The Glasgow courier., 1916-02-25
THE FRENCH HOME
There the Servant Is Like a Mem.
Der Of the Family.
IMPORTANCE OF THE NURSE.

UVtu w sss@ sVSss~@s
She Is the Real and Rational Ruler Of
the Turbulent Children Who, as a
General Rule, Are Spoiled by Their
Too InduIqent Parents.
The French people have not. so far.
produced spiritually servile class.
The occupation most dangerous to the
soul-that Of personal service-has not
resulted for the people Of France in
f]unkyism 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 tluid 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
proletariat and that of other countries
theirs so natural and gay, the others
so humble or SO sullen or both-they
instantly expand with pride. Exact.
ly!' they exclaim Our brave French
people! Just as good as monsieur, as
madame, but also no better!'
The status Of the French domestic
Il IN, - ot ort ho ;~rl,k
Of responsibility under which she
serves. For her mistress Is neither a
careless hOusekeeper nor an Indifferent
mother. 1t Is precisely because the
Frenchwoman loves her children so ar.
IDENTIFY, so romantically, one might say.
and because her quick. intelligent grasp
Of material situations makes her an
excellent economist ut home that she
requires and establishes in the house.
hold not a common servant, not a
mothers helper" but woman of In.
telligence and character, a woman Oft
ell young and untried. 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-
ceives the consideration due to the
head Of an important department in
the management of the family life.
French children are notOriously spoil
ed. The little monarchs are kept on a
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 child's 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 we'll being Is concerned And
morally. spiritually. she IS true mem
ber Of the family. 1t is not for nothing
that the word "bonne" means good
as we'll as nurse"
1t 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 it 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 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
ton grips them all. French literature
Is crowded with examples OF mistres.
and servant whose intimacy shows NJ
trace Of cOndescension on the one side
or Of servility on the others.-J. Fran
ces Cooke in New Republic.
Art ~ LanoA