Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1889-11-13
THE FRENCH cREolEs.
some cf the PecuIiarities of This Simple
Minded People.

The French Creoles of the lower
class nre hand-to-mouth class of peo-
Pile, purchasing the stick of wood to-
day ard the handful Of herbs that are
to cook and season their potage. filing
their small market baskets with in
Vulnerable pinches of this, that and
the other. laying in few sous OF
sugar and coffee at ii time, and--going
next day, for three hundred and sixty
five days In the year, and doing iden-
tically tho same thing, in sncula
saculorum- Dislike TO the accumula-
ton Of household goods. to well-stOred
cellars and pantries, to generous
abundance, to picturesque profnsion,
to the essentials OF II large-handed
hospitality even within tho narrow
limits OF their neighbour God acquaint-
ances. an ant-liko economy and alb
stemiousness, curious JuxtapositiCn
OF eternal self-restraint and a passion
for sensations, colors, sounds, per-
fumes, fantastic sensualities, IN in
siinct for microscopic money-getting
welded To al Instinct that has flied
New Orleans with noble Institutions
for the poor, tho bind. the sick. the
world weary; ~ passion for novels and
for splendid churches, ~ fond en-
durance OF rigors OF cold and hAasor
for the brilliant eflloresceneo Of care
mcprenant and carnival, II voluntary
exile from all laughter and joy that
their feet may twinkle night or two
balls down in Charities aud Royal
st Gets; such are the fragments of
sweet and bitter herbs that GO to
make up part of the paradox of Creole
character and communicate TO it an
indefinable piquancy and strangeuess
by their thick bars of light and
shadow.
The chief charm of the character is a
touching gentleaess and benignity that
blends all other characteristics and per-
;ssc;:.c.; the whole constitution os the
native Creole. There is something
elegiac. tender, dreamy about the
race, remnant or recollection of
earlier and better days. an aroma of
sxile coming from old colonial times,
when so many emigrated from the gay
'atherland to the trackless Wilderness
II louisiana. seeking their fortunes.
Disappointment seems to have i'm
pressed itself rs u trait of heredity on
their spiritual make up; n brooding
,anguor has spread from the luxurious
climate through the limbs and consti-
tuition OF the immigrants, the advent
irons spirit Of tho marvellous brothers
i,ienvilie. lbsrvil.e and Sauvalle. laid
lnde perpetual embargo b. Chinese
wall Of swamp, bayou and boguc. has
suna into n Gu ious psychological
lainbncss aud content with surround
ings; geography, exploration. litera-
tu e. research. travel (beyand the in
evitible transit to France once in a
lfetime) are unknown luX,t.ie, TO these
lotus-oating folk. and in their way they
Ire as still n their sunny corner as the
sra-loving alligator tnat haunts their
streams.
The customs. g,tncs and sports OF
these cxiics are full OF "reminiscences
Of tho fatherland, mingled with odd
uccrctions and aftorgrowths. II clinging
conservatism, poetic susceptibility.
There are songs and Christmas customs
smacking OF Glscony. Provence. Cham
payne. San Domingo, Franche-Comte
such as linger Ia Canada and form
touching links with the sais over the
sea- j. 4. Harrison. In A,itrcsois,