Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1856-08-28
4l}lisreIlanl).

Opposite Paimpol, on the coast Of Brittany, is
alltlle cluster of Islands, known by the ambitious
ualne Of the Archipelago of Brehat Ii is quite
ppcket archipehe The whole number Of
the inhabitants is not over fifteen hundred but
(as IS natural, il seems 10 insuiar peopls) this
dlnlinllve nation is famous for pride and exclu-
si7eness. The man of 3rehat will not admi,
that he is Frenchman or even a Brcnton--he
is man Of Brehal High and lows for there
are such distinctions even lhere--Got only. think.
themselves superior 10 all the rest of the world.
hlt lock upon Strangers with dislike and con
tempt The women carry their prejudice 50 far,
that if an un ucky being Of their sex accidental
ly come over from the contiaeut 10 seek employ
nent every back IS turned upon her, and there
is not single word of greeting. She is soon
compelled to 90 aud seek livelihood elsewhere.
The men are more cosmopolitan, for they are all
sailors, almost from infancy. But however far
they may 90 in their voyages, they always re-
turn to seek a wife on their native soil; and
swhen old age compfla them to settle down, they
return to their national bigolry and exclusive
ness.
The Archipelago of Brehat is composed of
one large island, or rather two Joined together
by a causeway, constructed by Vauban, and a
number of islets and rocks, now completely un
inhabited, but formerly covered with buildings
Of various kinds, forlrrsseS or monasei"s-ii is
not certain which When frs, saw Brehat, il
was from the rocks above Pampol. The gteat
oceantids was coming in, accelerated by volen'
wind and seemed to threaten 10 bury the pocket
archipelago in its vast foamine waves There
was nothing in the reE uta;ion of the place to in
duce me to visit it, and should have been con
tent with this distant view, had il not been for
the peculiar circumstances which am now about
TO relate.
had just arrived wandering ,hrough Brit
tany without any special object-from Saint
B.enc, in the coupe of diligence, or rather, in
what was called the coupe Of what was called a
diligence 1t was sort of IN serable omnibus,
wi h TWO arlstocrulic SEATS in 'front.' divided of
by ragged eathern' curtain. Peasants and
their wives, with children dogs and fowls. occu-
pied the hinder compartment. had secured
one of the places in front; the other was occu.
pied by goodlooking, bight-eycd young man,
whose dress and demeanor at once pointed him
out as an officer in son,e stout merchant ship
From his conversation learned ha, he belonged
to that part Of the world On the other hand
he seemed far fram inclined to be COMMUNICATIVE
about his own affairs: and when he leapeefothc
ground. il front of the Hotel de Rennes, he gave
me hearty shake Of the hand farewell nod
and disappeared, without any in, imaton that i
was likely we shou'd meet again.
Ny walk along the coast took place on tht
morrow and after having admired a scene hicl
is always admirable-lhe coming in of the Allan
tic tide against rocky shore protected by ont
laying islands, had begun to thuk that m,
presence was no longer absolutely required il
that part of The world, and that might as vel
90 back over the hills 10 St. Brenc. 1t was i,
this mood or mind, that saw coming toward
me, with an uncertain step, my travelling com
panion Of the previous day. at 6rsl though
that he was doing as | was, namely, admirin!
the prospect; but it soon appeared, from hi
awkward and confused manner, rot only that hi
was no student of The picturesque, but that b,
was working his courage to speak TO me on
point which interested him personally. The
mt. al 4
his. We talked little, of coarse, about iht
prospect, and about The weather; and then hi
said quite timidly,
Have you no intention of visiting our Arch
pelago of Brehlt
None in the world" was abou, to reply
but the word "our' struck me- "Ytu ar
then from Rreha, :" inquired, answering tn
question by another.
lie seemed glad of the opportunity to tell hi
story, being evidently in different mood flor
that in which | had previously seen him W
sat down on wal belonging TO ruined col
tage, with our faces TO the wind which somt
times compelled Us lie be wachful lest our hat
oHuuIu po blo"H AWAY, anu pIouSHl ine tdste
salt 10 our lips.
" Yes, said the young man. " am fro
Brehat; wild country for strangers, .thoug
visiting for a day. but to all those born upon
it is as dear as if il were one of the sunny isle
of Greece. You must go and see for yourse
however, what kird of place it is. shall IL
10 tempt you, for have selfish interest to sa
isfy. Il is now exactly a year since left ii :
went to Nantes, and joined my ship bound
Trebisond, in the Black Sea We have trade
ever since in the MeGterraneau--a fine piece
water. Have you ever been there -
replied that had but added. smiling, lh
this was very meaere outline of story. Il
admitted that it was. AneTal, he had nohil
particular, he said, to tell The fact was, 3"
loved Somebody a very plain, simple, ,'and cor
mon fact, quite uninorestna oa stranger B
who was this somebody Madeleine. A vel
definite description To him, however, ii
name had proagous significance II nean'-i
found when he gradually warmed into cone
slon--the first meeting on the dancing-grour
on Sunday evening near the beach when he r
turned after his first voyage, began when amo
boy--deso ate orphan and concud whc
quite man; it means the admiration and 10,
which had flashed through his frame when
first behed her coming along beneath son
s,unted trees, amidst hor comrades in age. wi
seemed born only to be her attendants it mea
that the whole bewildering evening in whic
despite oil rules of propriety, he danced on
with her. attended only on her, and disregard
all The anger, and the jealousy, and the chat,