Peace; World War, 1914-1918 -- Personal narratives
"The second floor is given over to bedrooms. It would be difficult to
find more attractive bedrooms in any American College. The rooms are
large and well lighted, decorated with artistic wall paper and curtains
to match. One part of the room is filled with a couch, used as a place
of rest by day and a bed at night. The rest of the furnishings of the
rooms include student's table, a lamp and several comfortable chairs.
The remainder of the furnishing is done by the students themselves. Many
of the walls are hung with gay posters, banners, and photographs of
friends. Most of the girls have only one room, though a few who are
studying music find the sitting-room necessary. Before leaving Miss
Richards, I inquired who were the women who had done most to make this
delightful home possible. She answered that would be hard to say, as
there have been many, and some do not care to have their work known. It
was only after I pressed the question a second time that she answered,
"Well, I suppose Miss Hoff is the American girls' best friend in Paris.
Helen Gould (I do not know her married name) has always given our home
warm support, and last year when she traveled in Italy she established a
Students' Hostel in Rome. But one thing I wish you would tell our girls
at home. That this is a hotel and not a charitable organization, and a
woman who stops here need not feel she is sacrificing her spirit of
self-reliance and independence. All we try to offer is a comfortable
home at prices within the reach of most American girls who come over to
study in Paris. We make an effort to do two other things; to try to give
the right protection so necessary to girls who live in the French
capital alone, and comradeship we all need when living in a foreign
land. Five dollars a week is what a girl must count on to live here.
"Besides home and board, we have French classes for our girls conducted
by able instructors for a small tuition; these teachers give private
lessons, and when it is desired to coach girls for their examinations in
the Sorbonne.
"The students of music are not neglected. Certain hours of the day are
set aside for practicing. We have weekly concerts at home and make an
effort to get reduced rates for our girls when any of the great halls
offer concerts that are worth while.
"Yes, we are trying to do much for our girls who come here to study
painting. Many of them wish to live in the Latin Quarter and they find
it really impossible to obtain the comforts that they are used to at
home. Here they can enjoy the art student's life and have protection.
Many discover that they are not ready to enter the Ecole des Beaux Arts;
as for the large studios, they do not always offer enough individual
attention for the student. For these we have a large, well-built studio
of our own, where classes are conducted by some of the best masters of
Paris."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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