Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-09-15
THE BkRGE-MAN on THBLOIRE
L r A n s l. AT + ID + h o NJ
THE
FRENCH OF SOUHBSTRF.

/ Willow, neE eye sOll duu. Ulutt IL lOcb III
! the azure Of heaven, her hands filled
/ with fruit are extended toward a grOap
/ Of children, and her beautiful form softly
couehsd, waves amid the Towering
| herbs.-This il the Loire, such as art has
| been able to intepret her in marble, such
as after having seen, your imagination
would wish to personify. Elsewhere
/ force, grandeur, impetuosity rule; here It
/ Is grace and fruitfulness. In It's coufHe OF
more than one hundred and eighty
/ leagues, the StrdtC- cOiOred river, as an
old chrunlcler calls it, runs through
meadows, vineyards, woods, great cities,
| without meeting a single instant, with
| solitude or sterilty. From its source 20
the sea, nothing is seen on the two banks
but herds grazing, chimneys smoking,
| and labOrers conducting their teams,
whilst singing. The wave itself flows
nOiselessly in its sandy bed around isles,
/ variegated with Osiers, willows and pop
lars. Therereigns in the whole country
a calmness, somewhat monOtonous, but
charming q hAlf-wanness, which gives TO
/ what surrounds you l know not what
attraction of opulent listlessness. It is
almost a corner of Arcadia, with more
water and less sun.
A population lives on the stream
which partakes of its character. It has
neither the testing turbulence of the
bOstmen of the Seine, nor the violence
| Of those of the RhOne, nor the gravity of
the Rhine. The bargeman OF the Loire
Ii is OF peaceful disposition strong without
rudeness, and gay without drunkenness}
he lets his life flow between realities,
/ ike the water which carries him between
its two fertile shores. Almost without
! exception he has to submit neither to
| the slavery OF the sluice-gates, the pain
| full labor Of the oar, nor the irksomeness
of towage; the wind which blows freely
/ in the immense basin of the stream,
allows him to ascend or descend 1t under
! sail. standing beside the enormous
/ helm, the captain looks only to the di-
/ rection OF the barge, while his.sailors aid
! the movement by bearing on the bottom
with their iron rods. Some words are
! exchanged with those at a distance, in
| the elevated tone of those accustomed TO
/ sneak in the open air; the apprentice
| whistles the famous song of the " Barge
/ men Of the Loire - TO the passing barge
/ q ioyous salute is sent, and some useful
/ information is received from it in turn,
/ and all gain thus the mOOring place at
night. when the crew, that the breeze
and the current have equally favored,
| meet at the public house adopted by the
/ marine Of the river.
One of the hazards OF navigation had
| lust reunited at the inn Of the Great
/ Turk OF Chslonnes, the barge-men of
! the. cha7sFyOnHe recently constructed,
! The Hope, and those of the JttreG1,
! The White Flag (l). 1t was at the end
of January, 1919, the snow had covered
! the ground for some time, and great
| fire blszed ia the lower room of the inn,
room. The comrades Jf the aUdteT
waited FOR supper in drinking around
large oa1en tRble, spotted with wine, and
at the four corners Of which q jOvial
| guest had nailed four copper coins for
ornament. The voices Of the barge-me
/ resounded,5oyously,m mingled with laugh
! ter and Oaths, when the door of the inn,
that the rigOr Of the season had kept
| closed contrary to all the customs of the
country, was rudely opened. With the
! gust of cold air entered the new conner,
| that, ali turning, recognized as Antoine
! Prohibe, this was the nickname given
20 Master LeZinj, old barge-msu, turned
fisherman of the Lire, ami many times
! fined and condemned to prison for hsv-
ing made Use OF cOVeres and trdBldUse ~
Of small meshes forbidden by the reguia-
tioDs LsZin was sne of those cynics of
low degree, who, finding hypocrisy con-
straining. assume the free talk Of vice.
To anticipate accusations he had con-
stituted himself his own accuser, and
standing on his bad reputation, he showed
himself there with cOmplGisauce, as il
on a pedestal; by force of drolleTy he
made his immortality pass. Many hon
est men laughed 1t him the timid from
false shame, the hardy, not to appear too
easily scared, and LeZin found himself
fortified by this completely OF laugh.
The bsrge-men saluted his entrance
with an exclamation Of equivoeal well
come, but he appeared to take it in gOoa
part.
: Good-day, children, good day and
goodyear said he with the impudent
sneer which was habitual 70 him.
He addressed himself to a handsome
Young man Of twenty-five, who, not
/ withstanding the cold, wore the Ordi-
nary costume Of the barge men, short
| Jacket. blue trOwsers fastened to the
waist by a belt of red bunting, cotton
cravat tied in a knot, small oil-eloth cap
and round, ribboned shoes.
-Eh! you here, little Andre? he
added; they say you command new
flaming chdTreyOHae.
/ Then turning to another side:
Health and respect, Master Miru, as
vel as to you. nephew Francois, and to
all others God care US there are none
/ here at this moment but christians
enough at their ease to be honest people.
That is to say, that you do not count
{ yourself among them, then, Monsieur
I Prohibe, observed Aieru with a gaiety
! which masked imperfectly his dislike.
/ Intelligent people never count them
selves when they are amoug the innO-
cent, replied LEVIN, with an impudent
race; but, may the devil trust me, if1
did not think che ftftredn of master MeTn
unlosded and gone
You did not know, then, that was
waiting for freight?
Freight, rejOined the fisherman; could
I the lords of Chalonnes have charged you
with conveying their distatf l8)
No, not distaff, but some one who
1 has learned to use 1t.
! Levin followed the glance Of MerD,
which was directed towards the fireplace,
| and perceived there young girl spin
usng at a corner Of the fire.
On my baptism it is the pretty En-
tine! a. he cried; how are you, En-
/ tine
Feeling more fresh than in the
month Of May, Monsieur LeyiR, said the
| Young girl, whose FetrOttsse nose, laugh.
ing mouth and roguish eyes betrayed her
/ character.
And you have quit, in this manner,
your uncle Of the hermitage Saint Vim
| cent? resumed the fisher; the beautiful
| Entine has not found farm life to her
| taste?
/ No, ironically replied the spinner; I
/ found it tiresOme TO be unable 70 conduct
| the plough, and TO have no right TO COM
mand neither the Oeesn nor the boys Of
] the lodge.
Levin winked his eye. . #f
! -'ris rather my opinion that you re-
/ gret the city of Nantes, he rejoined in
! solentiy the city is the true place for
/ pretty girls and sharpers!
/ Have you then an idea Of going there
/ also, Monsieur Leyin? asked Entine
| with an innocent air to which the fisher
! was not dupe.
Canning fox said he, very shTewed
| will be the one who buys yeu.
! And very happy, / hope, he who
\ can buy me added the young girl; but
/ for that a mass and ring are necessary.
Yes, yes, said Leyin laughing,
/ know that you do not wish to mRTaud
/ on the rfUeT Of loVe, as the song says /;
! a permission to fish is necessary.
And she will not make use of pro-
] hibited nets, objected Meru gaiiy.
because the fish will come freely to
| the weir, replied the fisher: the honesty
| of girls resemble that of boys, my old
man it is a history Of circumstances :
! if found my profit in being saint, /
/ would have myself canOnized, But
where do you take her in Nantes?
! in a fine house built OF pine, carried
on two wheels which turn without ad-
4 vancing, said Entine.
! Aunt Renot's will
| Hold hold you can guess riddle.
Better than you think, my poor
Ablet! AS proof, / can tell you what
renders you happy in living at the mill
/ Of the Madeleine.
Perhaps because the flour does not
darken the skin.
Ny opinion is rather because the mill
Ter is q handsome boy.
The miller2 repeated the young girl {;
Master Leyin does not know, then, that
thy aunt is a widow?
But widows have Sons, resumed the
fisherman; and i see one two feet off
vino should be in the humOr of searching
s gypsy. Let us hear, Francois, is it not
d