The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-10-17
Big Bonnets' of the
Provences the Most
Efficient Cleaners of
the Golden Sheaves
How They Work

~"
(the young ones are all fighting in
the trenches) is a powerful big Bon
net" still, In spite Of the covert war
fare between Church n State In
France. They rave temporarily bur-
led the Ratchet now and the cure
scatters the seeds which will bring
out the golden harvest skilfully be-
tween the words Of his sermon. There
is much more churchgoing now than
before the war. The peasant woman
| knws less about finance than do eve
her men folks. but when the good
, cure takes for his ext the parable Of
the improbable talent hidden way
under the napkin, 1t sets her thinking
about her few treasured gold pieces
hidden away under her piles Of rare
hand woven linen In the depths Of
a fine old carven oak armoire.
She says not a word to any n
but keeps her counsel. But
the next Sunday she waits in
the clustered gloom Of the little
Gothic church unit. the last wor-
shipper has left and slips out Of the
capacious pockets Of her petticoat her
time thinned gold pieces and presses
them into the cures hand to be for
warded to headquarters for he good
Of the country. ia patrie.'
Likely, too, one Of those French
feminine patriots will timidly knock
some evening at the pastors o
and slipping her long gold chain OF
her neck, the attribute Of every mar
ried woman in France. insist on his
passing 1t on for the good Of la
patrie.
The school teacher Is a Bigger
Bonnet" in rural France than else
where and as a cleaner Of gold has
been a noble aid TO the nstional treas
ury, whether man or oman. The
French country school ,escher Is an
incubator Of patriotism ya1 his infu-
ence has been the me- As If emptyins
the little tirelires or ravi',ss banks Of
the French children.
No financial argumen y are needed
here, but daily lessons are seasoned
with stirring tales of wsst papa ana
big brother are doing 20 save their
country at the front"
But the children's proud momen
comes later when they form at the
school house and march in line, teach
ers at the head, 70 turn in their Of
fering. also a collective gift, at the
nearest branch bank. Boys in n
line, girls in another, and most or
them In mourning black. watching
their childhood treasures shovelled
into the hanks scales and weighed.
with never a tear or regret, impassive
and stole under the sacrifice. as IS all
France. School children's gold has
flowed in from all over France, from
the war zone. where teachers n
scholars under bursting shells have
stuck to their school rooms together.
Offerings up into the thousands have
come from the schools of Rheims.
Circulars sent out by the board Of edu-
cation In and around Nancy in the
warning region OF the Nosges. with
,German guns laundering at the school,
, house doors. reaped for the Bank Ut
France by the first of August nearly
six million francs.
But the notary is the best harves-
ter Of gold OF any of the Beg Bon
nets" OF the provinces. The village
notary is the countrymnn's adviser
and counsellor in all his public and
private affairs; and the only real con
fdence the peasant eve gives outside
the family is To the notary.
The notary knows how To pull the
wires of the s%phinNlike French char
acter to extract this gold and at the
same time guard NJ, Jean against the
terrible obloquy of being branded "A
rich man So he gathers in for the
national treasury NJ. Jeans gold. only
II few pieces at a time. however, after
NJ. Jean has made various "affaires"
the pretext for many visits through
the little side door. FIR not only does
he hate to part with money IN a llimp
sum, nut in his simple reasoning hv
his passing 1t on in dr.ble,s there viii
he less danger of the whisper getting
around among the n~cighbors.
Nothing so emphasizes the solidar-
ity OF his movement of the people
of France to defend the country with
their gold ammunition as the number
of ancient gold pieces which +, has
brought to light, showing that even
after the Franco-Prussian war the
depths of the peasants gold reserves
had not been reached when tn. hus
, de lainc was emptied the last time
for national defence. Gold pieces are
, being turned in to the Bank of Franco
which bear the cnigies of a long line
!, II French rulers back as far "a
, Louis XIII, which have been boarded
: through eight monarchies, two rcvo-
F, l%utions, two empires and three re-
. publics, which shows only the pious
|. ~tenacity with which the French pco-
. pie cling 10 their savings of genera
: tions.
Now that they cannot hoard gold
= the people of France are storing away
silver coins especially the big silver
Z franc "ecus," which on account Of
!, their bulk and weight have "A sup
. Iposed value in their eyes next To gold.
They are even collecting copper sous.
a and to such AN extent that these
coins, as well as most diyisionary
, coins. are becoming scarce and "a
a famine in small money is again feared
like that which blocked French COM
mcrce in the first weeks of the war.
The big Bonnets' are now engaged
in spreading the propaganda that sill
II YER isn't worth collecting, that II IL
worth only co per cent. of it's face
a and that the real patriot will keen
it in circulation and only hoard, il
Il he must hoard something. the new
n D frame bank notes which have been