The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1916-02-04
InE FRENCH Home
There the Servant Is Like a Mem
Der of the Family.
IMPORTANCE OF THE NURSE.
She Is the Real and Rational Ruler of
the Turbulent Children Who, as
General Rule, Are Spoiled by Their
Too Indulgent Parents.

Too InduIeent Parents.
The French people have not, so far,
produced a spiritually servile class.
The occupation most dangerous to the
soul-that of personal service-has not
resulted for the people of France in
fiunkyism on the one hand and su-
perior airs on the other
There is something in the poise and
motion of French working girls, In
their fearless eyes and vibrant voices,
that suggests fluid and mobile social
structure which deepens the impress
sion Of rigidity in the life across the
channel and beyond the Rhine. French
people of the more favored classes are
never heard bemoaning the decay Of a
proper" servant class ON the con
trary, if YOU speak TO them Of the
striking contrast between the French
proetarat and that of other countries
theirs so natural and gay, the others
so humble or SO sulen or both they
instantly expand with pride. Exact
ly!' they eXclaim "Our brave French
people. Just as good rs monsieur, as
madame but also no better.
The status Of the French domestic
derives in part at least from the weight
of responsibility under which she
serves, For her mistress is neither
careless housekeeper nor IN Indifferent
mother. 1t is precisely because the
Frenchwoman loves her children so ar
dently, so romantieally, one might say,
and because her quick intelligent grasp
Of material situations makes her an
excellent economist at home that she
requires and establishes in the house
hold not common servant. not a
mothers helper, but woman of in
telligence and character, a woman oft
en- young and mtried, but with the
true ring, who is or soon becomes ca
pable of assuming direct responsibility
for the care of the children and the
house-a woman who deserves and re-
ceiyes the consideration due 20 the
head of an important department in
the management of the samily life.
French children are notoriously spoil
ed. The little monarchs are Kept ON
pedestal well into the age of moral re-
sponsibility. Father mother. all the
older relatives. vie with one another in
admiring and induleing them With
this understanding of the term and
scope of the childs autocratic reign,
one can afford TO laugh at turbulent
scenes in which he puts to rout every
adult in the house except his bonne.
At the mere sight of her the little des-
perado begins to quiet down He is in
the presence of the only person who
has, so far. exercised any rational au-
thority over him. the person before
whom he feels the beginnings of shame
at doing wrong
The bonne is the most important per
son in the family group SO far as its
material well being is concerned. And
morally. spiritually. she is a true mem
Der of the family. 1t is not for nothiua
that the word "bonne" means good
as well as nurse"
1t may be that the prevailing goo
relation between masters and seryan
in France has very simple expIaa
tion-simple and yet profound 1t may
be that it springs at bottom from The
warm affections of the people Thcl
cannot live without love and senti
ment Better than any other people
they know how to keep alive the ro-
nance of friendship, of love and even
OF that inherently bad relation master
and slave.
The French servant who has no fam
lily ties-and often the one who has
throws her whole heart and soul into
the family life of her master and mis-
tress.
She must love-she must serve-she
must be loved And the French master
and mistress understand. Each one
| idealizes the sentiments of the other
In a word the romance of the situa-
| tion grips them all. French literature
is crowded with examples of mistress
| and servant whose intimacy shows no
| trace of eondescension on the one side
or of serviIity on the others.-J. Fran
ces Cooke in New Republic