Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-15

trade a maker of models or molds for
STAFF and stucco and papier-mache. 1t
was easy for him in a city like Paris,
with its immense collections. to get per
mission to copy pieces of armor he loved.
His taste was excellent and his copies
SO perfect to deceive. until you touch
ed them and felt their weight
Hung in anterooms where people could
not reach up to them his helmets and
battleaxes looked as real as il they had
been handed down from the Crusaders
He always appears at Christmas time
with these clever results of his handi-
work and offers them for sale 10 those
passing along the street, and they are
so marvelously well done that he has
little trouble in selling all he can make
For twenty francs one may have from
him a perfect copy Of some fayorite piece
in Il museum.
N. Icnne the enlightened project OF
police Paris. has done much to en-
coura 4rtlsans in the production OF
novel handmade toys for children There
is an exhibition of them each year under
municipal auspices 1t is astonishing how
scientific many of them are-dfrigible bal
looms once aeroplanes now, and always
mechanisms full of artfice and surprise
and gayety. Perhaps nowadays these
products form the greater part or the
Paris artisans contribution to the Christ
mas booths. For even they have been
obliged to succumb to the inroads Of ma
chine-made goods.
In spite of the measures taken by the
project to reserve booths for such arti-
sans with their hand-work. others who
are not workmen, but have cheaper work.
with brighter lamps and gilt trappng
do their utmost to get possession of the
best booths. Factories, merchants whose
very doors open on the pave. foreigners
with machine-made wares now gather
together there to monopoiize the booths
away from the artisans for whom they
We're intended.
x
Last year NJ. Lepine took measures to
protect these lite people who keep alive
the tradition that man is a human being
working out a whole thing and not one
part of machine in factory's division
of labor. And it is to be hoped that he
will b. able to preserv this quaint old
Christmas custom. But it is simply the
same old story of the universal fight-art
ned goods.
Another delightful Christmas custom in
France is the reveillon. 1t still exists in
Paris. but it is seen TO best advantage
in the country, where the large landown-
ers invite the whole countryside after the
midnight mass to the ''reveillon chez
eux" Let us suppose that NJ. and Mime.
X have invited US to be present.
Entering the door. we find ourselves in
the great room which, combination dining
room and living room, tonight is occupied
from end to end by a long table which is
gay with candles and holly and loaded
with good things to eat-the most eX-
quisitely Drowned baked ham. roast chick
ens-unlike any ever seen in the United
States big as turkeys and tender as
squabs-crisp salads, cake. fruit. bonbons
and wine At each plate is some dainty
small gift-nothing of value to make one
groan under an obligation, but an offer
ing pure and simple of good will.
At last we are placed at table. At the
head sit the host and hostess, side b,
side, and at the opposite end the children
of the family. The village priest is there
beaming with satisfaction The mayor
too. is present. wearing the insignia o.
his office, red. white and blue scar
about his waist. as he does at all posi-
Bile functions. at once to honor the occa
sion and define the honor due to him
There is the 'sonseil municp2le, seated
at a safe distance from the mayor. To-
the two, jealous OF the distinctions divided
between them, fight in public and in pri