The Monroe journal., 1907-01-29
Letters From Abroad.
A. N. STACK.
Copyrighted 1895. by R. F. Beaseyl
Moo

were sufficient to put me To longing
for the simple life.
But with these fellows money is
no object. They part with this
lucre like thoroughbreds. Cash is
a mere means of procuring comforts
and pleasures: the amount is unim.
lportant. There will be plenty Of
money here when they are gone,
why count the cost After all, are
they not wiser than the fellow whose
stiagy soul will not allow him to
spend at alli This is the only world
the Partisan sports are thinking
about, and in riotous living they
are very prodigals
lat, drink and be merry is the
very essence of French philosophy.
That the French people drink a
great deal is well known. Stats.
tics show it and any one here eau
see it. Their beverage is wine;
they drink but little beer. No eff
fort is made TO conceal their drink.
ing. The amen corner brother does
not get ''behind the door," but in
front Of the cafe on the sidewalk.
They prefer the outside because
they can look at the passersby while
they drink. At this time of the
year the proprietors have little
stoves on the sidewalks among the
tables and chairs. The French
drink leisurely and don't gulp it
down like the American. Neither
do they get drunk. ] have never
seer \ man stagger in France. Get.
ting ION a spree" or con a ben
der" appears to be peculiarly
American. Our fellows don't seem
to be able to put on brakes. The
Frenchman devotes much of his
time to drinking-early, often and
late. 1t is a habit with him. But,
while these men do not get drunk,
their habitual use of intoxicants
keeps up the unnatural beat of the
heart and undoubtedly shortens
their days. In no other way can |
account for so few old men, and |
have made it a point to look out
for them.
The people of Paris may not live
so long as they should, yet they
live well. Their manner of life is
conducive to good digestion. They
look healthy and are apparently
happy. They love good food. They
have some strange dishes, but they
are delicious. They are very fond
Of vegetables and have a great va
riety of them. Among so many
new kinds of vegetables ] was
pleased to see an old acquaintance,
the regular, old fashion pumpkin.
And I'm not going back on my
raising, even in Paris. l miss
another old American luxury, corn
bread. Everybody eats bakers
bread, but it is not cooked in loaves.
1t is cooked in long, small rolls
three to four feet long and is nearly
all crust. A hungry person can
easily eat two yards of it. Game is
a popular meat, especially fowls.
Beef is not so popular and swine
has few friends. The hog is too fat
and greasy. If the Partisan could
only taste the toothsome flesh of
the famous razor. back of Moore
county he would change his mind.
French cooking is excellent, but
the way they serve meals does not
suit everybody. They persist in
serving the food in courses. If you
give all your order at once, they
will divide it up according to their
own notions and bring one or two
things at a time. And the way
some of them split up an order is
real provoking. One gourd headed
waiter murdered one of my orders
in most abominable manner: the
last thing he brought to serve as
desert was pile of scrambled eggs.
The provocation almost upset my
piety.
Good rations and good liquors
call for merriment. In the fullest
sense of the word, these folks go in
for "a good time" Many of them
are infidels and atheists, and wor-
ship Reason and Mammon. A very
large majority of them are Epicu-
reans and given over to the pleas.
ures of this world. Not all are
such. There are some as good peo-
pie here as can be found anywhere.
And not all of the sins of Paris are
committed by the French. Old
money. bags is here from other ma
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