Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-12-10

OF THE LoIR-THE CHATEAU DE RooHAMBEAU
AND ITS HosP1TABIE oooUPANTs--A SOUVENIR
OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION.
Extract from private letter.l
SUNDAY, 9TH Of Nov, $780,
M Dear Sir: l returned to Paris only
last Sunday evening, my trip along the Loir
having been greater for the length of time
than for the distance. l spent nearly seven
weeks at Vend0me and made good use of my
time, returning to Paris with pencil sketches
and studies in oil and a complete resurrection
of health and spirits. had not been long in
the country before l discovered that had
mado slight mistake regarding that ancient
stream "la Loire" and that Vend6me was on
the banks Of little river-about the size Of
West River at Bratt'o-of gender masculine,
called 'le Loir."
Your letter to Monsieur de Rochambeau
was the means of doing me more good and Of
afTordng me far more pleasure than 1 antici-
pated. The first afternoon after my arrival
at Vend6me, / went to the Chateau de r.,
about an hours ride, and found Madame la
Marquise and her two sons. M. le Marquis
was in Paris. The next day he returned,
called upon me at my hotel and invited me TO
breakfast at the chateau the following Thurs
day, adding to his politeness by calling for
me and taking me thither in his carriage 1t
would be necessary to write volume in order
to tell you of all the politeness shown me by
the family of Rochambeau. They invited
me very often to breakfast or dinner. They
took me to drive and showed me the beauti-
full country. They presented me to many of
their friends, families of the old nobility whose
chateaux, some modern and some Of very an
cient architecture with towers and battle
ments are seen here and there along the hill
sides overlooking the beautiful valley of the
Loir. The Chateau de Rochambeau has not
a very picturesque exterior but the situation
is fine and the landscape in every direction
charming The most beautiful avenue l have
ever seen, completely arched with beeches
one hundred and fifty years old, leads from
the highway to the chateau. a distance Of
nearly two miles The estate is very large,
there being six farms and two mills thereon
| besides an immense amount Of timber land.
l made an outline sketch OF the chateau which
l will send you as soon as l have completed
it, Monsieur le Marquis showed me all the
most interested me was the sword carried by
the Comte de r. at Yorktown, the sword
that delivered my country.
About week after my arrival / received
an invitation to spend two days and nights at
the chateau. They had planned an excursion.
Fine weather favored us and at six o'clock in
the morning the coach and horses were ready.
| NJ and Nine. de r., their two sons, the
abbe, the curate of Thore and myself formed
the party. The route lay along the Loir, which
flows through one of the most beautiful por-
tions of the country. The villages through
which we passed looked centuries DID, with
houses quaint and curious, some dating from
the time of Henry ". The horses were
changed at Montoire, and we went to TrUo,
where a fine view of the country was had, and
then to Ruille -sur-Loir, where the nuns of
the celebrated convent of Ruille had prepared
for US a dinner which might rival Bignon OF
the Avenue de rOpera. The 'Soeur su-
perieure" and the first assistant dined with
us, and after dinner showed us the interior,
the gardens and everything belonging to the
convent, which to me was exceedingly strange
and interesting.
On the fifth of October Monsieur de r
with his family, left their chateau for Paris
l concluded to remain at Vend0me until thu
opening of the Ecole des BeauI Arts, as had
better opportunity for study than at Paris
The proprietor of the little hotel where was
staying was very obliging and gave all thu
old earthern- ware, copper kettles, poultry
horses, etc, that wanted to use for models
besides giving me the smoking room of til,
hotel for a studio l brought my studies t.
Paris and showed them to my master, Wit
was pleased, aud said tires bien," but 1 an
as dissatisfied as ever, because 1 cannot, or a
least, do not accomplish what wish to. n!
health and spirits being good, am able to Dc
great deal of work in fact, have not mo
ment for anything else.
have not become 80 much of a French
man as to have lost interest in my own coun
try, and the news of the recent elections il
America gives me the same pleasure tha
every Republican receives.
Most Respectfully Yours,
RoB'r G.. HARDIE, in.