Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-06

ding their heads in satisfaction,
frightened the German pig away"
There was not the slightest tndica-
ton of fear on the part OF any one.
II a really serious aerial attack was
made, but the Parisians are not worry
ing. They have called a cheerful phil
osophy to their aid.
these people. One never hears an al
fusion to French losses. or to the
cost of the war. OF to the fact that
immensely valuable territory Is In Ger
man hands. The music hall artists sing
Of Belgium's wrongs. but never OF
those of France. Orchestras play Tip.
perary" until one becomes angrily tired
of it, but rarely one Of their own patri-
otto airs One must become well ac-
quainted with a Frenchman to discov-
er that he fairly flames with pride in
the magnificent achievements of the
French army, Until he knows you
well he chivalrously praises the Briton
or the Canadian. That is the back
ground on which l have recently found
reflected an immense happiness.
What is the reason for this notice.
able increase in cheer?" I asked a very
prominent Partisan the other day.
THE men are coming home from the
trenches" he said.
cheered by Returning Soldiers.
Sure enough. One might have guessed
it. For eleven months the wives and
mothers and sweethearts of France had
not seen their men. They knew they
were fighting well. but that was all.
a wife wants to know if papa's noon
day soup is seasoned to his liking.
Mother worries over the boys wet feet.
1t isn't any wonder that the women of
FRANCE and the men who have stayed
behind were something less than con-
rl1ry of n
eral situation. Ever since the battle
of the Marine, France has been conf
dent of ultimate victory. But the wom-
an wanted to see the man.
four days leave One day the streets
were empty except for the stay-at-homes
and the women and the wounded. Paris
leave had been practically withdrawn
from the British, who on my previous
visit had been seen everywhere. The next
day the streets were full I had always
thought of the Frenchmen as being
rather understood. but these chaps are
walking monuments of huskiness. Not
many are tall, perhaps, but they are well
filled out and brown and springy. no
longer wondered at the stories of their
prowess with the bayonet. One Of them
would be as hard to hold as handful of
wet lightning.
Are Tremendously Happy.
And man and woman are so ire
mendously happy. 1t heartens one just
to see them They hold hands with such
disregard of the conventions as sitter
other people interpret them. They walk
on the streets arm in arm. leaning against
each other. completely absorbed. They
pet each other quite openly They laugh
immoderateiy at the very broad jokes in
the illustrated papers about the soldiers
return. They kiss each other in the open
fiacres. Fathers walk about with chill
dren on their shoulders. They talk stimuli
taneously and endlessly, and by some
miracle each knows what the other is say
ing.
SO that Paris is looking for a fairly
pleasant winter. Some time ago there
were 10000 stage people out of work in
France. Most of them-those who are
not fghting-will have steady employment
this year. People are not beginning to
dress again, it is true. Display Of that
sort is frowned on. ] have not seen a
real evening toilet in the past year. But
this morning l saw a handsome limousine
go swanking by-one of the sort with
glass all around like hearse-and in 1t
was a very pretty woman in an elaborate
gown. People turned to look after her. so
unusual was the sight. 1 think that on
the whole they approved.