Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-09-19

COURT YARD OF INN.
you will be shownoo the best room Of the inn,
through the family and other sleeping apart
ments. and madame and the maid-of-aIl- work
VIII make up the bed while you wait. Then in
the morning as you timidly peep out your door,
preparatory to descending for the usual coffee
and bread, you will find the seepers all flown,
all save an assortment of children Of all ages
and sizes, in various stages of deshabille, wait
ing for mamma to perform the daily task Of
dressing them.
AT TABLE D'HorE.
Americans have undeservedly the reputation
of being rapid eaters. We wheeling pilgrims
consider ourselves equal to the average Ameri-
can pace at the table. but we must now and
here award the palm to the Frenchman. A
Frenchman is long at his meals, because what
would be brought on all together in the states
ordinarily struggles on in courses, with a wait
OF perhaps from two to five minutes between.
These table d hotes are all alike. You seldom
see menu, but you can generally guess what
Is coming. Pouletroti 1--WE call it roast chicken
at home) ct salade is the signal for dessert, and
you relinquish your knife and fork. In Brit
tany and Normany harsh sour native cider is
usually included in the meals and we welcomed
With suitable demonstrations bottle Of beauti-
ful red wine one day near the edge Of Nor
mandy. Horrors, il was abominable appe-
tlzer. spurious American appetizer. which
our thoughtful host had set on his table for his
<hHOAiOuh 6ucets we nave Dtcn u1OE6 CAREFUL
since.
CIDER, ALWAYS CIDER.
This cider is the beverage Of the provinces
named, and the wayfarer has difficulty in get
ting water to drink and still greater difficulty
getting milk. George A. and Charlie s., our
Bufalonian companions, asked for milk one
day at village cafe. The young lambs had
strayed from the flock and the veteran French
speakers and were speaking kind Of French
Iar 1twev re
took turns at asking for milk: cider was
brought. request for water. was equally sue
cessful IN bringing cider, and the lost ones
were In despair. Then George A. bethought
him TO see what effect art would have upon the
rustic mind, and his talents soon produced a
drawing of what he called, and what courtesy
obliges US to call, COW. But the cruel man
only laughed boisterously. 1t might have been
an elephant for all he knew.
THE PEASANT MAIDEN AT HOME
Have you, as from the gallery-we should say
your box-you watched the giddy caperings of
the operate peasant maiden, ever thought how
delightful it would be to seek the hand where
the peasant maiden may be found in its natural
state? Come with us, then, and gaze upon the
realization OF our visions Beginning at the
foundation, observe the foundation. There
are two Of them, though one would be enough,
we think. Yes, they are wooden shoes of the
common-sense pattern. large and roomy. But
tuiuh Wudt must Dt dimensions Oh the 1eeI
there eneased. The Chicago girl-or is it the
st. Louis girlr-is nowhere-outrivaled and
overshadowed. From the receptacles-we will
not further dignity them as shoes-of the
feet arise two shapes-they might be cord
wood-covered with blush yarn stockings
Now comes a skirt of dark material, and above
that pair of corsets of darker material, laced
front and back. The sleeves are of white mate
rial generally. She approaches with a stride
like a camel Her gingerbread doll face is sur
rounded by a cap having ears. On her shoulder
she bears large grubbing hoe or something of
that kind-we are not very well versed in agri-
cultural mplements-which she drops as she
percelves the eye of the deadly kodak fixed
upon her, and turns to fly. Her flight has
robbed US OF prize for our collection.
WOMEN IN THE FIELDS
There Is prevalence Of women among the
workers in the fields and we see her doing
other heavy manual labor. Little wonder il it
that they are masculine in appearance, Of
heavy step and lacking in those graces which
make the fair sex sc irresistible. They are to
be seen laden with great piles of hay until they
| look little more than animated haystacks trudg-
| ing homeward. The old women assist the
children in the care Of the cows, the goats and
| what-not, which they pasture by the roadside,
| and il is a common scene to see two old DANES
| slowly following their charges the animals
eat their way along. knitting and discussing the
latest morsel OF nelghborhood gossip the while.
on MARKET DAYS.
The opportunity to see peasant costumes at
their best is on market days at the larger vii
lagos. Then the women from adjoining
| villages. dressed in their Sunday best, sit in
long rows on either side Of the street, all with
| their short black jackets, white winged caps
and each with her basket Of cheeses, hes own
make. which she has brought in to sell And
how they chatter. Women are alike the world
| over Sucb n buZZ of fOppuoa ia IN hoar
nowhere else, except where there are as many
more women. Almost everything imaginable
| is to be found on sale, from wooden fails and
| other tools of the farm, which. with the Shoes
knickknacks and notions, all exposed in the
open air. Among the articles Of food are huge
| loaves OF bread with an impenetrable crust the
black bread Of the peasantry.
| TROUBLE WITH HIS FRENCH.
| Gen. Boulanger translated into English is
Gen. Baker. When you know this fact you will
| not, did Charlie s., mistake the bakeries
| (boulangeries) for Boulangist Club headauar-
tiers. Charlie s. has been having great diff
| culties mastering the intricacies Of French
He doesn't see why his pronunciation of butter,
''du bure," isn't perfectly ineligible. Char
| lie must have his 'bure' with everv meal.
French custom to the contrary notwithstand-
| ing, and the trouble attending upon getting it
with his French would send him to an early
grave were his visit 10 the land OF parlyvOO not
| OF brief duration. STILL Charlie Is not without
| confidence and does not hesitate to 60 right
into the kitchen and explain what he wants
to the inmates or aid in the search for
IT himself. He wanted a pail Of water
! one day for q commendable purpose and,
after his custom, went for it himself. Soon he
| appeared, wearing a baffied look and accom-
panied by servant, but pailess. Say, tell
her i want q pail" he said with faint smile,
for the colloquy before he sought our assist
ance had been long and enervsting. l told
her-that is. thought did, but it is strange
how difficult it is to make these French people
understand, no matter how good French one
| speaks. He returned with an old cloth pale but
still pail-less. Our united efforts and with the
sympathy Of the proprietress enlisted, finally
procured the sought-for pail and water. Thus
| it was that Charlie wrote home that the people
all spoke French, so they said, but when he
talked to them they pretended not to under
| stand him.
| VILLAGE WASH HOUSES.
As We wheel along through village after vii
lage we note the village wash houses, usually
consisting Of a row Of small platforms bull,
out over the water Of pond or running stream
with q little shelter overhead as protection
against . chance shower. Here can almost
always be seen from one to q half dozen women
dipping and wringing and pounding and pat
ting with broad wooden paddle the weeks
washing Such thing as q patent wrinRer il
| not to be found and the stout hands OF madame