The New York herald., 1873-08-16
/ should think that there is

SOME FLIRTING AND MATCHMAKING
going on ''under tho oak" l see that there are
great many pretty girls and beautiful women
women OF a rare and modest beauty previously un-
known to me In France. But, well, can any re-
ligion change human nature Is Gods worship
only sad and dreary thing which should force
youth and lovelness 70 be less happy than their
Creator made them Fiddiededee, nv public
come. let US try and laugh again. What q funny
Old bcy is that Ambassador who was talking to me
Just now, for instance He is going up to the old
OAK Tor few leaves and twig oft to carry away
with him. priest holds quite bundle Of them in
MS arms, and fs distributing them to all the pill
grilns who come 1or them. The funny old boy, who
wants bit Of stick and some oak leaves has lit-
tie daughter clinging to his hand-a little daugh-
ter with an in1rmity Of which he hopes to heal her
by faith and almsgiving. queer idea that, is 1t
not, now, my medical student and commercial
friendf
THE FRENCH DUKE
who has been my travelling companion asks me II
I have mind for an excursion after the Angelus,
and say yes. Then he begins to bargain for car
riage. He is very rich man, but he is French
man, and when q pumpkin asks five francs for
driving US to Dax, His Grace raises his eyebrows
and replies, "COmnent done Ia tin du monde est
cenu6?n He offers two francs. An apple woman
and her partner in business, moved by the excite
ment OF talking about rancs takes part against her
personal friend the pumpkin, seeing that he has Q
taste for imposition. and traitorOusy reveals the
amount OF his proper fare, which il one franc and
hall. But never knew any advantage come OF
bargaining, and gentleman had always better
pay at once what Is asked Of him. Il Is rather an
expensive thing to set up as gentleman-no pro-
lesson moro costly-but having resolved to do so
one should pay the cost without hagglng. As q
matter OF fact, remember upon this occasion we
really paid six francs.
THE TRIP 10 OAK.
When the pumpkins carriage appeared we dis
covered that 1t was market gardeners cart with
out springs, but 1t was drawn by o cocky Tarbes
pony, which trotted along merrily. The pony.
clean-made little horse about thirteen hands high,
had cost the pumpkin 212 His cart had cost &c
English money. I noticed that the land about
Buglose was in high state OF cultivation. 1t is
worth about seven hundred francs or twenty
eight pounds an acre, freehold Figs become first
visible upon our pilgrimage here, and mules and
bullock carts are seen upon the road, and women
who cover their heads in the Spanish fashion from
the sun. We got to the hot springs at Dax at
about one O'Clock. The pumpkin told us that the
salt works there were In the hands Of Englishmen
and that all the commercial enterprises In the
neighborhood are worked by the capital and under
the control Of strangers The farms about Dax
Of 1900 The country is fertile but the price
of provisions is high, all the produce being sent OF
by rail to the great towns.
Our pumpkin driver, q shrewd fellow, told US
that the devil boiled the hot springs at Dax, but
that they had cured him IN miraculous manner,
he said, Of rheumatism. thought of the effects OF
drink If so he was likely to have need Of them
again shortly.
Dax is quaint old French town. with an ancient
castle. The people are civil and fond OF taking of
their hats like the traditional Frenchman, who by
the way, is not traditional. Arthur Young men
tions that the French peasantry under the Bour-
bon kings were very rude, and would only don
their caps to their own lords doing 1t then sulkily
1t appears that the French people only became po-
lite after the first revolution.
We passed cottage on hillside 1t had two
wine glasses and hall dozen bottles in it's win.
dows. Upon 1t was inscribed, in tumbledown let
ters "The Great Coffee House Of the South" Not
human being near 1t for q mile.
The citizens Of Dax seem contented and con-
servative lot AS we passed the Palace OF Justice
our driver looked up ct 1t and said, "Sans celia on
pou,ratt pas utvre. We should all destroy each
other" "Oui," replied the Duke, "les geadayYaes
premiere ct HOne, ct puts les tri6Indar, Jo,tt
n,archer le monde" Great lovers Of authority,
these French In their hearts, all their revolutions
| Notwithstanding.
The soft, eleminate beauty OF the South is be-
| coming common on the faces OF the peasantry
here. Stopping for glass OF beer we are served
| by landlord like Mario. 1t is o sort Of beauty
| with kind looks and awkward temper in it. The
large eyes and sunburnt l0veliness Of the women
usually mean little more than jealousy and the
| empty mind of the household slave. Both men and
women are easy friendship makers, ready takers,
courteous by nature and eager in their offers Of
service. They were very respectful to us pilgrims
and anxious for our news, and they charged MS
| Paris prices Tor our beer, which was twice too
much.
ALMsGIvING.
| The pilgrims did not give much to the Church;
but perhaps the little they did give was hardly
| earned by some Of them. What then The
| Catholic priesthood Is very poor, and those who
| give to the poor, says the proverb, 'lend to the
| Lord" People who approved Of the security put
| down their money. "That which l spend on my
SELF" said this 81. Vincent de Paul, whose shrine
| we came to visit. "ls lost; that which lay up
must leave behind me; but shall find that which
gave for charity in heaven" Moreover I, for one,
have generally noticed that when money Is lent to
the Lord He pays good interest," and that charitable
people grow rich for "there is that which scat
tereth and yet increaseth." Why should not poor
pilgrims get o chance Of bettering their incomes
as well as other pawnbrokers They lend money on
Gods promises. Are they valuable pledges or are
they not' Are they more likely to be redeemed than
abackleg's note of hand, for instance II so these
almsgiving pilgrims were more prudent and less
often duped than fashionable bill discounters.
The French Duke and l. on leaving OAK, set out in
search Of an old historical oak, in a neighboring
forest, which is said to be enchanted. We saw
Spanish gypsies on our way nested within sylvan
dells, and heard the Gascon patos on ripe lips not
unmusical We lost our way looking for the oak,
when all at once, from out Of the forest o pretty
little girl appeared like the beggar maid Of story
book, who was kings daughter. Her feet were
bare; she was dressed in rags, but she spoke pure
French, not Gascon. She was exceedingly beau.
tful.
"What are you doing, little girl, for livinga"