Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1869-12-21

DTlOge as IL Isl calleu, although IL 10 uioIo
than century, old, is just what it was
when Old You1ag described it in 1887, ex-
cept that it has been renovated once in
while. and is ernbellished with a statue of
Descartes.
The prevailing character of Tours is that
of handsome, lively, modern city, adorn-
ed here and there with fossils. 1t contains
many recently erected public buildings
with spacious promenades well planted
with lofty trees, and with open places en-
bellished with flowers and fountains, after
the Partisan type. Here the children
gambol, and here the old people bask and
dream over the past. They are very an
cient, these old people. Like the ever
lasting mule, '1Ong centuries they live,
and rather sleep than die" Some Of them
are known to be more than a hundred
years old, and there are Others who look
as if they might have run races with Jehu,
and even hob-nobbed with Noah. They
speak villainous French which they chew
with their gums, and they swear dreadful
ly at the boys and the dogs. But Tours is
place in which one can reside without
being bored to death except in winter,
when it is dreary and the cold blasts from
the broad plain on which it stands sweep
down its long streets and make woefIl
contrast with its light sunny aspect in sum-
mer. Rent is cheap and living moderate,
and although tle foreign colony was brok-
en- up twenty Fears ago, there are still
many English ad American people here.
The boast of Tours in the present day is
its noble cathednl. Its interior is grand.
Restoration hasbeen less active here than
in other ecclesiastical buildings in France,
| and the ravages committed by iconoclasts
in the times of hereligious wars of the pc
Rod are still minfully visible in many
portions of the venerable edifice. The
beautiful cloistqs with the elegant spiral
staircases leadiIg to the upper story are in
a state of compete ruin. The municipal
authorities are bout to convert them into
a museum of ecclesiastical antiquities.
The town still affords many isolated eN-
amples of the domestic architecture of the
18th century. The most perfect specimen
of these is that Which having been origin
ally erected byJean Xainconigs, an officer
under Charles VII, was afterward the resi-
dence of the celebrated Count Dunois,
called the bastard of Orleans, the same
who has now 81 strangely become the hero
of the impen4list air, "Pqrta5t pour u
| Syrie' His house, like his name, ha.
gone to rack, and monsieur Courage, who
shaved me The morning we left Tours, now
rules as proprietor in the halls of 'Dunois
the gallant and brave"
Leaving Tolrs, We went to PoitierS, pas
sing through 4 most agreeable pastora
country, waterd by the Cher When W,
reached Chatelcrault we were beset at til,
railway stationby the wives and daugh
tiers of the manufacturers Of cutlery, witt
which the plae Is filled. For generation
Chatellerault lRs been famous for It's kniye
and scissors, which are made to-day exact
ly as they weri POO years ago. The man
ufacture Is still in the hands of workme,
independent o each other, who withou
any division IF labor 20 through ever
branch of the business on their own &C
count and on heir own premises, and the
send their wives and daughters to marko
. with their goods in the primitive style.
You might spend month in inyestigat
ing the antiquities of Poitiers and not tir,
It Is at once literary and ecclesiastic.
3 city, and its book stores are filed with til
publications oiits local s1ru4s and antiqu;
ries. met several Of these ancient owl
' these queer Oh fellows who are
pleased with the jingling Of a rust
! medal,
:, Or the rare melody of some old ditty
+ That first was sung to please King Pepin
= cradIe.'
r One of them, the Marquis de Stalls, ,peaI
e English perfectly, but is disagreeab
t snutfer, He says ten words, stops in Il
It middle ola sentence and snufs. Hepun
a tuates with pinch. and all his full stol
O are either sno-ts or sneczes. He said
e me one evening, while | was enjoying
e look through his museum Of antiquitie
Y you may beof the opinion that an ant
I. quarry is too often a collector of yaluabl
1t that are worth nothing, and a recollect
Y of all that Tine has been glad to forge
J. but the philosopher who expresses tn
lie sentiment. and those who believe with hi
e are all wrong We sometimes aid the hi
Of torian by our researches. We add to t
ID stores of pathological learning. We DIR,
W forth from the dust of the dead many
to lesson for the living; and although the
as are some who let their enthusiasm bin
Iy their Judgment the most of US are stea
e. and continuous workers for the ultima
l. good of science and humanity. We do L
h, exhibit the painted coat that Joseph wo
IN nor the sword If Balaam, nor the jaw DO
III wherewith Samson slew the Philistines
. although there De many of these weapc
e in the mouths If living men-but we son
or times dig up hidden treasure that
10 comes in time the text for many a learn
n discourse tending to increazc mans knOV
n edge of the word in which his torefath
dwelt
od Ben TROyATo