The Evening post. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1888-1889, 1889-01-01
THE FRENCH CREOLEs.
some of the Pecuiiarities of This simple
Minded People.

James Il. Harrison IN Autref0S.
The French Creoles of the lower class
are hand-to-mouth class of people,
purchasing the stick of wood to-day and
the handful of herbs that arc to cook
and season their potage, filling their
small market baskets with innumerablo
pinches of this, tina. and the other, lay
ing in few sous of sugar and coffee at a
time, and--going next day, for 300 days
in the year, and doing scientifically the
same thing, In sGCua swculorum. Dis
like to the accumulation of household
goods, to we'll stored cellars and pantries,
to generous abundance, TO picture sque
proiuson, to the essentials of a large
handed hospitality even within the mar
row limits of their neighborhood ac-
quaintances, an ant like economy aud alb
stemiousness, curious juxtaposition OF
eternal self restraint and passion for
sensations, colors, sounds, perfumes, fan
tastlC sensuaities, an instinct for micro
scopic money getting welded to an in
stnct that has filled New Orleans with
noble institutions for the poor, the
blind, the sick, the world weary; u pas
sion for novels and for splendid churches,
fond endurance of rigors of cold and
hunger for the brilliant afllorescenco of
caremeprenant and Carnival, a voluntary
exile from all laughter and Joy that their
feet may twinkle n night or two on the
mirrored floors of the masque balls down
in Charities and Royal streets; such are
the fragments of sweet and bitter herbs
that 20 to make up part Of the paradox
of Creole character and communicate to
ii an indetinable piquancy and strange
ness by their thick bars of light and
shadow.
The chief charm of the character Is q
touching gentleness and benignity that
blends all other characteristics and per
meates the whole constitution ofthe native
Creole. There is something elegac,
tender, dreamy about the race, rem
nant or recollection of earlier and better
days, an aroma of exile coming from old
colonial times, when so many emigratcd
from the gay fatherland to the tackless
wilderness OF Louisiana, seeking their
| fortunes Disappointment seems to
| have impressed itself as u trait of hered-
| ity on their spiritual make up; brooding
| languor has spread from the luxurious
climate through the limbs and constitu-
tions of the immigrants, the adventur-
GUS spirit of the marvellous brothers
Bienyille, Iberville and Sauvalle,
laid under perpetual embargo by u
| Chinese wall of swamp. bayou and bogue,
has sunk into curious psychological
numbness and content with surroundings;
geography, exploration, literature, re-
search. travel (beyond the inevitable
transit to France once in lifetime) are
unknown Injuries to these lotus-eating
folk, and in their way they are as still
in their sunny corner as the sun.loving
alligator that haunts their streams.
The customs, games and sports o.
these exiles are full of "reminiscences OF
the fatherland, mingled with odd accre
lions and aftergrowths, clinging con
servatism, poetic susceptibility. There
are songs and Christmas customs smack
ing of Gascony, Provence, Champagne
San Domingo, Franche- Comte, such as
linger in Canada and form touchin,
links with the folk over the sea.
Mr.. Harrison, jr., is Russeller and no mis-
| tale Il Nav York Sun