OUR PARIS LETTER

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 106, 7 May 1931, Page 16

OUR PARIS LETTER

LEGION OF HONOUII

MODEST SAINTS

(From "The Post's" Representative.) ;, '■ PARIS, 4th March.

Thero was a gathering in Paris yesterday at which every member wore a rod token signifying that he belonged to the Legion of Honour. The occasion was tho annual general meeting of the Societe of the Legion, and, in accordance with custom, a visit was paid to the special museum near tho Quai d'Orsay. The company included the president, General Dubail, and Admiral Le Bris. The Musee do la Legion d'Honneur is quito modern, having been founded in 1925, but it is rich in souvenirs and relics, not only dating back to the origins of the legion, founded by tho great Napoleon, but also to the illustrious orders which preceded it, the Eoyal Orders of the Saint Esprit, Saint Louis, and the Order of Military Merit, founded by Louis XV. The collection is divided into, three parts, and is composed mainly of gifts mado by descendants of distinguished families. It also includes a number of valuable documents bearing on the history of the various Orders. DANCER'S PARIS TOMB. Jean Borlin, the clever Swedish dancer, who died in New York on 6th December, had so great an affection for Paris that he resolved not to desert it, even after death. He caused a vault to be built for himself in Pere Laehaiso cemetery, and paid several visits to sec how the work was progressing. His Wishes have now been carried out. The aluminium coffin containing his remains was brought to Parois, ;t service was held in the .Swedish Church in the Hue Cuyot, and then, followed by a few close friends, it was taken to the cemetery and deposited in the last resting-place ho had chosen. MODEST SAINTS. Although the calandars aro unanimous every year in their celebration of the various saints' days, it is not every saint who is celebrated enough to have a special day every year. Some of them take.their turn,.year by year, with others. For example,-sth January is 'dedicated either to St. Simeon or St.

Amelia, while on 14th January Felix alternates with Hilary, and so on. There is one saint, however, whose day never varies—St. Valentine, tho kindly friend of all those iv love. His feast has been celebrated on 14th February from time immemorial. Occasionally, a saint's day. is, a-moveablo. feast, for example; that of Saint Julieu may be either 9th or 27th January, and Saint Colette either 28th February or 6th March. Others are always eclipsed by tho fact that they come on one of the great religious feast days. The fetes of St. Montan and St. Oswald are celebrated only onco in every four years, on 29th February. ROMANCE SEEKING A HOME. . Two young people of illustrious family are to be married very shortly, that is, as soon as they can find a fiat. They aro M. Pierre Clemcnecau and Mile. Terka Gross, the grandson of Gcorgo Clemouceau, and the great-granddaugh-ter of Sarah Bernhardt. Apparently it is as difficult for them to find a home in which to start life together as it is for people of less celebrated ancestry. Neither of them has followed in the footsteps of their forbears. M. Pierre Clemenceau prefers a business life, in which he seems to.be doing well, to politics, and has travelled widely; while his fiancee does not consider that she has any dramatic talent. They met at Saint Raphael some time ago, and both families aro delighted at the romance. It only remains, therefore, to find that elusive flat. REVOLUTION IN SPATS. Lightning fasteners, those . curious contrivances liko metal teeth, which by means of a tag may be pulled together or apart, have been used on most of the articles of utility by this time. Their appearance on women's close-fit-ting skull caps not long ago was quite successful, but the latest use found for them is on men's spats. Those finicky people who do not like new-fangled ideas, of course, may object to the illustrious spat being subjected to such treatment. Neat inconspicuous buttons, they insist, arc the only methods of fastening a-spat. But it is undoubtedly a fact that with the lightning fastener a better fit round tho foot can be obtained than with buttons. Those in authority may one day decide in favour of this kind of fastening for the spats worn by the Scottish, troops, since it would undoubtedly save' a good deal of time. A RUSSIAN QUARTER. Montparnasse.and tho Latin Quarter are the most cosmopolitan spots in Paris, but there is a quiet corner not

vary far from tho Etoilo which, al-1 though it appears to bo French on most days, on a Sunday seems to change its1 characteristics altogether. This is tho Rue Daru, where the Russian Church is situated, and,where tho Russians inexile in Paris congregate overy week. On Sunday one hears little else spoken but Russian. Russian are tho papers which are being sold in1 the street, and in the little restaurants nearby, kept by their compatriots, small groups resort to eat their national dishes. Russian pastry, where queer cakes and unusual sweet-meats may be found, and Russian shops, dressmakers, and-cafes'havesprung. up intho neighbourhood of the.; church,, rounditho'.door of which humbly stand a few poor folk waiting on the'charity .of'the owners of the motor-cars which wait in the streot outside; and, truth to tell, the richer folk rarely pass their poorer countrymen without slipping something into their hands.