The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-09-01
NORMANDY PEASANTS HOMES.
Visit to q Hospitab,e Peopie-A Rural
nanauet-An Interior.

Banquet-An Interior.
Why Is it, | wonder, that one class Of hu-
manity is always asking itself what the othr
customs arel 1t was no doubt curiosity OF
this kind that prompted us, the other morn
ing, TO drive into the country 10 visit some OF
the peasants homes that lie hidden among
che 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 10 the poor laboring class.
This struck me most forcibly the other day,
and | felt really ashamed of myself and
friends as we boldly entered the gateway to
the first farm. 1t would have served us
right had we been rudely treated and usked
TO vacate the premises As We approached
the low, matched roof building, with the
grapevines covering wide veranda, the
horse chestnuts spreading their refreshing
shade far over the house, a more perfect pict-
ure of comfort could not easily he imagined
Hearing the sound of carriages, three women
made their appearance ut the door, and see
ing we were "du grand monde" as they say
hereabouts, three low courtesies were drop
ped and most cordial welcome extended US,
much TO my relief and surprise. They were
evidently battered 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 a stable boy came and led our
horses of, 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 refreshment should b.
prepared.
In a short space Of time a long table was
brought out and set before US, spread with q
| 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,
30 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 il We were old and
valued friends, but none Of them sat at table
| with us. We did full justice to this hoiuely
fare, after which the interior of the house
was shown us, and peeps into huge linen
presses vouchsafed us, where piles Of beached
and unbleached cloth lay ready as part of the
| dot to go with the first child leaving the
| home nest. The floors in the house were all
| scrubbed to marvellous wilderness and then
strewn with fine white sand; in some of
the rooms the sand was laid on the floor to
| initiate mosaic designs, but the tread Of
many feet soon obliterated the pretty work.
The old homestead was most comfortable
in every respect, and the old fashioned furni-
| ture in it would have made collector weep
with envy. Large carved oak arlnoires, spin
ming wheels high backed chairs, four post bed
Steads, and quaint tables that would have
brought their weight in precious metal At
some fashionable auction in the capital, were
thought nothing Of by these people, except
As ancestral souvenir keepsakes Great guam
titles of Smell work adorned the walls, and
even made up the principal bric-a-brac upon
| the tables and etageres. The freplaces were
| all those great generous ones that take in all
the family, AMI do not leave any one out in
the cold, us some Of our modern CRATES are
| apt to do. y, we expressed our appreciation
| Of the comfortable surroundings the faces OF
| both men and women fairly beamed with
gratifled pride.
The dairy, stables, poultry yards and pigs
were next shown us, and from the cool, airy
milk room to the sly in the back yard was
one perfect delight of cleanliness, prosperity
and plenty. These people are never idle, and
for that reason happy; they are content with
what they have, do not envy any one, and
| live lives of peace and good will TO all men,
| Each face bears marks of the sunny nature
within, aud our visit to La Breteche, as this
farm is called, put better thoughts into our
minds for days to come.-Cor. Argonaut.