New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-11-15
AN AMERICAN WONAN IN PARIS.
ssBsspsndsDee Of The ". Y. Theuns.

..ol the str and the green held their rendezvous,
..d NC saw the haunis Of the hunter boy, whose
charms 90 noble, 30 chsste, debOnpaire drew ont
kney with her doves and car TO follow this Adonls
!. ks chase ameng the trees But dost, driver,
aaps and macadsm soon told Va that fancy found
her lover slain, and Jaw no anemomies even when
the sylvsn beauty died, for purest finished when
common fields began.
Further ON, froening Notifications with zig gag
fssse and parspet grimaced down 90 the calm
green valley Of the Marne; this in turn, with
mimic military precision, rendered perPetually the
s,lvtation by its posted popsrs, which stood 10
long lines like grensders presenting arms This
srpresson of martial law and order il instructive
10 the soil and soul OF France. The popars Of the
country and the sentries Of its citades are all
brothers and comrades In sentiment Trim sol
der, and trim trees are the spontaneous growth of
the land and both are out Of place and unnatural
a. ornaments in America.
The coming Of sunset threw its shadows over
the distant hills, but there was no promise Of that
Triumphant radiance which is the last glory Of our
Autumn foliage.
We changed horses at ST. Msur, situated on the
brow of hill overlooking the river, which here
almost forms an island from its caprcious wind
Incl, st. Maur is an ancient village, and its origin,
IKE that of the proudest mobiles, is lost in the
night Of the past History suppsses that Cesar's
snsysler, lott in Gsul formed the first settlement
there During more than q thousand yeas a
famous abbey Of the Benedictines existed at st.
Msur There they collected the most remarkable
library Of their times Rabelais was there monk,
and lived and wrote Of his works in this abbey
French villages are often interesting from their
souyehrs and enviTens, but their veritable ego has
n certain sui gentriS not agreeable to US, accus-
toned 10 the neat, pretty ones Of New-England.
The houses Of the poor are hatfaced, unOrna-
mented and pastered over, budding close on the
payement to inhale its dsst. The habtatons of
tbe bourgeoisie stand further back, but their
grounds and gardens are inclosed with high walls,
yshicb present the deadest front TO the street,
cent where sometimes they arc masked with vines
or OyerQrOwn with weeds and wild 10wers, or
surnouDted with sculptured vases OF Towering
plants This habi of screening private houses
from the highway IL as common Ia the capital as
In the country and accounts for the complaints of
Americans that so few fine isolated residences ex-
let in Paris The truth is that, as in the Eau !
bourg bt German, all the handsome hotels OF the
nobility stand at the extremity OF large courts, and
are approached from the street by high, huge
doors which are flanked by walls or by the kitch-
ens stables and the porter lodge of the establish
meat In the country, instead Of the paved or
sanded court, flower beds and grass plots occupy
often the space between the hOsse aud the wall on
the street but there is no chance for peep at the
beauties but from the top Of omnibus or through
the chance sjsr Of come grated gate.
The omnibus stoppeo at La VarrenIe, on the
banks Of the Marne, whose waters were OF a rare
se.- green hue. 1t il a small pleasant river. A
sba0ed island lay up 10 our left. skid, with
passenger and rover, gllded over the stream. The
boatmans but snugged up to the bank close by u.s.
His bopny wife came out TO put across the
wafer che was neither young nor old; her face
was bright and red like the kerchief she wore on
her head she looked kindhearted; her arms
were strong and we cOnided ourselves 10 her |
caIe The river breeze diss pated all thoughts OF
fatigue and dust and we inhaled that delight !
which springs up from waters at the touch OF
caressing oars. We begged to be padded up, or |
foaied down, and left 20 linger mid banks; but |
no; the busy faithful wife had no time, for love or
money to lose in lOierings She took our sous.
and lett us landed on the bank, which sloped back,
high and steep, TO the village site OF Chenevleres.
The hill side was green with trees, grass, and |
vines. A donkey, with balancing baskets on his |
back, seemed indifferent to our approach, aud
waited patiently to cary away the wet linen Of q
dozen wssh. women who close by on their
knees at the rivers side. This way Of washing is
no novelty in France all our complications OF hot
water and boiling are unknown TO provincial
peasants
The women sit on their heels aud rest their
knees and toes on straw placed or plank. A
three sided box protects the front and sides from
wet They seemed to us ready to pitch into the
stream at every rub or blow upon the pounding
board. A rubbing brush, cake of soap, bottle of
acid and fat pounding stick were the Implements
of each In winter they have small furnaces with |
little hot water in which to warm their fingers
for the washing is ever the same, whether ice or |
not floats in the stream. There were fine gar
ments and embroidered ieminiltics among the linen,
30 we concluded this was the fashionable LAUNDRY
of the village The mistress Of the party was
there, too, on her knees she was lean, haggard
and old with few teeth aud many wrinkles. We |
judged her aged seventy, at least, yet she rubbed
and pounded Is brish as the others. The women
wondered how We washed in America, if not as
they; and one said, perhaps we had no such flow
ing water as this, then she dipped il with her hand
and said how clear, how soft, how pretty, healthy
and sweet were the waters OF the Marne; AMI
she said the green color came from the trees
on the island. She patted the water and beat il
to bubbles to show how wonderfully bright and
pretty il was. There was caress in her m,nner
~ If she had deep love for the stream. True, it
gave her,elf and babies bread. We grew friendly
IN our talk. She was Young and pretty aud married
only twesty six. asked how many children she
had Z" Only six, new" she replied, aud her large
eyes dropped Pensively as she added, 90 have just
" lost the eldest-ce qui nest pas lie plus beau de
non ahsire." She pstted the water a little
more, then wiped her eyes high up on her sleeve |
and rubbed and pounded on Except this mo-
mentary shadow she was gay and content She |
worked In Summer from FIVE in the morning till |
night; she gained thirty sosS per day Bread was
very dear lust now 10 be sure twenty two sous for