IN PARIS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20922, 11 July 1931, Page 1 (Supplement)

IN PARIS.

FINGER-NAILS, RUBBER-HEELS

BY MONT. VINCENT.

It will be admitted by most visitors to the French metropolis that the management of many of the hotels endeavour to induce their guests to partake of their first daily meal in the privacy of their bedrooms. It is served at one's bedside at an hour mutually arranged between lodger and femme do chambre, and usually consists of a diminutive roll of crusty bread, very excellent when absolutely fresh, a modicum of butter, and a cup of coffee of similar lilliputian dimensions. No one really desires x more who, wearied with the sight-seeing of the previous day, the Grand Opera of the previous night, resulting in an exceedingly late retirement, retains little inclination for early rising or vigorous eating, and welcomes the opportunity for ail extm period of rest in a second sleep. Hence it is that so many visitors to the French capital miss the extraordinary early morning sights and incidents of the public thoroughfares. At this hour the awakening of a city is a revelation. The main avenues of intercommunication reecho to the vibrations of the increasing traffic, under cover of which the vagrant habitues of the more obscure alleys craftily emerge to pursue the wanderings of another day and discover some securer concealment for the coming night. Let anyone desirous of experiencing something very much out of the common make a point of gaining the Rue d'e Rivoli or the Boulevard St. Germain during the opening hours of a fine spring morning. Indeed, the boulevards generally, which extend roughtly speaking in a semi-circular route along the right bank of the Seine, which divides the city into two, present the most striking feature of Parisian life. They are lined with trees, seats stalls, kiosks, and little towers of advertisements, with restaurants; cafes and shops, for miles. One has surely to take a seat and look on at crowds of human beings of all shapes and sizes, of all ages and callings, struggling to commence another day's exertion, purchasing, if you will for appearance sake, an early issued newspaper from one or other of the numerous bouquinister or open-air booksellers, who ply their trade at intervals along the pavements, or of the garcons, to protect yourself from their pestering attacks.

Shop Assistants. It would be difficult in a brief sketch to give a detailed description of every item that would, strike a stranger on such an occasion as this, but the female aide-de-boutique, or shop assistants, deserves special mention perhaps, for hero they are to be seen in the majority as a class of workers, hurrying in hundreds to their destinations, with artfully improved eyebrows, cheeks, lips and nostrils, perfect in costume, in deportment and repartee, observant of surroundings and mindful and grateful of any small atention shown them. At their duties, no matter in what direction their services may take thern, there is invariably the greatest attention and politeness displayed. As shop assistants, they are without doubt the ablest in creation. There is nothing of any trouble to them, and in consequence, I understand, English and American ladies who have had any experience of them would do their shopping in Paris preferably to any dther city. " That, they benefit immensely in com-' J parison with the lay figures by which they are surrounded goes without saying. We were struck, when first we encountered these dreadful apparitions, with the superiority of the figures in our New Zealand emporiums, many of which are positively beautiful beside these European dummies, and which one cannot but lament a.re being superseded by , these abominations, with their bilious complexions, elongated heads and general \ unnaturalneas. Surely our shop window dressers have a better conception of the human form divine than to encourage the use of such parodies. Even our boys' November burlesques ,of Guy Pawke3 would rank with many of these Epstein figures in the male sections, and with this additional merit, that they remain on exhibition only for a day, and are then summarily destroyed for ever!

Elegance of Hands. There is an art in the massaging o£ the hands which has been efficiently acquired by these French demoiselles. When properly adopted it softens the cuticle, and imparts flexibility to the joints, immediately noticeable on touch and in the paring of the finger-nails, they have attained an elegance in the almond shape achieved by judicious trimming which our young ladies have nob yet accomplished. Authorities on the subject hold that the curve of the tips of the nail should match the curve of the nail at the quick, and not be pointed out of such a similarity to render it claw-like. But to return to the Parisian aide-de-boutique, I shall not readily forget tho following instance of politeness I received in a very trivial matter. Ono day X suddenly discovered the loss of a rubber heel, and as soon as possible afterwards selected an unpretentious shoe-shop for my repairs. On entering I found it presided over presumably by mother and daughter, the latter immediately attracting me by her extremely neat appearance. For a few moments we almost spoke at cross purposes, but she begged me to be seated, and tried five pairs of shoes to fit mo before she gathered it was only a heel I required. With each trial I protested in my wretched, staggering Ollendorf, " Non, mademoiselle, un talon seuiement, s'il vous plait," but she sweetly smiled and came again. Indeed, wo were very soon both laughing heartily, for my lingo must, have amused her immensely, and she kept on unconsciously tickling my feet with her dainty, little manicured fingers in her " tryings on," and who can stand that ? I was profuse in my apologies,, endeavouring to formulate all sorts of appropriate excuses, and making such shocking blunders, I feel sure that I would be ashamed to repeat any of ''them; and she withal so charming in her acceptance of them.

Monsieur and Madame. At last in reply to my greatest effort after her return with the new heel she murmured, "Oh! do not mention it, monsieur. To me it has been of the utmost pleasure; and whenever of the heels you require reparation will you bo so good as to do me tho honour of repeating your visit 1" Now, how nicely put. Could anything have been nicer ? If we would only speak.like this to one another how happy should wo be! Life would pass as a dream. It was absorbing, irresistible, overwhelming; and I can quite easily recall the period—some years distant now—when under somewhat similar circumstances I should have required " reparation of the heels " from such a reparative every alternate day, if not oftener.

■ But be this as it may. As it was, I could only reiterate my thanks in my awful patois, and even in that I fear far too feebly, and hesitatingly, take my departure, pausing for a final glance at her from a point behind the " island," where I felt sure she could not see me. But I heard her call to the old lady, " Ah, maman, but was ho not exquisite!" " Yes, yes, you little cab-, bage," rejoined the other. " I know,- I know. And there are many of the English who are indeed so; but alas! my dear Celeste, I almost fear you will discover that monsieur has already madame." Poor Celeste!