The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1870-01-06
TIL r
VIEIlAGE0N THE CLIFF.

TIL F.
VILLAGE ON THE CLIFF.
. BY MISS THACKERAY.
PRRFAcE.
We have sll Of ", in the course ol
life's journeys, sometimes livod- for ,
little while in places which were weari.
some and monotonons to Us at the time
which had little to attract or interest
We may have loft them without regret,
never even wishing 70 return. But yet,
is We have travelled away, ws may have
found that, through esomc subtle and
unconscious attraction, sights, sounds
aud peeuliarities which We thought We
had scarcely noticed, seem to be repeat
ing themselves in our brains; the at.
mosphere Of The place seems to be
haunting US, as though unwilling to let
us escape. And this peculiar distinct.
ness and vividness does not appear to
wear out with time and distance. The
pictures. are like those Of a magician
tern, and come suddenly out Of the
dimness and darkness, starting into life
when the; lamp is lighted by some
chance association, 50 clearly and sharp
ly defined and colosed that we can
scarcely believe that they are only re-
Elections fr old slides which have
been lying in our store for years past.
The slides upon which thi, little his
tory is painted, .omewh.t rudely and
roughly, have cone from Petitport, in
Normandy, dull little fishing town up.
On the coast. 1t stands almost oppo-
site to Ryde, int the Isle Of Wight.
The place is quite uninteresting, tho
district is not beautiful, but broad, and
fertile, and sad and pleasant together.
The country folks oro high-spirited and
sometimes gay, but usually grave, as
people are who live by the sea. They
are well-geown, stately race, good
hammered, ready and shrewd in their
talk and their dealings; they are will
ing to make friends, but they are at
the same time reserved aud careful Of
what they say. English people are lit,
tie known at Petitport-one or two had
staid at the Chateau de Tracy "dans le
temps" they told me, for Madame bcr-
self was Of English pareutage, aud so
was Madame Fontaine who married
from there. But the strangers who
came to lodge in the place for the sake
Of the sea-bathiug and the ino SANDS
were :rom Caen and Bayeux for the
most part, and only remained during a
week or two.
!: Except just on fete-days and while
the b.thing-time lasted, everything WAS
very still At Petitpoet. Sometimes all
tho men would 60 away in their boats,
leaving tho women and children alone
in the village. I was there after the
Lathing-season was over, and before the
first 6shing:aeet. left. The fishermen.
wives were Ill busy preparing provis
tons, making ready, sewing At warn
clothes, and helping to mend the nets
before their husbands departure.
could see them hard At work through
the open doors IS I walked up the steel
little village street.
There Is =, precipitous path At th'
farther end Of the village which lead
down 70. the beach below. One come
to it BY. ,ome steps which descent
aloag tho side Of . smart little hous'
built on the very edge Of the cliff
"chalet" they call it. 1t has man,
windows and weather-cocks, aud mus
lin curtains and wooden balconies, an'
| there il = sort Of embankment or tel
| race walk half way to the sea. Thi
was Madame Fontaine's chalet, tho pee
pie told mc-her husband had left be
! in his last will and testament--but sh
did not; inhabit it. I had never see
any ono come out Of the place excer
! onee a fsroely capped maid, servant wit
beetle b,ows, who went climbing up th
hill beyond the chalet, and finally di'
appeared over its crest. It seemed q
| if the maid and the house were destir
ed to be blown right away in time; q
the winds came rushing across th
fielas~ ssd the country, and ~beatin
against the hillside, andsit was battl
to reach the steps which led down t
tho quiet below. "A vide sea i, hea,
! ipg and flashing It ones feet, . on
! desoends the steep; tho beats lie lik
| speeks OF. tho shingle; !; birds 60 8yiuI
/ wind.blown below ones feet, aud tn
rushing sound of tho. t,ds seems to e.
the air.; WheoI' reached tho foot
! the cliff At. last, I looked about for som
plaos forrest. A young csuntryxoma'
NJ sitting not far of on the side Of /
boat-., shabby Old boat il was, faA q
water aud sand, and sea.weed, with
patch ii deal 10 IL old brown coat.
NJ tired, and I went and sAt dow!
too. -.
l. Tn woman did not look round Q