The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-10-04
AMERICANS SEE QUAINT CEREMONY Christening As It Is Done In
 France ALL VILLAGE TAXES PART Odd Function, Unlike Anything to Be Found In Amerca-Leading
 Role Is That of God
 father.
'aris Cor. New York Tribune.

Paris Cor. New York Tribune
 A party of tourists from New York; when making a trip in motor ear | through the environs of Paris a few days ago, suddenly came upon an uneX- pected scene. It was the christening of | a baby at the little village of Les Molieres, near Sevres. As the Ameri- can visitors seemed highly interested
 in the proceedings, they were invited
 to take part in the ceremony which was different from anything of the kind to be met with at home. The following description of the odd func- tion, related by a young American woman, gives a good notion of how such matters are arranged in France. Pere Sheet is the richest peasant in Les Molieres His neat little house has floors of polished elm. His garden is the biggest and brightest in the dis trict, not excepting that of the cure. Pere Sheet had mentioned casually in the village that his wife was going to bring up his sons baby. Young Sin cet, the babys father, kept a sausage shop in Sevres, which he was about to sell a fortnight hence, and owing to this the christening was fixed for the following Thursday, a day which with the young folk in France is, a half-holiday. In the week that pre- ceded the ceremony the busiest per sons in the village were Mere Sheet, the baby's grandmother and her neigh Dor, the mother of the godfather.
 At a French christening the leading role is that of the godfather but when, as in the present case, that part is to be played by a youngster of only s years, the responsibility falls upon his parents Both of the sponsors of the Sheet baby were of the same tender age and required a great deal of drill ing Pierre's own father-Pierre is the name of the godfather-being in rather strengthened circumstances. the customary distribution of bright, new copper sous to the village children had to be cut down to narrow limits, but, on the other hand, dragees, or sugar plums, being fairly cheap, these were purchased on a lavish scale.
 Feast an Important Feature.
 Forty pounds of the large white and pink sugar almonds were ordered down from Paris, with plenty of blue and white paper bags, bearing the date of the fes- tivity in beautiful silver lettering, in which to distribute the sweets to vil- lagers and guests. The two regulations presents were duly purchased-a silver handled ivory spoon for the baby and a silk-embroidered handkerchief for the baby's grandmother. On the other side of the garden wall the baby's grandmoth- CT, who had been a fine cook in her younger days, was getting ready for the Gargantuan feast which would end the ceremony. and which would be talked of in the village for months to come. There would be fifteen guests at this banquet. None of those b would ever forget it.
 Long before 3 o'clock the church bell had been ringing joyfully and persistent ly. The great chic of a christening is in the length of the bell ringing. The sonneur is compelled to pull his bell a few times, but if he rings for long, be sure the occasion is a great one and that he has received a big five-franc piece for tip. It was afterward agreed that the Sheet christening was the most characteristic ever held in Les Molieres.
 The bells brought all the village into the street to see the party start for the church, and the procession marched past with great eclat. First walked the god father, leading by the hand the god mother Both children were dressed in their smartest clothes, and wore sus- pended round their necks baskets cover ed With blue and white r1DDonS In which were heaped the packets of dragees. The Sheet baby being a boy. it's christening decorations were naturally and necessar- fly blue, and in the bright autumn sun shine the effect of these baskets was exceedingly impressive. On the godfather's s left arm there hung a second basket fill ed with twists of bright scarlet paper; l these contained the sous or copper one
 cent coins. There were only POO of them | but they took up a great deal of room and weighed very heavy. They were rec 1 ognized and appraised immediately by
 the village children, who thus knew what 1 to expect.
 Pere Sheet Was Nervous.
 | Next behind the sponsors walked the | babys mother, carrying the infant and supported by her father-in-law. Pere Sheet looked splendid. He had discarded his sabots and donned leather shoes, and wore a new overcoat. He had shaved with extra care, but a natural nervous
 ness in view of the solemnity of the oc- casion had made his hand tremble, and the razor had left a gash all across his right cheek. His wife, who walked be- hind with the baby's father. wore her fine black silk gown purchased the year
 of her own marriage, 20 years before, but as good as new and very becoming still