The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1918-08-29

! THE FRENCH FIRESlDE. !

Frances Topltz, in New York Times.
Inc French love their "foyers." their
own fireslde. and the solidarity and
separateness OF their family life. They
nave not the boarding house or hotel
habit as we have in America, and gre
gariousness does not suit their temper
ament. The very enterprising do not
wait for the officials to find separate
lodgings for,them. They usually do 1t
themselves. For the others. the less
energetic. 1t Is a matter Of weeks some
times before they can be satisfactorily
placed. With a proper regard for the
training OF the people. the French OFF,
cial does try not to send a weaver to
an agricultural center and a farmer
TO a factory town. But mistakes do
happen.
The French government has planned
We'll for Its o shifting population. A
daily allowance is made according to
age; rent is paid, or, rather. provision
is made for rent whenever families de-
eide to lodge separately. That the fine
program or the government Is not al
ways carried out my be due to the
enormous volume OF work-this. placing
OF whole cities OF people at one time
ana at snort notice. Where the task
Is too big for the local authorities, the
He'd Cross steps in. and together the
responsibilities are carried. There is
a fine spirit Of cooperation. With the
Red Cross workers understanding that
she is not there to show the French
people what they should do, but to
help them carry out the work they
nave planned, rehabilitation Of families
can be made to count.
1t IL a tremendous rush and hurry all
the time. Things must be done quick
~, one must think on ones feet. Get
ting materials, furniture. stoves. kitch-
en- utensils, is a problem; in some
the bone. 1t keeps the purchasing
bureau on the hop. Here are thousands
or people with nothing but the clothes
they are standing In. And eventually
uley are to go back to their homes
homes denuded-yes. and in many in
stances RACED to the ground. The few
things they can take back with them
Will be their beginning.
Give a Frenchwoman a bed. a mar
mite and a stove. and she can make
a home. 1t is M of the gratifying
Things after a days work to step into
one OF these little improvised homes
or q 'repat," as we, in our American
hurry, have abbreviated them, and sec
a reconstructed family. 1t may only
49,, 'auie' soHhe CHRIS, n Stove,
ana a "marmite." but we know that
! n their hearts they feel that it is
better than the Commencement" and
the woman, Industrious from habit,
bustles about ~ IL she had a COM
pick household to take care of.
you may drop into a home at al
most any time and the 'marmits" Is
on The stove. A thick soup with ONE
bread broken INTO II, and they have
a neal. 1t is well not to question
what goes into that soup; but when It
Is ready to be served it is very savory
and palatable. / can only recall one
instance where there was that lack Of
provident planning. SO apparent in
many of u American households,
where the "delicatessen" store Ia the
First aid, and there the woman apol-
ogized. for having eggs, butter, red
wine. and bottled water for her lunch
con. Eggs and butter are almost pro-
hibitive as to price. and one wondered
how she eve did 1t on the ALLEGATION
money! franc 80 centimes (30 cents)
q day for adults, and l franc GEO cents)
for each child-plus the 40 centimes an
hour h earned for cleaning-8 cents
an hour.
War bread, loaves fully q yard long,
or in rings no less than two feet in
diameter. or in solid round loaves of
similar dimensions, is ever present. II
Is never wrapped in paper. Everybody
walks along the street with his loaf OF
bread under his arm, and all tho san
ttary measures we take to have our
bread wrapped and sealed. or handled
with gloved7 hands only, would prob
ably be scoffed at. The war bread la
not very good, but we may judge from
the size of the loaves that it Is not I'M
popular. One does not feel n short
age Of food here, except. perhaps,
sugar and chocolate. I have not the
least doubt there are many speak
easy places in town where these can
be had.