Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1870-04-05

among forest and fruit trees and
ever blooming camelias and magno-
las, are indeed beautiful. II must
be remembered that here the climate
is mild and soft, and that the gardens
support countless trees and vines
bearing green foliage through the
winter, and SUGGESTIONS of flowers.
The colors of houses are chosen TO
correspond in contrast with the dark
evergreen foliage and flowers of
every color. White, cream. dfab
and the light shades generally, ex-
cept green, are tho favorite colors
for dwellings. The public gardens
and parks, where the people assemble
evenings for promenadihg and dane
ing, are ust as splendid as the imag-
ination can picture-with gas lights
upon the trees and music supported
from the public treasury. The
pleasures of life here are free-in
America they are dearly taxed by
the arts and fashions of life invented
by spectators. Splendid ball rooms,
ten dollar music and rich suppers
are unknown in Europe whore dane
ing ID healthful pleasure. 1t is
right, see it now, that the Ameri-
can churches discountenance dane
ing as carried on in Amortization
speculation and bad health. And so
1T is in the entire catalogue of pleas
ures and amusements to be real and
pure and healthful, they must be in
expensive and simple, and especially
free from speculation and selfishness.
II all Lancaster could meet in COM
mon, two evenings week, and on
JOY free dance-neither prejudice
nor selfishness to nterfere-there
would be hardly any resorting to
the saloons for idling away time and
setting the brain to dancing by i'm
bibing what intoXicates it. But we
must await the next generation for
n public sentiment that shall honest
ly and religiously look upon pleasure
and amusement as essential in the
way to human perfection. The NOR
al sentiment OF community 10 Amer
lea is right as to dancing, conducted
as it is with expensive Injuries,
which have hurtful effects upon the
health. But were these expensive
and unhealthful cumbrances abandon
ed, | have no doubt the moral public
sentiment would approve dancing
as a pleasure and as most healthfu
exercise. AT Bayonne | went to the
common and saw them dancing in
in the evening-the old and young
perhaps fifty sets ut once, the music
and gas lights free, and no indulgence
in eating or drinking. By law these
pleasures closed at tel o'clock. The
conduct was as decorus as at any
select party in America, and 10 mat
ter OF poiiteness a great improve
menL.
1 have yet TO mention some inter
esting observations. About fifty
miles Of the country in the south o
France the land is white clay, per
haps chalk, and all the manures ant
other colorings mixed with the sol
during thousand years has scarcely
effected any coloring. The quarriei
are Of white stone, Of which th,
buildings and walls.are formed. Th,
earth, rocks. buildings, bridges, roads
high walls and walks are nearly a.
white az snow. The reader may
imagine a singular beauty in the like
but the effect was the opposite upor
my mind very soon after the car
entered the white district.
AT Montauban, say 100 mile
north of the Pyrenees, there ar,
thousands OF cords Of French Blu
mill stones, of tho kind used il
American Touring mills, all put ~
in plaster and iron hooped, awaiting
sale and transportation to othe
parts Of the world. For miles along
canal running parallel with th'
railroad are continuous walls O
these Burs, brought by canal to som,
neighboring part, many of then
quite old and messy. Some are very
large and some not exceeding TIVE
feet diameter. Ia the same vicinity
are white marble quarries, and mar
BILE works. and thousands Of statues
columns, round and square and fla
parts of furniture, polished and rough
window and door frames, &c.
At certain most venerable towI
or city, name and place forgotten
but where several railroads meet
there is quite Yankee appearance
impaired by the American like
buildings near the junction depot
In the old town about quarter of /
mile distant there is extreme dilapi
dation, but every appearance of ar
cient wealth and magnificence. Th,
public square Is filed with marble
ruins, and for hundred years moth
ing done in repairs or in clearing of
the rubbish. The old palaces, hal
in ruin, have fine effect, upon one
fresh from where the like is never
seen. Wealth long since departed
and pride followed more than likely
both dissolved and went down to
gether. The stream of poverty wa.
largely recruited, being honored.-
But the work Of decay stopt Short
at the right point required by taste
and sentiment The fancy NAV
mend the rents and chasms Of time
and people anew these palaces. But
it never will be done once ruin, {
ruin eternal and when any people
fall, they rise no moro.
There is something pleasantly
melancholy and beautifully impress
sive in the contrast between luxuri
ant life and and the rigid skeleton
which time reveals. Exhausted M.
ture can never heal such fatal wounds
and bruises of men nor restore that
drapery which the touch of spring
renews in the vegetable kingdom
All nature can do in such cases is to
clothe the nakedness of desolation
with the vine and living green, and
crown the majesty of ruin with flow
ers. In particular spot | noticed
the marble stairway Of an old, de-
! snvfod r,o1ona novarol vs.tl. I>lo-a...-