New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-12-23
Newpprk Daily Gibm,re
FROM PARIS TO PoITIERS.. ..No. III.

LIBOURNE, OctOoeI q 1901.
II one Of tie travellers objects be TO see the peo
pie, be can nowhere better spend two hours than on
the k.t place Of every continental town through
which be pases. There he Sees 10 phy'ical sense,
really what the people are made ef-whst meat aud
vegetables they feed upon and the Agricultural pro-
ductions Of the neshborhood, and the prevailing
type Of form and features; local costume, traits o!
manners and habits, and, generally notable speci.
mems Of architecture add their dramatic and scenic
effects to the spectacle. After looking aad listening
here for cou ole Of houis-if you very ahrewd
| observer, at the end Of FIVE mnutes-you may be.
gin drawing your general conclusions ss to tho
CONDITION Of things in France" Of which there is
some chance that one in ten may possibly DO cor
rect The chance does not seem fatterins. Well,
if you a passing stranger without local acqu.int-
sn.e or letters Of presentation, neglect the market
place, the chance of your getting at tie truth is still
le.s, even though you are an American.
II il as strange as true quite, that while the pro-
sumption of French observer 10 our country to
understand cur country, is patent ab.urdlty we
bays the faculty Of understanding his at sight. For
this singular endowment, let US be duly thsnkful
to that lavish Providence WHO has made US bet
ter than those others. A noteworthy circam
,tapce COL ne cted with this d between the per-
ceptit ns and judgments of the two people that the
French do not recognize its existence They do not
see that we are right and they wrong, and that,
as Sir John Vaudeville would say Is great marvel
To return to tho market place. 1t really has its
value as sort of exponent OF manners and customs,
beipp in that respect for French town analogous to
the adve rising columns Of Newspaper for an Ame-
rican town; which last be it said with due respect
are sometimes almost instructive as the editorials
OF foreign correspondence. But, to be honest and
not threwd, 10y chief purpose in gOog to market the
first thing in the morning after our arrival at Lii
bourne was net to obtain Information, but grapes
than the eating of q few punches of which my
stomach knows no filter preparation for the duties
of the day. They tickle the eye as well as the
palate, combining the ornamental with the useful
like patent stOvecastings and boarding school pros
pectuses; they disripste that praprandia dulness
hat hangs about one like fog at the hour Of rising
Looking for grapes, and passing by each basket of
deep.blue and purple and biOwn-cheeked white
fut inviting as it was in search of still finer, was
saved from finally purchasing the poorest In the mar
ket BY coming upon pauner OF small Marse lies hgs
lust mouthfu apiece, Lot larger than green gage
rlum. Upon theee fell and, after eating several
with great inward comfort, picked as many as my
hand W. uld hold, and asked what was to pay. "H
@ monsieur would take a sous worth ~ answered
the market girl, cosxiDgly; and monsieur Was ln-
formed that sous would buy a dozen. While d.
costing this SURPRISE my hand cleared out twice
and filled again at an expense of two sous. A rem.
nant Of the Investment tried to carry back to my
companions whom had left at their tOiettes Sell
fish tycophapt that was, only two fgs remained to
tell the tale. But with that bait they were quickly
enticed to the market place, where We completed an
experiment, since frequently repeated, that about
three dozen figs taken before breakfast are pecu-
liarly conducive to human happiness. We make
ulace for tie grapes directly after breakfast beside
letting them in at all hours when walking in the vine
yards.
was brought up, in we-stocked garden and
orchard, to believe that ripe fruit is as innocent as
bread wholesome at any hour Of the twenty four
when appetite calls for it. The rusty old saw that
il is golden in the morning, silver at noon and lead at
night is truest in its first clause and mere concet
in its last.
We took strangers license to MUNICH our fgs
coran, populo feeding with eyes and mouth at once
The market 10 held Oh open square IN the center
of the town, and under broad low arched arcades
that surround II. These arcades are character.
stc architecu feature Of certain old towns IN this
part of France which, like Lbourne, were formerly
bsstides or free towns, enjoying special privileges
granted by Edward /. of England. Under tue
arcsdes are shops for the sale Of cloths handker'
chiefs drugs, jewelry cslicos hats, and whatever
other articles are most apt to meet the wants add
suit the fancies Of the market people. On one side
there 10, of course, barrack Of soldiers to keep
them in mind of law and order. The barrack, al
most of course in any old French town, was once
church, to remind them Of family and religion. On
the old tower is broad clock-dia. At one corner
is the theater also, Of course, in French town OF
40 many as 1900 inhabitants; then cafe with
military officers sitting at the tables which Is
possble still more Of course At the other corne'
Is the Post Office the link Of connection with grea
central Paris and Bordeaux. For what strikes
ParisiaDs oddly is to find ourselves outside Of tn
Paris circle. and to hear the Libournais talk Dor
deaux news and fashi. as though It were the me-
tropOlis.
The market women are as "tonguey' a. the
Danes de Ia Halle at Paris, but, as it strikes my
ear more courteous and syery in their speech. and
more taste ul in their toilette Their patois is hardly
Ineligible TO my companions; but it as well ~ stan
dard French, which they also speak though without
much reverence for the stapdard-comes from their
Inns rounder fofter and more musical than the classic
language of Racine and Molere from the lips OF sc-
tors at the Coincide Francisco 1t hiss not quite for-
gotten the accents of ito mother Lssn as Antoniu,
| and the Roman colOnists centuries ago sung and
| said il on this very spot.
Oar fg merchant presents fair example OF the
| I.bournaise costume, of which graceful folds and
warm colOrs are the characteristics. Emile Las
| sketcbed her, "unbeknownst' 10 the s1oJe::
Nanpgo red pet.icoat furnishes the rich central mass
| Of color in the picture formed by herself and ner
| f,uit baskets. framed in by the low arch beneath
y,birh she stands Over this is a sober gown tucked
m mot hudded up. She has yellow keIchiei about
| her neck aud red and yellow one wrapped ABOUT
her he sd. in some mysterious way unhnowa 10 man,
AZ a. 10 lave The JET black hair visible IN 'front.' VITO
ons corner trailing down on tie neck from below me
esr. A gay ker:hief 50 arranged fofns LIE pre''s'