The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1870-06-26
MISCELLANY.

In Church IN a Bohemian Tillage.-Onf
Sunday mornings the bell of tho parish
church called every one to mass and the
peasants, young and old, trooped in from
women came, leaning on their staffs, carry
ing their beads and their prayer. books \
HideOus, wrinkled, old creatures, With
enormous goitres; and little children sol
fresh and lovely that we looked on themf
and marvelled how it were possible for
old women. The beauty of these peasant
Lives is very short. Past their first youth !
hard labor and sun and storm soon changeI
the soft pink skin into parchment, and
wrinkles take the place of dimples
Tho church was little, old, and odd and
the priest was suited to his church q little
wrinkled, old man, with a crooked shout
der and queer voice. The church bell
had been cracked for many year; the dis
mail old organ had confirmed asthma; and
the schoolmaster performed upon it mar
veis of shambiing execution. The children
sang In harsh strong tones, and the bakers
daughter, tall, handsome girl, led the
CHOIR, and on week days carried a huge
basket on her back full of bread or flour,
and served the customers at the shop.
The walls of the church were adorned with
wreatbs of dusty artificial flowers, with
bows of riband attached; they were once
OF different coiors, but time and dust had
reduced them to about the same hue. We
sat on high wooden benches, and looked at
the altar, painted red, blue, and brown,
with dingy paper bouquets of faded colors
under glass shades, and more dusty wreaths
Bot the wonders of the sanctuary were two
old green lanthorns standing up high on red
sticks, and helplessly inclining toward one
another; one having o cross surmountine
it, which its companion must have lost
years ago. They had perhaps been used
to light the sanctuary in some early time
The nrisAat hnh n fo mi i'm f nj
tees. The women and the men, the boys
and the girls, crowded the church even to
the doorstep, and were very devout and
well-behaved. All the women and girls
wore handkerchiefs of varied and bright
colors on their heads, and clean aprons
over their print gowns. Each woman car
Taed her handkerchief carefully wrapped
around her treasured prayer book, and held
it well in sight as she marched in and out.
Dickens "AH the Year Round"
PGaI JoHes.-A recent number of All the
Year Found, in a sketch entitled "Paul
Jones righted," says: "Our old conception
of Paul Jones as q bearded ruffian, with q
pistol in each hand, and four more in his
belt, striking an attitude on flaming quar-
ter deck, must, we fear, be thrown into the
dust-heap, to which 80 many other histori-
cal bogies are daily being consigned. By
recent American writers, Paul Jones, whom
wo English have long since branded as a
and successful naval commander, patriot,
and hero, Bayard indeed, without fear
and without reproach The interesting
letters and documents on this subject, col
lected some years ago by Col. SherburDe,
then Registrar of the Navy Department in
Washington, go. far to prove that Paul
Jones was u much more honest, much
more intellectual, and II much more impor-
tant person, than we have hitherto given
him credit for being" This estimate of
Paul Jones is not new to Americans, and
the long account of Jones's exploits which
the article contains we are ali familiar with;
possibly not so, however, with the follow
ing amuspg incident: About this time
Paul Jones went round To the Firth OF
Forth, and suddenly made his appearance
off the slang town of kirkcaldy,' t" the
upon him as a devouriBs sea-DnonsferI
White tins people crowded the shore, watch