San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-09-24
GALLANT TO WOMEN


one of my French-American friends.
Il won't" / said. have never been
more sincere.
From later observations l gathered
that, while drivers will stop at a sig
nal from gendarme only if it hap
pens to suit their fancy, you can
count fully on them firmly applying
the brakes when a woman with baby
carriage shows a sign Of wanting TO
cross the street. Then Heaven help
the cars that are speeding behind the
one that catches the woman's signal
For the driver applies every brake be
can find, grabs the wheel hard with
one hand and waves tie other wildly
out the side, as ii TO say, in effect,
ito hell with taxis and tires, this
bonnie femme is going to get across
safely"
And she does. While drivers Of
Paris taxis ordinarily curse and
threaten and gesticulate as if in
spasms at a minor infraction of I'M
written taxi rules, they never say
word about it when one Of them vio-
lates all rules for the sake OF a mother
and baby. They'd have done the same
had they been at the top of the line.
The reception at the station had
taken so much longer than expected
that 1 had hardly enough time 10 dress
for the dinner that was being given to
the "Presse Cinematographic," at
which l was the guest Of honor. The
affair was held at the Marguery, the
place that raised filet de sole from
| the social obscurity Of the fish mon
gers wagon TO an enviable position in
fine society. Filet de sole without the
de Marguery after it would be as in
congruous as an aviation officer with
/ out spurs.
GETS WELCOME
Anyway, the dinner was very fine,
and saw at once they had the win.
ritual down pat. They ought to, for
they don't drink anything else. Ny
Vichy water looked as lonely on that
banquet table as westerner his first
time in New York. By the time We
| got down 70 the benedictine almost
everybody made a speech. I'd have
made two Of them if l had gone no
further than the red wine. As it was
l made one.
First, one Frenchman, his eyes
sparkling with quick intelligence and
/ his lips forming impossible words, vel
coined me. / knew he was welcoming
me because nobody threw me ouc.
What he said was either for or against
me. 1t was easy enough TO tell there
were no half way measures. Then
another Frenchman said something
else, although it sounded exactly like
the first TO me. Pretty soon it came
my time 70 talk.
Il was easy at first. for ] wasn't
bothered worrying not 10 repeat what
someone else already had said. They
couldn't have said what / was think.
ing for a cowboy can't be translated.
] say, at first it was easy. Then i
got hard. suddenly realized that eZ.
cept for a few American boys and sew
eral Frenchmen who could talk Eng
lish, ! might just as well keep my
mouth shut. ! might just have well
kept il shut anyway, but IL was on
the books 70 give them bon mot" for
"bon mot" which is French for talk.
ing turkey.
GETS A LAUGH
Pretty soon / got 20 thinking these
people made terribly stupid audience.
Ny best stories drew a brcathless 81
lencc, and one who knew just enough
English 70 get il twisted began q
weep when told them TINT one about
the cowboy and the Eastern tender.
foot. ] didn't blame him much, but }