The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-18

OSCpIlIllC AAOSC VI W.
long distance swimmer at 10.
been the last word has not yet been
written on this subject. The pension
de famille has not been a money max
ing Institution. and those who hay"
been forced 10 retire into obsruritS
have not retired with big bank ac-
counts.
After the war Of 20 and the CON-
mure Paris was the Mecca Of travel
lers. Americans recovering from their
own civil war were just beginning 10
make the annual tour. Many OF the
hes, known pensions Of those days.
whose fame still lives, were presided
over by the widows Of officers, and II
is due to them that the Paris PEN
sion gained such extraordinary pres
,ige. They were women unaccus-
! toned to wage earning but expert
enced in ali the arts Of the cuisine and
the graces OF the 40 Il was a
place where the pensionnaire not
only lived and received for a stated
sum the exchange OF board and lodg-
irg u where n learned the re-
nnements Of the most gracious 500
ciety in the world. A high standard
vas maintained. one was admitted
by introduction only. The dinners
were functions and the receptions
carried out the traditions OF the Eau
bourG.
The a~ristocratlc friends Of Madame
stood by her in her fallen fortunes and
lent their prestige. She did not at
tempt to make money; TO provide a
home for herself and her children.
perhaps to marry of her daughter.
that was all and enough. When this
was accomplished, II Madame had not
taken TO herself a second spouse. she
went to live with the newly married
and the pension doors were closed or
the establishment drifted into other
hands. Paris still talks OF one OF
these celebrated pensions de famille.
entrance into which was "a social Gre
dental. II was situated in the resi-
Dental part OF the Boulevard Hauss-
mann.
But. as two blades Of grass have
been made 10 grow where only n
srew before. after the regime of these
military pensions came another crop.
A few managed 20 preserve the spirit
% the earlier ones. many failed for the
obvious reason that the landladies.
worthy, hard working. intelligent.
often well educated women were not
Of the Crande dame class. and the
indctinahle something disappeared
with them. Disappeared from them.
also. the French for OF late
years the native p~ensionnaire was in
deed a rara avis. The routine Of PEN
sion life does not appeal to the Gallo
temperament, and the French woman.
strictly the economist, can have her
w apartment and her maid for wha.
she would pay in a pension de ia
mile.
After each published account OF tho
millions Of dollars Americans spent in
Paris each year, new pensions de
famiile sprang up like mushrooms
ever night. So many Of these at
length, so great the competition. so
far was the supply In excess of the
demand-thouGh the demand has been
o constantly increasing hgure-that
the pension keepers had finally to con-
tent themselves to make a living, a
good living II was indeed, and let the
future take care of itself.
But, why worry? This business OF
the pension de famille was a sure
ming, carefully advertised the best OF
all ways, that OF the personal. Guests
well taken care of, we'll fed and we'll
housed came again and again or sent
their friends. Other trades. other pro-
fessions, were subject to ups and downs,
hut not that of h pension de famille
for behind II was the whole American
nation. the young who came TO study
the siGftsccrs, the widows and maiden
aides OF IA certain age who found that