Morning journal and courier., 1888-04-27
TALE OFL LONDON BRIDGE.
A Curious Breton Iyth-The Grace o God and Le Pont de Londres.
 From the St. James Gazette.l

A Curious Breton Myth-The Grace of
 God and Le Pont de LOndres.
 From the St. James Gazette.l
 How it can rain in Finisterre in September they only know who have been there and seen it come down, as the old nurses say whole water. Now, as to wet weather-when you have just come in out of it-there are few better ways of cheating and even enjoy ing it than by having fire lit. whatever the time of year. And so, seeing that there was no other company in the hotel at Morlaix than that of a morose young Englishmsn, who sat scowling at one end of the table while sat smiling at the other, retired to my room and sent for the waiter and the wood. The waiter pumped himself on his heels in his linen jacket, blowing at the green elm boughs, and as the blaze was long coming we had time to talk. From some slight indications Foreigners are very quiek) he discovered was English, and a Londoner; and soon he was signing over his small chances of ever seeing our great and beloved country, and, above all, of ever seeing Lon don bridge. Wasn't it one of the most won- derful sights in the world, le Pont de Lon dresa It was very well, l replied. Why was he so extraordinarily anxious to have view of it, returning to the subject of it's mysterious splendors again and again, and signing almost as gustily as the bellows he was blowing? Why, when there was Mime. Tussaud's and the Subway and the monu- ment, was he so keen to see (ardent de yoirl London bridget We'll, he would tell me, and the bellows made a kind of bagpipe music in keeping with the monotony of his recital. "Long ago, when the timbers of the most ancient of the vessels of Brest were not yet acorns. there were two men in fcr in ha NOfo d and they were disputing about London bridge. One said it was the most beautiful sight in the world, while the other very truly said sNo;' the grace of the good God was more beautiful still And, as the dis pute went on, Let us,' said one of them, 'sett1e it once and for all, and in this way: Let us now this moment go out along the high road and let us ask the first three men we meet as to which is the most beautiful London bridge or the grace of the good Gcds And, whichever way we decide, he who holds the beaten opinion shall lose to the other all his possessions, farm and cattle and horses, everything.' So, each being confi- first man they met declared that though the grace of the good God was beautiful, London bridge was more beautiful still; and the sec- ond the same, and the third. And the man whose opinion was beaten-a rich farmer gave up all he had and was a beggar. Now said he to himself, when the other, taking his horse by the bridle, had left him-'now let me go and see this Lon don bridge which is So wonderfully beauti ful,' and haiB very manful and stout he set out at onck walk, and walking on and on was there by nightfall. But good Christian that he y7ss, he could see in it nothing to shake his belief that the grace of the good God was more beautiful still. Soon the bridge was silent, and the last to cross it had gone home; and he, notwithstanding his losses, tired out and sleepy, lay down and fell into a doze there; and. while he was doz- ing. thereY YRme by two men, and one of them, The night is fine, the wind gentle, the stars clearl On such night whoever were to col- leot the dev would be able to heal the blind. ,