New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-07-02
FRENCH CHATEAU LIFE.

N,v,., ICbarente Inf6ricure Junel A-laouo'NoiN
,,,cb ,,bet her one. not Frenchman can acqu"'""N
tberooeh idea Of the simple pleasures oil Aineiic""
-. Iife in France from any written description
ofit The nearest thing we have to II I'D o"r A''''
-, li4oi - 10 be found in one of the old virginia
on,trv mansions. which in their style Of arch''ec
10 snd in the laying ont of the GROUNDS a"""'
80 ,oucb resemble the French mdi'oas Ne o1@P'y"'
r,lo has q charcp 10 visit one OF the loti'r eSp'
lilly when il Is kept up in the style rroporu'''',
4, its surroundings is certain 10 he oNU'"So" VI
,rr ,f his ur,conceivcd notions OF french l''""oi
domestic life. He may find there as 1 nave i"''''
.,. ,,oalization of the ideal family existence
vber, three generations, grandparents F'en'N anu
children dwell together in that love ara UNIV
which give hcIne-lfe anywhere its greatest oh",'
60, =, bo,rc Is the Chateau IL, around which
IKE scft'clnen. Of baronial fef. clusters ms III
81. vplaoe whence write. Nieul overlooks the BAY
90 p,..or is q toy village like all the others IN
- has an old stone church, with loor-holeu
go tlroucb which the churchmen used 10 sehd
I.o5op b,o,nbooks AT their assailants-and boasts
-, ,rcotsr romance than that of having fnrniShed
Quo ~ its prrftv whitc-capncd peasant girls 10 ne
came the wife Of the great painter Lancelot IL
n pict1rcsoue little place, hidden away anna
,rro,t5 of foliage. and as YOU drive in your Two
berse carriage through its narrow streets Inc
bouscs take off their hats, and the little gifls curt
soy-for they take IT for granted YOU are NlSI!o'S
cong to see their village Baron, the occupant OF 'e
chateau at which they have often peeped 'nlouI"
Tho IRON grating ongiugly, at fairy palace they
might never enter.
l., c~tor,,ql oprearance most c atoaus ere unpre-
t.,..i.ps enough They are almost invariably alike
so far rs fhe approach i concerned mRh stone
most gateway. q lawn and circular carriage ROAD
line Of servants quarters and outhouses onthe night
and left and the house itself directly IN front as
Won euter-these are the distinguishing marks oil
nine ont of every ten country places in this section
NJ France The dwellings are usually two-StoHeo'
built of stone plain solid and substantial IN ap-
na,rance. and Gankcd front and rear with wide
enc terraces or nro1neuades-uncovered porticoes
On 70 speak incosed by stone baustrades with urns
and ,,ltuary, and often an abundance Of flowers
and vines.
: After all the entrance TO the Chateau H is its
,lq,urst side. You must pass through the wide
hallway or corridor traversinG the centre OF the
buldinr and emerge upon the rear terrace, If Won
,yoplG gain fair idea of the estate Here are ten
ocr.s or So. entirely Inclosed by wall from the
outside world. and laid ont in lawns, walks, ave-
yues and groves in style that docs credit 10 the
French landscape gardener. Forest trees that were
already well up in the air when the wind brought
whispers If Marie Antoinettc fate to this peaceful
sDot. rustic bridges, purlmg brooks, picturesque
orcb3 trees overhead let no ray Of sunlight in upon
tho rich green grass bcneath-here and there bit
of .tatuarv. or an urn full of howers-a swing-a
crcourt- eround-an occasional glimpse Of the vii
loca church tower beyond the folage,-al these form
n cbarming picture, and make one wonder how the
owner of al these beauties can content himself 10
mass eight months of the year in the city,
ONLY coming here during the four warm months
with his family-and even then driving into
4own every dav, for the City OF La Rochelle Is
only four miles distant. Thousands OF our Amerl-
canbu>iness men, whose offices are In the great
cities live two or three tunes as far away that,
in houses not one whit more comfortable, and in
many cases less so-snd yet journey 10 and fro all
the year round Here, when warm weather comes
on any family of consequence must 20 TO its coun-
Try house even though that house be only 500
feet outside the city walls. IL is the country all
the same To Americans this keeping mp Of two
domestic establishments, often within twenty
minutes walk Of each other seems to SAVIOR of the
extravagant. Perhaps il is eXtravagant in some
respects according 10 one idea. but II must be con-
fessed that il is extremely comfortable. Both city
and country houses are elegantly furnished through
out. While the family is living in one a servant or
two remain to take charge Of the other and when
The time comes to move the new quarters are ready
swept and garnished for their occupants.
Bnt in the country house there is freedom which
CITY life here in France especially fOrbids. There
is surcease Of that eternal social cOnstraint that
ceremony and formality, that constant dressing
which Mrs. Grundy inexo1bly demands IN town
"Whv said Mrs. H., " everybody is free ont here.
Even the little birds look down at us from the trees
md twitter the 'MaTseillaise." The ladies can go
ahout in great broad-brimmed straw hats and slip
peTs and light wrappers without a care about that
call they owe to Madame st. Y, that coming
dinner party at Colonel F's the girls can run wild
over the lawns play croquct, and get as sunburncd
as the ypesse while the boys can climb trees, wade
in the brock turn sOmersaultS in the hay-mow, and
ride tbe tame donkey by the hour. Such freedom
as this II il which makes the fashionable quarter OF
fbe ,itv deserted when the first breath Of warm
June wind comes waited over their vineyard re-
gioB putting end to the irksOme reign of fashion
and sending its votaries to the quiet seclusion of
their country homes.
But with all this freedom from restraint the regu-
lar habits of home life are not abandoned, by any
mems Early rsing-if O'Clock can be called
eary-is insisted upon as the hrst principle cOndl-
tlOnal TO a day well begun. Everybody takes a cup
OF coffee or tea, and some bread aud butter lmmc-
diaely after coming down stars, and by half-past
the household Is ready for its morning duties. First
little walk tor five ten minutes so IN the open
air then the children 10 their studies, supcTln
frnded by their mother and the young ladies to
their music OF the books IN which they are III
structed by their gOvernoss. At halipast 10 Some
times IL Is the hour comes breakfast Books
and studies then dismissed for the day and the
meal beng over, II becomes question now the al
teruOOn is to he passed. Perhaps some friends drive
Over 10 call sans ceT6NOtp II 50, hOSicbs ana NlS-
tor, out on the terrace the shady side of the
house or under the shade Of some trees the lawn
and knit, embroder and chat; If, on the other
hand. there happen 10 be no visitors that day, the
horses are hamessed mp 10 the famil y-cOach-siTk-
jngy like It's Virginia namesake which tcCIayOD
used TO pOTlray-and as many as can crowd into the
vehicle 20 of FOR DIVE, generally TO the seaShOTe
where meadows, brilliant with a variety of wild
flowers, extend down TO the waters edge. There is
good sUIf-bathlnR and fine sandy beach close by
where the waves como rolling in OF q summer day
q tcnptIugly Is az COneY Island or Long Branch.