The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1870-01-06

r.. .,'tf - -
With tuftsd grasses and thin Smuggling
flowers growing from the loose arid soil,
tar away promenotories, Aalhing and
distant shores, which the tides have not
yet ove'!spped, all shining in the sun.
The waves swell steadily inward, i the
foam sparkles where the >ripples meet
the sands. ~,..-;-., ~ T.. ,....
The horizon is solemn dark blue, but
a great etreak Of light crosses the sea ;
three white sails CLEAN, 50 do the white
caps Of the peasantwomen, and the
wings Of the sea-gulls as they 60 swim
ming through the air. Z.
Holiday people are out in their Sun-
day clothes. They 60 strolIins F.long
the shore, or bathing and screaming to
each other in the wAtez., The country
men wear their blue smocks of darker
blue than the sea, and they walk BY
their wives and sxeethearts in their
gay-colored Sunday pettiooats. A priest
goes by; agfand lady i. :frills, yellow
shoes, rcd jacket, ay.away hat, and a
cane. Her husband is also In scarlet
aud yellow. Then come more women
and Normandy caps tapping, gossiping
together, and baskets aud babies, and
huge umbrellas. A figure, harlequin
like, all stripes and long legs, suddenly
darts from behind 4 rock, and trisks
into the water, followed by ssdog bark
'ng fariously. More priestsgo by from
the seminary at AsneDes. Then per-
haps sister Of charity, with her large
fiat shoes, accompanied by two grand
looking bonnets. ! -
I believe lie Sous-preft himself
had been seen on the sands that after
noon by Marion, BY: 1s.beau, BY
Madame Potter, and all the village, in
short. MI Marie had also bsen re.
marked walking with the English gen.
tlemen from the chateau one pair Of
eyes watched the two curiously as they
wentby. The little Englishman was
sauntering in odd loose clothes Mon
sieur Fontaia, the maire, tripping beside
him with short, quick military steps,
neat gaiter,,a a cane, thread gloves, and
q curly-rimmed Panama hat. NJ. -Fon-,
taine was the taller Of the two, but the
Englishman seemed to keep ahead
s'mehow, although be only sauntered
and dragged one leg lasily after the
other: Pelottier, the inn.keeper, had
been paradiug up ana down al the
afternoon with his rich and hideous
bride. She went mincing along, with
parasol, and mittens, and gold esr-
rings, aud great gold ring on her fore
finger, and a Paris cap stuck over With
pins and orange-aowers. She looked
daggers at Refine Chreticn, who Aad
scorned Pelottier, and boxed his gfeat
red ears, it was ssid, earrings and all.
AS for RENE, she marched past the
couple in her Nor'uanly peasant dress,
with its beautiful old laces and gold
ornaments, looking straight before her,
as she took the arm Of her grandfather,
the old farmer from Tracy.
Besides all these grown-up people
there comes occasionally little flying
squadron Of boys and girls, rushing
along, tumbliug down, shouting and
screaming at the pitch Of their voices,
to the scandel Of the other children
who are better brought up, and who orc
soberly trottiug in their small bourre-
lets, aud bibs and blouscs, by the side
OF their fathers aud mothers. The ba-
bics are the solemnest and the funnies.
Of all, as they stare at the sea and the
company from their tight maillots or
cocoons. 's
The country folks meet, greet one an
other cheerfally, and part with sigLs
and jokes; the bathers 90 on shouting
aud beating the water; the lights
dance. In the distance, across the
sands, you sec tho figures walking lcis-
urely horeward before the tide over
takes them !; the sky CLEANS whittier aud
whittier at the horizon, and bluer and
more blue behind the arid grasses that
fringe tho overhangiog edge of tho
cliffs. #" - II :9.."s'.: 5'~sp
! -Four or five little boys como running
up one by one, "handxerchiefhying am
Eoretla'oearer, ahead to the martial
sound Of q penny trumpet. 4 liz ''s'' Z Il
The little cspt.,n @ppursues them
breathless and exhausted, brlnd,sbing
his sword ii Id agony Of command.
"soldats," !" he says, addressing his Re:
fractory troops, "soldats, soulvonesz:svou,
qu'il ne faus jamais courrriir. soldsts
ue courre1 pas, j. ,ous en- prrrrie e-unc = IN, /,
deux, trois," and away they march t
the relief Of a sand fort which il is bciloe
attacked by the sea. And 50 The day
|, goes on, and The children play =
Among the waste aud lumber Of the shore.
Hard coils Of cordase, swarthy fashtnguets, .
Anchors OF rusty fake, and boats updrawn; @,
and while they build "their castles o
dissolviu3 sand to watch them overflow,
tho air, and the sounds. and the color
. in which al these people are moving
, seem to grow. clearer and clearer ; yo1
can see the country people olAmbs1inf
I | tho ~l;ff, hohin6 tho v;ll.na >nI h..