Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1869-12-28


S growing more and more jealous of their
upon politics, or communicating
with each other. They do both these OBJ
ectiOnable things, and as time rolls on and
new light from abroad is shed upon them
through the press they commit these Of
lenses against Napoleon's policy with a
Iosseness that only increases with his eff
forts to prevent them. And although they
are decidedly conservative and non-reyo-
lutionary, they constitute more formida-
BILE opponent Of personal government
than the noisy demagogues of Paris. A
majority of the members manifest an in
tense desire to resume popular rights, at
the same time that they seem to dread the
indiscretiOn of the people, and their inca
pacity for self government.
The rich store of antiquities that lie
scattered and tumbled about up and down
among the winding streets of this queer
old place would suffice to start dozen
Barnums in business 1t is a curious sight
to see here a group of people kneeling be-
fore the iron bars of a cage in the church
of st. Radegonde, and to find on examina-
that the dev0tees are thus paying homage
to the print Of a footstep in the stone gray
ell inside which the poor fools honestly
look upon as the foot print of Christ left
there when he appeared to the saint whose
name the church bears. But a stranger
sight is that of crowd of women with
strange head-gear, and with singular silver
ornaments strung in profusion over their
garments and another crowd of men with
ear rings; and quantity clad boys and girls
all creeping under the sarcophagus Of st.
Radegonde which stands in crypt support
ed upon low trestlework. This ridiculous
pilgrimage is made regularly by large num-
bers of the people who have an abiding
faith in the tradition that it cures all the
diseases known to man, prevents the rest
from affecting them, and inficts half the
remainder upon Satan's emissaries What
becomes of the residue they cannot tell.
Poitiers presents the most complete field
for archaeological and architectural study
in France-so the old antiquaries told me,
and l have no reason to doubt their word.
In architecture you can begin with the
sixth century style as exhibited in the rude
post-Roman forms of the Temple. of St.
John, erected by unskilled French work
men on the traditions of the bqsiHc9n. OF
court house of their former conQuerors
and trace the gradual Development of the
art through the early and late Romanesque
of churches like st. Radegonde, NotrC
Dame and st. Hilary, down to the declining
though still noble and expansive forms OF
the tiOrid or flambOyant Gothic Of the vast
cathedral of st. Peter. | never felt any
interest in architecture till l met with
Father PradeaE of Poitiers, an old friend Of
Pierre Hyacinthe. The good old man took
me through all the grand old buildings sc
eloquent ofthe fading glories of the past
and taught me my first lesson in architect
ure. He explained the different styles SC
clearly that could not help wondering
why the subject was not taught in every
one Of our comon schools at home
remember once hearing gentleman
on the Erie Railroad between Port Jervit
and New York tell his companion that thu
Capitol at Washington, whether Ironi,
or Sardonic" was disgrace to the science
of architecture. He could not have made
such blunder if his education had beer
properly attended to. But architecture i
dry subject for letter
After some days of delightful investiga
ton into the antiquity of this well or tina
wall after making sketches of old statue
honored only for their age, and rejecting
no credit upon their authors; and afte
ransacking dozen museums in quest 0
whatever oddities we might wish to see
we turned our backs upon the old capito
of PoitOu and its endless historical associ
atoms from Charles Martel to the Blac
Prince, and once more trod the banks c
the Loire.
My first stopping place was queer iii
tie auborge in the town of Saumur, m
companions having scattered to the fou
quarters, leaving me to toll at my ease.
was glad of this, for one of my fellow toul
lists was always in trouble concerning hi
umbrella, and he always had bad cole
That cold, | thought, was a presentimen
Any man who carries an umbrella habit
ally ought to sniffle and snort and sneez
all the days of his life. A man who alway
has an umbrella under his arm in Or
weather, is foe to the peace of societ,
He cannot turn in the street without pu
ting somebody's eye out or destroying tt
purity of an immaculate shirt bosom,
rendering his neighbOr toothless. When /
hoists it in anticipation of storm, whic
may not come for week, he is sure
brush your hat off with it and when it do
rain, he manages to let the drops tn
ought to drown him run down your baC
or sprinkle your face. The amount OF pr
family evoked in a crowded street by &
umbrella carelessly carried is sufficient, a
cordiDg to the orthodox view, to blast Il
future hopes of whole nation. This III
brella friend also had a cane and do
the latter, one of those disagreeable cross
! between the cur and the poodle which see
to have the wonderful power of fascinatil
old maids and men who part their hs
in the middle. The cane was lig
: switch with an ivory head which he Ike
i in his mouth whenever he was not col
! forting his dog or looking for his umbrel
. Under certain circumstances | don't thil
d l should put forth hand to save that m
r from watery grave, unless he promis
a under oath to sink his cane and drown
= dog and bestow his umbrella upon sol
" poor old cake woman at street corner.
W There is not finer situation on the ri,
le than the point at which the cheerful {
! town of Saumur stands. Spacious qua
ii approached by wide bridges display
advance Of modern improvement, VIII