The Marshall republican., 1914-02-20

mcu Wofh III ffdhCe, uut mofe WofH~
en-, also, than in the other great ma
tons. In the United States IA per
cent OF the female population, at the
latest available report. was engaged In
some gainful principal occupation; IN
Great Britain, "a per cent; In Ger
many. 80 per cent, and In France,
nearly IS per cent.
Peasant Woman Holds the Purse.
The French peasant woman. az
wife and mother, as village merchant
and farm manager. is a most impor.
tant parsonage. She holds the purse.
From her savings came the enormous
indemnity which Germany oxacted
from France after Sedan. Often a
shop-keeper, she is always a sou.
keeper. Laboriousness and thrift
characterize her daily life. Because Of
this toll and thrift France. In mate
rial resource, Is a nation almost or
quite sufficient TO Itself.
The thrift has been aided by the
fact, explanatory OF much In present
France. that the French peasant Is a
land owner. His problems Of leg,sla-
tion differ from those Of his German
and British neighbors. lie has no land
question. lie Is occupied with doing
things. rather than with unGcing
things inherited.
Women Largely seltsupportins.
The French woman shops With a
market basket aud o with q tole-
phone. that modern promoter Of h.gh
prices. Essentially a home.maker and
a homc.keoper. she enjoys an eco.
nomic independence that her Anglo
Saxon sisters do not know. Many
French girls are self.supporting be-
fore marriage. and remain so after.
wards. Even where they do not
earn their living. they have a DC, or
dowry-for which the parents save
from the girls baby hood-and she
pays her personal expenses from H.
1t is rarely. indeed. said q
French woman. that enc sees ia
France the helpless. incompetent WON.
an. who can turn her hand % moth
Ing. having never learned 10 do ono
single thing well. Adaptable and en-
crgetic. the French woman can DO
most things In the most etlcicnt man.
ner possible-hor know ledge 10 never
scTappy and what she knows she
knows consummatoly." The new Won
an may b. near at hand In France,
but when she arrives she will ccn1
without strident voice or social rcyo'
luton. and will scarcely have more
power than now.
The Peasant at Home.
In ~journeying In rural France the
French peasant is zen at home and
Ut his best. He Is not on dress pa
rade as Paris is upon its b%ouleyards
lie is shrewd. almost cunning: digni
fed. almost courtly; u~neducated fro
quently. but never boorish; possessed
OF all the homely virtues. frugal. seri
ous.minded and devout. To thu
stranger he is hospitality itself. and 4
his own c%ountrymen he has q per
feet genius for friendship.
High Regard for Woman.
With all their family quarrels. Their
Is a continuous entente cordial'
among the French peasant folk. Three
appeals arouse their enthusiasm 10 10
highest point: Woman. as wife anC
mother: the ~tri.color with It's declara
ton OF liberty. equality. fraternity;
and the republic. which TO them stands
Tor political. social. economic progress
Characteristic OF the French. In dell
acy. characterization and felicity oI
speech, was the manner In which the
sad news OF the death OF the distin
guished French statesman. M. Theirs
was announced 10 his widow: Mad
ame. your illustrious husband once
lived" Again. u presidential candl
date. q peasants son, who married 1
woman OF doubtful reputation. wal
sharply attacked In the Paris and pro
vincial press for his political views
but never a word was published re
garding his wife. No woman's nam,
Is dragged into the public prints 0
France.
The English have 4 scornfui in
sular way
or calling the French light. The lev
ity
ls In the judgment only. which ye
stands;
For say a foolish thing but oft enougl
land here's the secret Of a hundrol
creeds-
Men get opinions as boys learn Z
spell,
BY reiteration, chiefly the same thin
shall pass at last for absolutel,
wise
And not with fools exclusively. And 8
We say the French are light. as II W
said,
The cat news or the mich COW give
US milk.
rs q bullet light
That dashes from the gunmouth. Will
>. the eye
!, Winks. and the heart beats one; I
: flatten itself
To a wafer On the white speck OF
A hundred PAGES ONT Even SO d
rect,
/ So strongly undivertible OF aim