The morning call., 1893-10-29

=; In the little fishing port OF Cancale.
famous all over France for its oysters.
AND in the lower part of it, near the iettv.
Where the fishermen and merchants are
wont to assemble, the one to sell their
catch and the other TO buy it, stands an
Un2retentous but snug little inn called
the Pigeon Blanc. Its hostess was the
Widow LetaQuenn ou, whom her numerous
Patrons commonly addressed. as is the
custom of the country, by her maiden
name, Elise-a handsome, bright eyed
lam ballaiSe, just turned 50, who had come
to the seaboard with her parents as a
&hfld, had grown up in the little COM
nunity rs if she belonged to the "pays." 4"
and: one turn of fortunes wheel after
anoIher, had become landlady of the best
freGpented hosiery in this picturesque
and thriving little town.
Elise LeiaQuennou was an exceptional
woman among the Bretons. who are pc
enlarly clannish and attached to their OWL
:uDprogreSsive, primitive ways, and there
fore Indifferent to what the rest of the
world is doing. She set an example to
Cancale not generally initiated. for in
some parts II is malodorouS and dilapi-
manager, with keen perception Of what
e constitutes domestic comfort her house
was model of cheerfulneSs and cleanli-
ness for the stranger, and babltues natur-
ally Hooked thither for their cider or verre
OF cognac, or to pass the evenings over
cards or dominoes in the harmless Breton
way, land nowhere else could fish supper
p be cooked to such perfection or a dish Of
oysters be served so daintly.
Big. buTly Cancale line fishermen
were constantly to be found in the CHEEKY
Kitchen, with its plank-laid, sanded floor,
aud roof hung with cordage and packages
OF small wares for customers out of SUP
piles. They were in her presence more
restrained in their bOisteTOus moments
after successful nights fishing than they
were wont to be on The Brest side of ST.
Malo, for word from the widow Won Id
bring the most turbulent Toysterers into
=. Suhsidence. Her ascendency over the
rough seafaring folks who dropped in at
thePigeon Blanc was maintained by tact
and. flrmDess, which gave her influence
quite as potent a hold as that of a com-
mander over the forecastle. She had a
ready sparkling humoT and a genu-
Inc sympathy with seafarers which
eslcited their respect in return, and
SIZE earned something akin to devo-
tiUn from them by refusing to let men
:qUaf mOEe cider than was good for them,
OF 10 sQuandeT money in folly when the
mastering was over in the spring or the cod
fishers returned from Terre Neuve in the
autumn, their pockets we'll lined with gold
pieces as TIE earnings OF the season. The
SF lQOw frowned upon disorder and disso-
luUeness, and In virtue of ber genial good
Qualities was not only supposed to be the
smiling igurehead OF most Of the vessels
In " hieh her admirers sailed, but was the
occasion OF profound heartaches among a
few prosperous captains who thought she
should not mourn the departure Of her hus-
band forever, especially when change of
s tate would bring her happy choice to an
anchor in the Pigeon Blanc
The only other permanent resident of
the h0s.elTy besides Blanche. the servant.
was Madame LetaQuennou's father. Pare
Jacques, hale OLD man Of 60, whose prin-
cipaI occupation, when not attending TO
his little farm in the vicinity. was to sit in
4 corner whiting his pipe and listening to
the gossip at The tables. LetaQuennou.
Elise's husband, had served in the army
Of the Loire during the German invasion
aud had lost his life after the siege of
Paris, when the Versailles troops stOrmed
the capital from hOusetop to housecop and
suppressed tie Communards. THIS touch
OF war came home 10 Elise with almost in
suppOrtable bitterness but the edge wears
on the sharpe grief and the years which
had passed left it only as a memory.
What with the consultations Of the church
from moDlng, she had long recovered her
buoYant and joyous temperament,
:. 81. Malo sends forth every wear scores of
. brigs and schooners which prosecute the
:cod-fshtry off Newfoundland all through
The summer, repairing when necessary for
supplies TO ST. Pierre and Miquelon. the
lgle French possessions TO the south of
tie mainland. and returning with full
caggOes of cured fish in the autumn. Both
IN tlfe;spring and autumn the port of St.
VI ale presents busy scene not at all
characteristic of other periods, the general
commerce being very limited on account of
b oh tides and difficulties of pavigafion-
.'Ihe crews.fOr the cod vessels are drafted
from every village on the coast Of Brittany
and considerable number are drawn
from that nursery Of SeameD the bav of
Granville, on the western side Of which
lies Cancale, well within sight of that
-werld-ren owned wonder in ecclesiastical
architecture, the Mont st. Michel, which
looms upon the horizon in the direction of
Pontorson.
The Pigeon Blanc was aglow with feast
ing and merriment one night in April To
celebrate the departure of the fishing fleet
for the banks of Newfoundland. 1t was
reunion of the seamen and their friends
appropriate as an adieu for those who
were TO be so long severed and as rendeZ-
vOus for the completion of arrangements.
Memb bers of the crew of half a dozen craft
bound for the other side of the Atlantic
were there, and at the head of two of the
big tables sat Captain Lapaix of the
PAtgle brig and Captain Boulu OF the Loup
tOpsall schooner, who had long bee rivals
not only in the capture OF fish ID the foggy
region at the mouth of the st. Lawrence,
but were regarded as sailing close match
IN the good graces of the widow, as a prize
in faIrhaven. In the Breton sense of
being substantial in property which would
enable them to retire. or fit out a Cancale
-hshlng-lugger for operations A t home, they
were both eligible bachelors bordering
upon ~ and were in the habit of vowlng
that every trip should be their last. and
theh they would pay attention to the grow
ing OF ca0bages for the Breton's national
SOUP Whether they were worthy rovers
ol:lhe Type of Duguay Trouin, the priva-
teer yer whose name stands high in the his
IIy OF St. Malo. higher than that of
Ohatean brland. IS not an opinion left to
the reader to decide. They were in their
OWL opinion so eminent that they were the
oaiy naVIgators worthy TO pay homage to
tue %ldoW, and each thought the alteration
OF the other dIspensable. AS for Elise
ehe paianced her gracious recognition of
thelr woolng ludiciously and gave them
10 understand that she was in no hurry to
declde whlch she should make hapny, or
whether some other forlorn renreoant.t;va