The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1906-06-28

MINNESOTA, THURSDAY, JU
effects of the decrease of the French
birthrate.. Unfortunately, it is to be
feared that even the most excellent
treatment of the theme will not affect
a solution of the problem, as it's devel-
opment has moved uninterruptedly
along the same liEes for more than five
decades. The French are not an
emigrating people; excepting a few
slight skirmishes in the colonies. they
have had no war in over thirty-five
years; neither has France been visited
by epidemic diseases, or other great
catastrophes during the same length
of time. So
The American, who has attended
the "French Balls" in New York and
who, perhaps, has. heard and read of
French this and French that, may
choose to finish his French studies in
Paris. There he generally visits the
bales champetres of the Partisan
grisettes, or of the demimonde. II not,
he will surely taste of Partisan night
life. Coming out Of the opera or thea
tire after midnight, he. wends his way
among the cafes and restaurants of
the boulevards, and will not fail to
notice that the habitues OF those
places fill their stomachs with the
richest kinds of yiands, salads, ETC.,
gulping down champagne, heavy
wines, absinthe, liquors and, heaven
knows what else; all between
midnight and four or five q. m. This
same American may have waded knee
deep thru the filth written by modern
French realistic novel writer's, who
have told him that all the nasty and
repulsive things they wrote about,
were taken from real life and that it
would benefit mankind to know such
things, 80 that -they might learn<te alb
hor them. But this writer begs to
differ with that class of noveIists.
What they write about may be true
it is filth, nevertheless. Physicians,
nurses, ETC., see much of the same filth;
but they do not faunt it before the
eyes of the public, tho they may
write about it for. medical and scien-
tiic purposes. But those human
sharks, who, under the guise Of novels,
strew that kind of filth broadcast
among the young and innocent, are,
for the sake of gain, catering to SEN
sualism in its worst form, and should
be summed like the plague. Every
body admits that Emile Zola was q
brilliant writer, but all his novels,
with possibly two exceptions, are not
fit to be read by any decent person
And this fact was duly acknowledged
by the highest tribunal of French lit
erature, L Academic Francois, which
for over twenty years persistentiy re-
F fused to admit Zola to membership
, English, German and American writ
, ers do not deal IN that kind of litera
ture. The best descriptions of life
r among the lowly were written by
Charles Dickens, that great master Of
character illustration And there il
, not a line in all his many works that il
not pure, and that cannot be given tt
the simple and innocent. But then
= the world has produced but ont
Dickens!
Having relieved his mind, the write
e will come back to his American, whom
i he has left seeing the most frivolou
s side of French life, and reading th'
t worst there is in France-in the world
r Well, this American, who has beel
g told by every one in Paris that "L'
o France Msis, c'est Paris" will thinl
y that he now knows all about tn
e French people, and, in his mind, he viii
}, find it easy to account for the loy
d French birthrste. He may be sadl
# mistaken; for the French people ar
% not near so bad as what he has seel
o and read Of them.
n France has overs39, ,OOO, 600 of people
o Paris only about 100000. The inhat
n itsnts Of the provincial towns and o
it the country compspe, as far as moral
are concerned. very fsvorsbly wit
those Of any other country. An
= that Immensely large class Of Pari
. called the abourgeoisie," is far NOR
" strict In guarding the morals Of he
y young females, than any middle clsssi /
70 other countries. The young girls q
:. this class are never allowed to assoc