Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-09-25
NORMANDY PEASANTS HOMES.


tlslt TO a h0sp1taDie Feopie< nun a.
Banquet-An Interior.
Why is it, | wonder, that one class of hu-
manity is always asking itself what the other
class is doing, how it lives, and what its
customs area 1t was no doubt curiosity of
this kind that prompted us, the other morn
ing, to drive into the country to visit some of
the peasants homes that lie hidden among
the hills, back of Houlgate. True we had no
invitation to these places; we did not even
know the farm owners by name
After all, ''aristocratsn have very bad
manners compared to the poor laboring class.
This struck me most forcibly the other day,
and l felt really ashamed of myself and
friends as we boldly entered the gateway to
the first farm. It would have served US
right had we been rudely treated and asked
to vacate the premises. As We approached
the low, matched roof building, with the
grapevines covering a wide veranda, the
horse chestnuts spreading their refreshing
shade far over the house, more perfect pict-
| ure of comfort could not easily be imagined.
| Hearing the sound of carriages, three women
made their appearance at the door, and see
ing we were 'du grand monde" as they say
| hereabouts, three low courtesies were drop
ped and a most cordial welcome extended us,
much to my relief and surprise. They were
evidently tiattered by our visit. and far from
| offended as had expected. They wore the
regulation peasants costume-short skirt
| white blouse waists with sleeves rolled up
above the elbow, long aprons, neat caps and
| wooden sabots. One of the young women
rang a huge bell at the side of the house,
whereupon stable boy came and led our
horses off, and the father and brother of the
family assisted us to alight and led US on to
the porch, where they requested us to rest
awhile until slight refreshnent should be
prepared
In short space of time a long table was
brought out and set before us, spread with a
snowy homespun cloth and laid with quaint
old blue chinaware and glass Pots of golden
honey, jugs of cream, loaves of black bread,
pats of yellow butter, cakes, cream cheese,
so celebrated throughout Normandy, cold
meats and pitcher of cider made up the
feast. Every member of the family waited
upon us and treated us as if we were old and
valued friends, but none of them sat at table
with US. We did full justice to this homely
fare, after which the interior of the house
was shown u.s. and peeps into huge liner
presses vouchsafed US, where piles of bleacheG
and unbleached cloth lay ready as part of the
dot to go with the first child leaving tht
home nest The floors in the house were al
scrubbed to marvellous whiteness and ther
strewn with fine white sand; in some O.
the rooms the sand was laid on the floor t,
initiate mosaic designs, but the tread O
many feet soon obiiterated the pretty work
The Old homestead was most comfortable
in every respect, and the old fashioned furni
ture in it would have made collector wee
, with envy. Large carved oak armoires, spin
ming wheels, high backed chairs, -four post bed
!, steads, and quaint tables that would hav
, | brought their weight in precious metal a
some fashionable auction in the capital, wer
a thought nothing of by these people, excer
as ancestral souvenir keepsakes. Great quar-
titles of shell work adorned the walls, an
even made up the principal bric-a-brae upo
I the tables and etageres. The fireplaces wer
i all those great, generous ones that take in a
5 the family, and do not leave any one out
IL the cold, as some of our modern CRATES al
o apt to do As we expressed our appreciate
+ Of the comfortable surroundings the faces
both men and women fairly beamed wit
y gratifed pride.
? The dairy, stables, poultry yards and pi,
were next shown us, and from the cool, all
e milk room to the sty in the back yard W
d one perfect delight of cleanliness, prosperit
II and plenty. These people are never idle, al
ie for that reason happy; they are content wi
10 what they have, do not envy any one, al
- live lives of peace and good will to all me
II Each face baaIs marks of the sunny nat1,
TO within, and our visit to La Breteche as tt
farm is called, put better thoughts into O
"a "a minds for days to come.-Cor Argonaut