF bread. from which the
cook, who is also waitress. cuts thick slices to
lay beside the covers set for eight persons As
the women come in. to each IS handed large
plateful Of soup, with vegetables. steamIng hot.
which they at least blunt the edge OF their
appetites. The soup is popular: not drop Is ever
left IN the plates and 1t Is followed by plate Of
lentils with pieces OF sleeps heart, nicely fried
and smelling savory, served up altogether. To
ct mpIets the meal there Is as much bread as
they eat, and a bowl Of tea made from lime
flowers, sedative and soothing in action, and
considered better for the health Of mother and
infant than the sharp wines of the country.
The foundress of the work Is a frequent visitor
to the "saIle," and knows every one of her
guests.
The first to arrive had left her baby at home
because of the cold night air. but seemed to
gret the fact very much when she perceived
visitor. ut always happens so.' she exclaimed
in disappointed voice. 81 bring him nearly al
ways but so sure as don't we have visitor
And my baby is one Of the most beautiful you
could see."
One would not have said much for the
second arrival Tie mother who could never
have been other than ugly, had lost an eye, and
her baby, when divested OF its fathers Iittls
tweed cap, and quaint plaid cape, showed
crop of dark hair and a little wizened counts-
nance. Ten weeks old. and one Of twins" said
the mother. And when one has finished crying
the other begins. 1t was a queer little bundle
certainly. done up into tight frm unbending
parcel in a blanket. which left only it's head and
shoulders free-like the pappoose of the Indian
sQuaw. The next child to come in was the prlds
Of the establishment. however 'Ten months
: go it a tiny bundle of bones" said the
cook, ss she placed the womans soup before
her. Now you see what a large fine boy he
las grown, and Intelligent About fourteen
women in all attend the free meals regularly
at the Rue Jonquoy on an average. The centre
was the second to be opened Of the six now
ming in different quarters OF the capital
Food Of all kinds is dear in Paris, and tbs
active little cook. who is also caterer, has her
work cut out to make every franc go as far as
possible This year. too. for some reason. even
entils and the dried beans of various kinds. red,
white md an
item in the French family menus. are dearsr
than usual, so it is not easy to provide the va
riety one could wish. A nuge kind OF pot. whose
dimensions suggested an imminent washing dag
rather than any cooking operation, in readi-
ness for next days 'pot-au-feu.' the great
piece of beef, stewed and stewed almost to rags
with vegetables of as many kinds as can be pro-
cured. which furnishes the first course Of soup
and also the second of meat. For this dish the
finest pieces of beef are never used, but for the
purposes of the "Coullet Gcuvre" even the sec
ond grade of tenderness and juiciness would os
'ut Of the question. When the great slow, white
'xen fall to pieces from old age at the plough
IN the rolling plains of Central France. they re-
appear on the butchers stalls in Paris and the
provincial towns as beef OF the third qualify.
But muscular and hard as the flesh Of such cat
lie necessarily is Ii cannot be called cheap
Still. there are lots Of things beside beef. as
he pleasant little cook remarked Look at this
{ is the ear all that is left from a pigs head
hat bought yesterday. and which made nice
asty dish when briskly grilIed with bread
rumbs and then a quantity of splendid strong
oup. They liked 1t, tell you: and kno"
was good One night. some woman sent u'
hree large brooches. made some coffee anu
hey had a cup each with their cake by way q
Iessert All my mothers enjoy their food anu
here are several who have never missed meal
lnce they first found their way TO us. Tne
est, you understand. cannot always manage 20
.at here They work In varicl1s nliarteTs. ana