Marcel Provost on Psychology of Post-War Girl rom Ove OWN Conresroxue®
Paris, May 23.
'M, Marcel Provost, the brilliant French novelist, who knew a great} deal about the psychology of is pre-war compatriots, has been] Gevoting himself to a' study of the rising generation, more particularly} in regard to the relations between the sexes He finds evidence of a very great change. The kind of man who is not really interested in anything but woman is out of date, not only fromthe masculine but from the modern feminine point of vie Gizls and young women accept re-Intions of comradeship with the masculine element which were unheard-of before the war. Possibly this is merely a proof of woman's} in adapting herself to ces, She realises that} not enough men to go round, and that, to use an express sion often heard during the war, she has become a "depreciated eu rency" in the matrimonial market. Instead of standing on her dignity, she accepts the facts and pretends to like them. Sontimental dalliance has given way to talk about sport and motor-cers and wireless and other now interests, The typical] young man of good family has to work a great deal harder than father or grandfather did at age, snd, in the vast majority of cases, he finds that his earnings hardly enough to gratify sporting tastes, He, therefore, postpones the idea of marriage. M, Provost relates conversation swith a young friend whom he met one evening at a cabaret and who was due to put in' an appearance a a dance, Reminded that he was in danger of being late, the young man remark. ced light-heartedly: "Oh, I've plenty of time. T shall find three or four of them situation thus summed up the—innumerable Nature will put it rig!
Meanwhile, lavaly woman sharpen her wits and cultivates Not So Naughty "If, we may believe the "Petit witch calls itself the meet Parisian of newspapers, Montmartre is dead. The cabarets and other centres of nocturnal gaiety, which have caused the word "Montmartre" to be ne cepted all over the world as typical of Parisian naughtiness, fare on the decline. They have been Spoiled by money... Montmartre originally obtained its reputation through its "chansonniers," who had plenty of wit and humour and made their modest establishments really amusing and inexpensive, Gradually some hard-headed business men Rot hold of the idea tha: money could be made by exploiting Montmartre's reputation as a puree where foreigners could enjoy themselves in a manner not readily at.
: ainable elsewhere. Speculators took over the old cabarets. and" started]
ones, with: the conviction that Jo mixtare of American "numbers," Inergo jazz-bands and Russian sing-Jers would produce something highly Parisian and prove ive to] foreign visitors with plenty of money. This was all very well daring the period of depreciated French currency, but, now that the [franc has been stabilized and local] prices are higher than ever, forners have discovered that Paris is by no means so cheap as it used {to be. They also find that the. so-fealled amusements provided at the. [very expensive Montmartre cabarets: fare just what they can find at imilar places in other cities. They were supplied with dolls and great quantities of cotton balls with Which to pelt one another, no expense was spared for_paper. serpentines, and each establishment professed to have its own. special vice, but, in spite of all this, the sale has become tired of Mont-maitre and is elsewhere, In few years the cabarets will probly be swallowed up by branch' banks and other places of business, end Montmartre will be quite respeetable—and uninteresting.
The Maharajah's Watchman The Maharajah Holker of Indore, who will be remembered as having incurred the displeasure of the British Government some years ago, has had another reminder of the difference between Oriental and Occidental ideas. Having taken a Jarge house, the Chateau d'Hennemont, near Saint Germain, and filled it with art treasures, he. bethought firn that it would be advis able to have the place watched. Supposing that the local police com: emissary, BIN. Calmette, was the proper person to attend to these mat-aki sent for him ay him Frs. 8,000 fa month for the services of three men. M. Calmette obligingly found the men, who were quite pleased to take the job at Frs. 600. Thos M. Calmette made 100 per cent profit, and everyone was satisfied,—Unfortunately one of the three, named Piquet, had a fall while on duty, id injured himself. He brought an action against the Maharajah, who, being at Biarritz at the time, did not answer the summons, and ertiaps knew nothing about it, The Tceal court gave judgment against him for £10, M, Calmette inter-wened and paid "the money, for! which he was given " receipt. in! his own name. Piquet then discovered. that he was permanently incapacitated, "He brought another action in the local court against His; Highness, to obtain a pension, and was awarded £12 on account, there being again no appearance for the defence. When he at last discover-
Jed what was going on, he appealed against the judgment, on the ground that M. Calmette had contracted to apply men to watch the chateau ud that he was therefore or any injuries they might sustain in the discharge of their duty. The appeal came before the Versailles court, which, being very busy, adjourned it until July. M. Calmette has been suspended, his\ superiors Met approving of his conduct. How much more satisfactorily and promptly could the " ex-potentate have arranged such matters in his Jown country!
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.