Meritorious Countesses

Mothers' Day is not in France an occasion for bestowing bonbons, greeting cards or bouquets upon any and every mother. With Latin thrift and logic only especially meritorious mothers are honored--by the State.

Last week the celebration of French Mothers' Day climaxed at Paris when the City Council bestowed 80 medals upon ladies from whom ten or more offspring have been begotten. French Royalists pointed pridefully to three titled medal winners: the Countesses Caruyer de Beauvais, Fremy-Elphege and Le Lasseur.

In the rural French departments Mothers' Day was also Orphans' Day and kindly bakers observed it by giving one sugar cake each to children whom they positively knew to be orphans.