St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1884-08-28
Celebration Of the Fete-Dieu.
Extract from a private letter.

made several excursions in the neigh
bOrhood and assisted at various fair:
and i6tes, much to our edification
Our trip to MOrlaas, to the hair-fair
was very amusing-tO see the peasant
! women come from far and near to sell
their hair to the merchants from Paris
etc, but perhaps you will he more in
terested in the Fete-Dieu, which is
just ending. 1t has been going on for
for week. and is considered of great
importance in this country. Our
bonnie, Christine, is a ''daughter of st.
Anne" III the professions, and keeps
us posted as to what we must see.
Yesterday Sunday we were out to
see the decorations, both in the morn
ing and afternoon. All the streets
where the procession was to pass were
decorated in the queerest manner i'm
aginable. The houses on both sides
were covered with white sheets, on
which were pinned wreaths and bOu-
quets of beautiful flowers. Such wax
lilies and rose buds! The streets were
perfnmed with them. Overhead were
arches and festOOns of all descriptions.
One great bell of rOse-buds had II
branch of lilies for the tongue. There
were "sacred hearts" communion cups,
crosses of all kinds, and Il general
4 Ill Nt,a Of ~
pavement was covered with green
rushcs and leaves and over all this
rose leaves were scattered. Our Chris
tine, who is shocked at our ignorance,
says they are put down in memory of
ChriSt's entrance into Jerusalem. The
principal things were, of course, the
professions, of which there were two,
one at ten o'clock in the morning and
the other at five in the afternoon. The
first thing was man dressed in black,
with knee breeches, black silk hose, a
big black cooked hat and IL large silver
chain around his neck. He had a sort
of cane in his hand, and walked slowly
along waving the crowd back, as if he
owned all the world. Then came a
company of soldiers, with their red
caps and trousers, blue coats, preced-
ed by the drummers, beating very
slow march. Next were the public
school boys, all bare headed and each
bearing little banner. The flags
were of all colOrS, and some had the
''sacrcd heart" on them, others, the
Virgin Mary or some saint out of the
multitude whom they worship. After
the boys came the girls, all in white
with blue ribbons and white wells
thrown completely over them. Fol
lowing them was il very good band OF
little boys from the st. Martin school,
dressed in scarlet and white. Then
came forty or fifty little boys dressed
like priests, in blue gowns and white
lace over-dresses, with square blue
caps on their heads. Then the same
number, dressed in the same way, but
in scarlet and white, and then the lit
tie infant st. John, the star of the pro-
cessiOn to my hereto eyes. He was
the most cunning little fellow imagina-
ble, just old enough to walk. His hail
was very light colored and crimped,
and in one hand he carried IL cross
taller than himself, and in the other he
held Il ribbon by which was led a little
white lamb, with bright ribbons tied
into its wool. He looked as if he had
stepped ont of some picture. In
another part of the procession was &
little monk, dressed i'll gray serge, will
sandals on his feet, who walked witt
his eyes cast down, and his hand,
crossed before him, Il rope around hi,
waist and his chaplet on his arm
Just as he passed our window, he had
Il little stage fright, and stuck his fin
ger III his mouth in regular child fash.
ion.
If | should try to describe all tn,
sights, | should have to write you a
|
little and say that there were severa
bands, a great many soldiers, nuns
sisters of charity (the Little Sisters o
the Poor, they call themselves,) anC
many more things. Then came til,
Holy of Holes Four lovely little
boys dressed in scarlet and white, car
rying large books. A very tall man il
scarlet, white silk hose and all covered
with gold embroideries, then mor'
scarlet boys singing, and four carrying
Il large censer with lighted incense
then six more walking backwards and
swinging their censers, and n dOzel
more with baskets filed with red an,
white rose leaves, then the Host unde
Il canopy of cloth of gold, with whit
plumes at each corner, carried by fou
men, and the Host himself carried b.
the bishop, | suppose, all in cloth q
gold shining in the sun. Every fe,
steps they stopped, the OLD man he'll
up the Host, and all the crowd fell o.
their knees. Meanwhile, from eac
house as the Host passed, were throw
a shower of rose leaves. After tn
procession passed we went to tn
church-such crowd! After march
ing through the dusty streets the pro
cession arrived and entered. As eac
band came through the doorway,
played ut full power, and you can i'm
agine the echoes of the drums an
trumpets among the arches. They a
came up the centre aisle and til