The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-09-19
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AN ADVENTURE IN BRITTANY.

of spending few weeks of summer
holiday, for those who love to see a new
country md new people, who can finC
a pleasure in ransaciing quaint ole
towns, and delight in Inspecting tn
time-worn trsceries and curious tradi
lions OF ancient churches. So though
my friend John and myself, when, upoI
being granted a months recess, W.
| packed up our roughing accoutrements
and were Off for the French penins ula
During our journeying about the coun
try, while John was occupied one day
in sketching a very pretty church il
one of the villages OF Brittany, I re
solved to take my rod and look for somI
fishing.
Half an hour of inquiry and prepar
alton, and two or three hours journey
partly on foot, partly in the nncoutI
cart of benehcent villager, brough
me, at about four o'clock in the after
noon, to the banks of a somewhat
promising-lOoking stream-brought mC
10 the banks of the stream, and left m(
alone in the widest of countries, witt
little baggage but my fishing-rod, and
with only a moderate knowledge of the
language of the country, to SHIFT fol
myself. My tirst care being for my
sport, 1 commenced a perambulatory
survey of the stream in search of {
likely spot--a duty for which 1 was
competent, my early capture of a bract
OF big trout in part proved. Ere
the shades of night had fallen or
the bleak hills around me, my
cunningly devised flies had proved
indigestible food to many a fnny
innocent; but whilst they had beer
ing their insidions evolution on the sur
face of the water, had been too much
wrapped up in the excitement and
pleasure of the sport to remember that
l was just then in position far less
homely than that occupied by paupeI
on door step. AS tied up my rod
however, and felt in my pocket fol
that robust friend of mine, my cigar
case, 1t did occur to me 1t would be we'll
ere 1 should be quite benighted, that
should seek an inn. Inn, indeed
looked to the front, and none was there
behind me-not roof TO be seen; to the
left, to the right-but all was bleak hill
and dale, and great dark forest of beech
and FIR, lit up here and there by
patches of bright gorse and many Tint
ed heather and bracken. Food for the
eye, truly, copious and luxurious
feast for the lovers of nature, but, to
my jaundiCed eye, shorn of much oil
its beauty, owing TO the absence of any
thing to relieve the landscape in the
shape of house. To stand, however,
on the banks of the stream about which
summer shooting jacket, is at best an
occupation which is apt to pail upon
one; and the solution of one of the ear
lest riddles of my childhood impress
cd upon me the fact of the stationary
and somewhat disobliging nature oil
beds; so that, pondering these things,
it was NOT long ere made up my mind
to pack my traps and start in quest OF
food and SHE tier.
Over those detestabls hills l wander
cd for mt lenst an hour without seeing
either human creature or a human
habitatiCn, and began TO think that
my bed, for that night at least, would
have to lie spread in the open air. How
ever, did the best could, got on the
lee. side of n rock, and though the wind
dip creep round now and then, and
pierce nay scanty little coat, lit was better
than nothing; and though my couch
of heather WAS damp, 1t was ut least
soft. / 5ethought me of my fish, and
wondered whether could broil them
into respectable meal. L did my best
to light some wet bracken with my
Vesuyians, for this purpose, but OF
course it didn't answer. The Swiss
family, Robinson, would have struck
two tlints together and there would
have been blazing fire in n crack, ]
daresay, with bread and salt, and other
accessories ready TO hand. But then
All at once L suddenly thought
| heard human voice, and my hear
| beat quick to think that the land was
| actually inhabited after all. L listened
intently. 1t was kind OF grunt; but
yes, it certainly seemed 10 emRnate
from human lungs; then there was q
faint sound, AS of many footsteps. ]
shouted-there WAS II reply; and in q
few minutes 1 made out against the
| sky, on the brow of the hill, the figure
of n woman and some cows. 1t didn't
take me long 10 reach them. She was
driving her COWS in for The night, she
| said. Where was she driving them tot
Driving them home. Well, iflhe home
was only the cow-shed, IL would be
better than nothing. inquired: Twas
| there an inn anywhere nbout?" But
this was question quite beyond the
reach of her mental capacity. Probably
such thing as an inn was not to be
found at all in these parts; possibly
my knowledge of the language
But no; this is superstition which
must not DO entertained. would
accompany her and her COVE
She seemed rather surprised, and look.
ed at me wonderingly; but 1 supposed
1 looked respectable, for she only
shouted at her kline and passed on with
out further comment, till distant
| glimmering light appeared among the
lEGGSs OuNGA was LuG IOLh64 vi
yonder was the home, was it? Well, &
didn't look spacious; but L hoped fol
the best.
If North American Indian, with his
feathers nodding on his warlike head
were to ring the door bell of n house il
Belgrave Square, and, in his Indian
English, were to inquire of JohI
Thomas whether he could there have
| lodgings for the night, we imagine tina
the powdered functionary would betraJ
symptoms at least of surprise. It wal
scarcely my province, therefore, L
wonder at the stare of astonishmen
with which the uncouth family of thu
Breton farmer greeted the appearance
| Mt their door of n clothed
| foreigner, chaitering bad Breton Il
them, and craving their hospitality
| At all events, with. a stare of astonish
ment my appearance was greeted as
stood at the threshold of the some
what primitive NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
which was in no way mitigated by my
earnest appeal for u nights lodging
Gould they take me in, did theI
think 2" "Well, they thought not, blu
might try" just then, 1 fumbled abou
my purse between my fingers, ant
| limited that should be quite ready Il
pay for it. This seemed to create a mo
ton in favor of my reception from th,
old woman of the party; and after I
short conversation amongst them
solves, it was at length determined tina
a lodging shoHId be found for me, an(
I was duly installed u member of TIT
family pro tenn.
A somewhat primitive dwelling,
think 1 said. Well, yes, it was rather
l had time to look about me now, anC
take n survey of the apartment. II wa
small, and nearly the whole of one sid
was taken up by huge deep fire place
in which sat father and son, leaninI