Show IMMORAL henry watterson Wat tereon tha the distinguished editor of the louisville courier C journal has been sojourn ing lug in E europe drope for several mo months and at present he is in pans parts from where he writes one of bia hia usually strong and striking letters to his paper in the course ofa of a diverting he touches upon the moral life of the french people and incidentally portrays a deplorable d con t of infidelity and licentious n geee em referring first to certain conventional vent ional usages he says in the best gest society of france the fireside is to french girls before tb their air marriage a convent they are keyei t trusted out of sight they are mated mate d without their consent and wedded and launched luto a life of independence ence and frivol frivolity iti wholly unprepared prepared nn to take care of themselves among the middle classes there were is no bar whatever between the sexes the pretty shop girl has her choice between becoming the alive of a coarse and stupid workman or of abandoning herself h to a career of cha chances nees in which sh amelea gaiety is too often in the ascendant and loose notion about the marriage tie but A languid fight light in an atmosphere of adultery illuminated by the flare of the foots foot lights under such conditions where can virtue find A home and congenial company and this is not counting the mental results of generations of this teaching itching te ills itis within the mark cosay to say that no subject is contraband of discussion between men and women in france where that is commonly and unconsciously said which would shock the modesty of the simplest and most unaffected woman or man in america this familiarity with forbidden thing things cannot but impress itself upon the character of the people and it is entirely useless for french moralists to attempt to deny or defend it that the french are a brave loving and generous onerous race to is true that they fead lead the world in all that is brilliant and picturesque is also true B but I 1 1 t that they are licentious Is attested b by y their own literature which is a faithful transcription of their life thou though h pleasure loving this life Is not frivol oust for it Is laborious and productive alv but it is gross and material in the last and highest decree degree and neither admits nor sees any heaven heaven beyond that it has constructed for itself |