The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1916-02-24
THE FRENCH HOME
here the Servant Is Like a Men,
Der Of the Family.
IMPORTANCE OF THE NURSE.

The ls the Real and Rational Ruler Of
the Turbulent Children Who, az a
General Rule, Are Spoiled by Their
Too lndulgent Parents.
The French people have not, so far.
reduced spiritually servile class.
The occupation most dangerous to the
oul-that of personal service-has not
esulted for the people of France in
lunkyism on the one hand and su-
,erior airs on the other.
There is something in the poise and
|, notion Of French working girls, In
Jheir fearless eyes and vibrant voices,
hat suggests a fluid and mobile social
structure which deepens the impress
Sion OF rigidity in the life across the
channel and beyond the Rhine. French
.5eople Of the more favored classes are
never heard bemoaning the decay of
proper servant class. On the con
rary, II you speak to them of the
striking contrast between the French
proletariat and that Of other countries
theirs so natural and gay. the others
70 humble or so sullen or both-they
Instantly expand with pride. Exact
TYR they exclaim Our brave French
people! Just as good as monsieur, as
madame. but also no better,''
The status of the French domestic
derives In part at least from the weight
vof responsibility under which she
1serves. For her mistress Is neither
oor~ l<rss hn,
mother 1t is precisely because the
Frenchwoman loves her children so ar
IDENTIFY, so dramatically. one might say
and because her quick. intelligent grasp
OF material situations makes her an
excellent economist at home that she
Irequires and establishes in the house
lhold not II common servant not a
mothers helper" but a woman of in
telligence and character. woman oft
en- young and untried. but with the
true ring, who is or soon becomes ca
pabie Of assuming direct responsibility
for the care of the children and the
! house-a woman who deserves and re-
ceives the consideration due to the
: head OF an important department In
the management of the family life.
French children are VIGOROUSLY spoil
!, ed. The little monarchs are kept on a
y pedestal well into the age of moral re-
sponsibility. Father, mother, all the
older relatives. vie with one another in
admiring and indulging 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 bonnie.
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 bonnie is the most important per-
son In the family group. so far as its
material well being is concerned. And
morally, spiritually. she is true mem
Der of the family. 1t is not for nothing
that the word "bonne" means good"
as well as nurse"
IL may be that the prevailing good
relation between masters and servants
In France has a very simple explana-
tion-simple and yet profound. 1t may
! be that 1t springs at bottom from the
warm affections Of the people. They
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 des-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 word. the romance of the situa-
ton grips them all. French literature
Is crowded with examples of mistress
and servant whose intimacy shows nc
trace Of condescension on the one side
or Of servility ON the others.-J. Fran
c0H Cooke In New Republic