Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-08-08

and quite uneatable. This time our French
table companions were openly amused at our
discontinue. which did not add TO the charm
OF the situation. We were half starved and
yet could eat nothing but the sour, dark bread
universal in France. Happily some cold pate
was brought in next, which was edible, and it
was followed by outlets and potatoes, which,
with cheese, brought the meal to an end. We
left the inn feeling very much refreshed and
started upon tour Of inspection.
PICTURESQUE CHURCH.
Just opposite stood the church. whose lovely
Romanesque porch, surmounted by a huge
crovn-like roof Of curious,y twisted stone,
tempted us to visit it at once. In the market
place there were half dozen houses besides the
Inn, one with a small statue of ST. Cornelius
over Its door, another with the sign of the re-
public, the initials ar. F. in little flag show
ing 1t to be the mayors office or town hall
Everything had a sea-swept weather beaten
look, from the rough gray walls and blue slate
roofs with their clinging orange hchen to the
white sand and powdered shell under foot
lhe fog drifted away as we crossed the square,
and pale, watery sunshine bathed the little
town in its quiet light. while a glimpse If in
tensely blue sea greeted us from the foot Of
every street-just a glimpse, for Carnac stands
on little hill half mile from the bay. We're
to try to paint the scene from memory it should
be In the tehderest tints Of rale blue and pearly
gray. soft drab and orange, with the white caps
and black dresses Of the peaeant women for
| the highest light and the deepest shadow.
AN ANTIQUE STRUCTURE.
The church, dedicated to st. Cornelius, the pa
| iron saint of husbandmen and CATTLE had two
deep porches, one with the beautiful roof al
| ready described and high stone steeple which
seemed OF later origin than the rest OF the
building. Under the steeple, facing the main
street of the village, large wooden bas-relief
had been set in the church wall. representing
tvun ia
painted in the brightest coiors. It was evil
IDENTIFY very old, and we examined
1t with much interest, noticing that
| the animals might have come out Of the Noah 9
Ark Of our childhood. On one side of the
church, in small Enclosure surrounded by n
low stone wall, stood two or three trees-there
were very few Of them in the village, for the
winter winds are evidently bleak In this wall
there were two openings. and here the people
OF Carnac had saved themselves the expense Of
gates by putting block of stone across each
opening, which human beings could climb,
while sheep and cows were kept out. As we
stood looking at this ingenious device
a crowd Of peasant women hurried past us with
their white cap streamers flying in the breeze,
skipped nimbly over the stone barrier and dis
appeared into the darkness Of the great porch.
We followed them through the porch, whose
ceiling had been frescoed some 500 years be-
fore-we could just make out tho faded repre-
sentation OF an evangelist. with the name IS.
Jan'-entered the church and found our
selves Tor the first time spectators of
BRETON WEDDING.
The bride and groom sat in two chairs be-
fore the altar rail with lighted candle in front
of each, also small white draped table with q
little silver dish--intended, perhaps, to hold
the priests fee. This, however. is mere con-
lecture. The prizes: and small and inatten-
tive acolyte were going through the service APP
parertly as rapidly as possible and quite in
audlbiy. Not one WORD could we catch from
the semi-darkLes s behind the altar screen, and
we doubt If the bridal pair wero any better
able. The church was we'll filed with
an interested crowd, who stood and knelt al
ternateiy. and made comments on the brides
appearance much as people do at weddings at
home One woman near us held q baby in her
arms, who whenever the acolyte rang the bell
rang his rattle in response. The service came
to an end after q while, and the bridal party
disappeared into the vestry, presumably to sign
the register. While We waited for their return
we looked about the old chuI CHI, which was in
excellent preservation. for the Bretons
are more pious as race than the popula-
tirn of some other parts of France.
The handsome new windows attracted our at
tention first; they represented different events
in the life OF st. Cornelius who appears to have
been bishOp-he was pictured as sitting a
storm, accepting mitre. healing the sick, &c,
In very beautiful design and coloring. The
modern French stained glass seems to be re-
markedly good. Near one of these gorgeous
nlneteenth-century windows hung relic of the
middle ages-a large model of q ship in which
the spiders had woven q cobweb rigging This
was a votiva Offering to the saint, who had
saved the donor S vessel from shipwreck. In q
shrine not far away stood giided bust of the
ancient bishop, with picture Of two prize cat
Ito beneath it.
THE HAPPY COUPLE.
The bride and groom came down the church
presently, kissing the different members of
their family as they came. The groom was
fine, tall fellow. like most Breton men. but I'M
like their fellow-countrymen nearer Paris He
wore black jacket and waistcoat embroidered
in gay colors, white linen knee breeches,
much gathered and plated, and a bright,
blue sash about his waist. The bride.
who WAS as small as he was big,
had plain, honest face under her white CAP.
which was wreathed with q long garland OF
orange blossoms Her shoulders were covered
by purple velvet shawl decorated with
jet beads and more dangling flowers over
the three cloth bodices always worn by ike
peasant women. and she had also pink apron
and skirt much-trimmed with velvet and
spaugles. They passed out into the porch
(where strange old bier, painted black, with
a decoration of white tears and hour
glasses. stood rs silent reminder OF
the future visit they should make,
to the church), and walked off gaily enough in
u bOlb pioCcoSlou, Nv Two muS1claHB,
one playing a bagpipe and the other a
fiageolet, with much waving Of the wide
brimmed Breton hats. The shrill sweet music
echoed through the little town long after they
had disappeared down one Of the white sandy
streets
As We left the old porch we noticed that
great wooden crucifix rose beside the wall Of
the church on this side high above the roof the
swallows sweeping and circling about it. 1t
must be visible from far out at sea and many
dying eyes may have turned thither at the lost
1t seemed a sacred beacon set high on that
lonely coast, rising in majesty above its church
as the church rises above the town.
STROLL ABOUT THE VILLAGE.
eve will look about the place." We decided.
''and then drive to nee the stones, which accord
ing to Baldeker, are at some distance from
Carnac." So we started down the street at ran
dom, tempted by glimpse of n delightful old
cottage wall, over whose crumbling outer stair
way scarlet nasturtiums had woven their bril-
liant meshes of red and green. There were
plenty OF these quaint ancient buildings we
found with their roofs either OF thatch over
grown with pink and white wall flowers
OF blue slate incrusted with the peculiar
orange hchen we saw so much of, little distinc-
ton being made apparently between the out.
ward and inward appearance of the house and
OF the adjoining stable. Piles of seaweed stood
at every corner. used as q fertilizer. no doubt
and there were shells everywhere under foot
Wonsn were walking about in their black
dresses with an occasional scarlet petticoat or
green apron to break the pre- vailing quiet tone
of color, which was so pleasing in its softness