The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-08-23
Tho simple Life In Paris.

A quiet. queerly dimmed but ever
charming Paris is that Of which let
ter in Fridays SuN gives an enllght-
ening glimpse: and the Imagination
can I'LL up the picture. On the whole
one Is mildly homeslck for this pruned
and almost Purltani8ed Lutetia. For
one thing. for the first time In re-
cent memory you are safe there from
the mob of motor cars and thunderous
autobuses with ferocious homicidal ten.
dencies A few taxis and "sa pins" are
still doing business at the usual rates.
The age long conflict between the driver
and his bourgeois" Ia suspended. Most
OF these whimsical lords Of the box and
wheel are gone like MALBRooK to the
war. There are enough left to con-
verse with. Fraternity and equality
are come back. Everybody is friendly.
As NJ. ABEL HERMANT puts It, I'VE are
well bred people once more" When
were they otherwise? We have read
many. too many. lamentations by French
writer's OF the decay" of French man
ners. II IL not for foreigner to ques-
ton the competence Of native critics,
but may there not be an unconscious
exosmose Of mild snobbery from the
usual literary mind? There must he
court. an ascendant aristocracy. or
manners deteriorate. Remembrance OF
the little eccentrcltles Of the Camelots
du Roi. let alone the Charity Bazaar
fire. hardly corroborates the theory.
We might as well assume that logic or
rhetoric was snatched from the French
by the Republic. At any rate. ease and
courtesy now mark social relations:
and the excitable French" are calm.
awaiting events with British phlegm."
Dear old labels If nationality
Philosophic bus drivers, glazed Of
hat and humorous of eye. observers Of
the show; and you. We goddesses Of the
kiosk. there Is yet repartee In you,
and the dearth of clients gives you
time to exercise your talents! But
where is the great company Of walters?
Does the patronne soften or is her face
grown sterner still? Mr.. and Mrs. will
please notice one does not eat after
80 +. NJ at restaurant. Drink Is
not debited after &. Early to bed
Poor Richard Ben FRANKLIN trlumphs
again; that most engaging heather and
most unlikely of Bostonians
Surely the mldnettes are not gone
from their capital. Surely the stoics
have not ceased to regard from the
parapets Of the bridges the water to
pass, or very solemnly and thoughtfully
to expectorate into the same. Surely
men too old for war re not too old to
fish. a pnstime which, swapping our
fingers at anthropology and archaeology,
we hereby declare to have originated
In France. The concierge Ia not too
| happy. The Journals are so small and
quickly read she can't find any preteXt
for keeping them the proper period
from the tenants. The long windows
are aswing. The flowers are in the pots
and boxes French poodles, those comic
/ lioncels, are still being washed In the
sacred waters of the Seine. The Min
/ istry of Fine Arts would see to 1t that
{ Paris should not want that scene Of
decoration.
Nor does there appear to he any
reason 10 fear shortage Of food"
And suppose there should be7 Since
WAGNER has been acclimatized in Paris,
It Is permitted to remember that ODIN.
good old WuoTAN Longbeard. never ate
anything while he boarded In Asgard.
Wine was good enough for him.