The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1886-09-24

passed through a sunny land upon a |
wheel can fully understand the mean |
ing OF what we say when we tell you
it is delightful. We will not take the |
time to describe each days journey nor
the country we pass through, except |
In general way, for the whole trip
thus far has been like a garden in |
France. There are no fences, but each |
peasant knows bis own. As you look |
over the valleys and up the hill sides |
the little patches of grass and yellow |
grain look like spots of gold and emer-
aid. Although wedo not admire the ag-
ricultural implements, except now and |
then an American machine we see here |
and there, we do admire the taste
displayed in tilling the soil, for the
farmer here makes the best of every
inch OF ground. Every nation has its
peculIarities, and particularly do we
notice with the French peasantry.
But few live upon the farms, but here
and there we notice small villages
made up most altogether OF this class
of people. A church usually marks
the center, and, with the old-fashioned
stone houses that nestle closely. re-
minds us somewhat of a hen with her
brood. Though woefully immoral,
they are wonderfully devoted to their
church, and love to live near by it, and
though somewhat impetuous, they
seem to live happily together. They
are frugal and industrious. especially
the latter, for as soon as they have at
tended early service at church on Sun.
day or any other day, over the hill in
their great One-horse cart they go to
the farm, and all 60, men, women and
babies, with their dinners, to stay all
day. Two or three loaves of bread as
long as base ball bat and as thick
and the same number of bottles of
wine is all they require. a Partisan
and a peasant are as different as day.
light and darkness, and one can hardly
imagine that they belong to the same
race. One is the originator of the
latest dress and customs of the most
fashionable people in the world. The
other wears jacket cut from pat
tern 500 years old, with ways and Gus
toms to correspond. One has skin
clear and white, the other hide as
brown as tan bark. And this great
difference is particularly noticeable
| among the soldiers. The officers are
as fine looking class of men as can
be found anywhere, but the privates.
well they look very well after night if
it's cloudy. You ask what makes the
difference? This is the only solution
that can give. Ihave not seen school
house in the rural districts of France.
and find but few of the peasantry that
can read or write. Is that not enough.
and does not that tell the secret of the
checkered history of this country. and
until she establishes some system of
schools different from what she now
has 1t appears possible for her vet to
see some dark days? There is little
of the French language that we are
not familiar with yet, and each day
brings with it fresh experiences, and
though generally speaking the people
are honest, it is not unfrequent that
they take advantage of us, believing us
to be millionaires or dukes. There is
certainly nothing about our dress or
manner, so we conclude that occasion
ally we are classed with the latter.
Some one has said that Ignorance is
bliss" but when afellow has but twen-
ty-ive cents in his pocket, and in try
ing to economic orders little pie that
he supposes to be worth ten cents.
and learns that his bill is seventy-fiye
cents, besides the walters fee, we con-
TESS that we can find nothing blissful
in such transaction. Or when a man
starveS all day to be able to afford table
d'hote dinner at six and then be
charged enough to pay for two days.
living, besides not being able to tell
them emphatically that they are ladies
Or gentlemen, which is a lie. Such an
experience seems not only at variance
with the saying, but proves it an out
rageous falsehood. The above does
not belong to our dealings with cOun-
try landlords; they seem to he more
honest but mistake our capacities, as,
for instance, after travelling twenty
five or thirty miles on French break
fast, which consists OF a cup of coffee
and a little bread, we feel naturally the
need Of lunch, we stop at country
hotel to order some to satisfy us until
meal time. Our green book is of no
service, for they can't read, so we fire
away. They make speech about ten
minutes in length, and we say, Out
Oui," and before we are aware of it
they march in with an armful of bread
and a basket of meats and groceries
for our benefit. We endeavor to in
form them that our systems don't re-
quire so much, but it is too late, we afe
doavnn1 A E,,l ~ =. \
upon the fire and great meal is soon
prepared for us. We eat 1T. pay a fan
cy price for the same, ride on a mile or
two and lie down and groan with an
overloaded stomach. But after all is
said and done we get enough fun out
of it to pay the cost.
This is Monday morning, July 10, |
and we are about leaving Bar lie Due, |
We have passed through a good many
small villages and tarried at Sezanne,
Uitry le Francois and the places men,
toned before in our letter. Our jour-
ney on Saturday and for several days |
previous has been through rich grain |
district, and the peasants are buslly en-
gagged with their harvest. We caught |
the sound of an American reaper now |
aud then, and it was like music to us,
for we heard it often in days of yore,
and if we could have spared the time
and gotten rid of our modesty we would |
have dismounted and bound up few |
bundles for the French lasses, for this |
seems to be their part of the business,
and they have learned it well, fancy
I can see Partisan belle or an Ameri-
can bon ton |" bringing in the sheaves."
But we are now entering the grape re-
gions, and to-day our road will wind
around the vine-clad hills that we have
so often read and sung about. We are
sorry that the fruit has not ripened.
Tonight all being well we will sleep
in Toul and we hope to reach Stras
bourg Wednesday or Thursday night
or Thursday morning. We are not
making bicycle records, but are travel
ing for health and pleasure, getting all
the good out of our journey possible.
The sun is climbing high up in the