The Portland daily press., 1893-04-29
FRENCH PEASANT LIFE.
1t Is Passed Within Such Narrow Limits
That the People of One Village Are
Often Ignorant of Another Place Fifteen
Miles Away.

Mr.. E. Fl. Ewell, Jr., in the course of
his interesting lecture before the Port
land Fraternity last evening, told the fol-
lowing incident illustrating the hum
drum course of peasant life in France:
.'When we left Robinston, a little town
a few miles southeast of Paris, it was
with the pleasurable expectation that we
were. that day, to dine with a fellow
countryman. From the first of the tour
we had been looking forward to our ar
rival at the little town of Fleury, near
Fontainebleau, where we were to be en-
tertained by the mayor at the invitation
of Mr.. Walter Griffin, the young artist of
this city, who makes his home with that
dignitarly., Ut
I'VE had somehow got the idea into
our heads that Fleury was 25 miles from
Robinston, and of course expected to ar
rive in ample time for dinner at twelve
O'Clock. A party of four of us had rid
den about twenty miles. 1t was q little
past eleven o'clock and we began to looI,
around for Fleury. But none of the
peasants had ever heard of such place.
They shook their heads with an unrecog-
MIXING stare when we asked them. At
last we met a peddlar, who declared that
Fleury was fifteen miles farther on. We
had no alternative but to believe him.
After about eight miles we came to cross
roads and of course were undecided. We
asked peasant in which direction was
Flellry. He did not know, but brought
another man from neighboring house
who explained that we must take the right
fn1 fn,, o.r
through three villages and the fourth
would be Fleury. We kept on for six
miles through three villages, and lust as
Fleury was apparently within our grasp
we came to fork in the road. 1t was
past twelve o'clock, we had ridden about
thirty miles since breakfast and were
tired, hungry and exasperated. Which
road should we take? A team was ap-
preaching in the distance. We waited.
One OF our party leaned his weary body
against tree, and glared savagely at the
plodding horse as it came nearer and
nearer. Suddenly he mounted his wheel
and shouting s'I'm going
t. throw rock at that
Frenchman, if he doesn't knowEwhere
Fleeury ISL he dashed down the iroad to
the team. He soon came tearing back
again. Take the right hand road he
shouted. Proceed for eight miles
through those villages and the fourth will
be Fluery." There was grim sarcasm in
his voice, but utter hopelessness Fin his
face. We all felt the same way. We be-
gan to fear that FURY was myth. But
we kept on, proceeded through the will
lagos and the fourth actually was Fleury.
And there was Mr.. Griffin in front Of
the mayors house waving his hat in joy
full welcome, for twas past / o'clock
and we were the first to arrive. Soon
another group of six came YEARLY down
the narrow street. They chad passed
through the town once without knowing
it and had been told at the next village
to turn back. Six of the party did not
find Fleury at all but kept on to Fontaine-
bleu.
But why were the peasants unable to
to direct us? 1t is an actual fact that
the lives of many of them are wholly
confined to their native villages. They
read no newspapers, except perhaps a
journal from Paris, and they actually
did not know of the existence of astown
within 10 or Is miles of their homes. 1t
is as if a man who had lived in Deering
all his life did not know of the exist
snce of Gorham.''