The record-union., 1893-01-21
WAKEMAN'S WANDERINGS.
Odd Incidents of Foreign Travel
and 0bseryatiOn---IV.
One Way Thomas Carlyle Took Exer-
cise-The Ostracized Cagots of the
Pyrenees-A RadiantIy Peaceful Au-
tumn Picture Along the silvery
Tweed-1veird Pagan Monuments or

Tweed-Weird Pagan Monuments OF
Carnac.
Especial Correspondence of the RECORD
UNION. Copyright. 1881
PARIS, January I, 1893.
British pensioners in old Chelsea Hos
pital, London, when desiring TO be par
ticularly sarcastic regarding the quality
Of their food, say that Every sheep
killed for Chelsea has nine breasties''-
that ls, somehow the officers messes Sc
cure all the legs of mutton, while the
pensioner privates get only the ribs and
briskets. However this may be, the rec
ord is for long life to the pensioner after
he enters this noble monument to the
generosity of pretty Nell Gwynne. There
is one old fellow, William Merrill, late Of
the Thirty-tirst Foot, who has seen over
forty years. actual service in the British
army, and who has been pensioner at
Chelsea for nearly a quarter of a century.
lie is now in his 93d year, and is not
only as spry as many youths 20, but he
also enjoys a peculiar distinction.
lie has been chased so Chelseans re-
late, more miles by irate Thomas Carlyle,
r.
pensioners haunt the shadowy lanes and
avenues Of Chelsea for new larking
grounds at public houses, or for grateful
gossipings with glib-tongued housemaids,
and ancient Uncle William" formed a
decided tondness for red-checked serv-
ing woman employed at "A, formerly 5,
Great Cheyne Row, the home of the great
philosopher and scold. ''Uncle Will
lam" took up his station unabashed at
Carlyle'S house arca-railing until the
grizZled author of "Sartor Resartus''
could stand it no longer. He went down
to him and eXpostulated. The British
son of Mars answered in no humble
spirit. Beside himself with rage Carlyle
grabbed his walking stick and chased
Uncle William to the very hospital
bounds. The next day, serene and calm,
the pensioner was found in his accus-
toned place. Carlyle sailed forth again.
Thereafter, until the housenaid was given
her wages and a character" these daily
retreats and pursuits were offered as in
spiratng scenes to Chelseans. I'VE
could almost set our clocks by Them"
related one good old lady, land | often
thought 1t was fine exercise both for
Uncle William and Carlyle, dear souIsr
In my various wanderings in Southern
France and Northern Spain | have come
among a folk who, according to the su-
pGLSt1LlOuS DblIS1 VI OLllGT DGaSlllIfN OF
the regions are regarded as Outlawed
souls, debarred from mingling with
other humankind, because Of some old,
long ago physical curse or taint placed
by devil-leagued sprites upon their an
cestors. They live among the Pyrenees
and Aquitanian mountains and valley
countries both sides Of them, especially
in Spanish Galicia, Navarro, Huesca.
Serbia and Corona, in the French Heutes
Pyrenees, Gascony, Guienne, Poitou and
sparsely in Brittany. The strange folk
are called Cagots.
The name is derived from ca1liS GOTH
cas-, or Gothic dog. For a long time
these people We're confounded with the
Cretins, those goitered, rickety and lep-
rOus dwarts OF Northern Spain and South
ern France. But the Cagots are another
folk entirely. They have large, bony.
muscular forms, well-shaped skulls, al
most Grecian noses, tine, blonde hair,
blue eyes and fair, pInky compilations,
with large but expressive mouths and
regular, perfect teeth. 1t is believed that
the CagotS descended from the Ayran
Goths. Wherever they live away from
the Pyrenees, in France and Spain, these
marked and stunned people are vari-
ously called Calliberts, CaQuins, Cacoas
and Cahets. For thousand years they
were superstitiously avoided by all other
inhabitants near them.
They were despised, prosecuted, NAL
treated, regarded socially and legally as
outcasts, and the superstition of darker
times attributed to them all manner Of
toulness. They were believed to be
witches nuvieros, or raisers Of the storms
and tempests, the Spanish peasantry
called them. Every dark deed possible
was within their power. They exhaled
noxious odors. They bred pestilence
and epidemics. They were companions
of cats and owls, and could see in the
night like them. They were completely
and absolutely ostracized, and compelled
to live alone, or in quarters by them
selves, and in towns and cities whenever
they made their appearance they were
obliged to wear a scarlet cloth that all
others might avoid them. Down until
the seventeenth century it was not con-
sidered a crime to kill Cagot if he
offended.
Perhaps it is the wizard witchery of
! Scott, as poet and novelist, perhaps the
radiant romance Of all Scottish border
land, but you never tire of tender Tweed
vale and its sweetly-tiowing stream. You
are not the first to feel this. The old
monks loved the valley and dotted the
| Tweedside with splendid monasteries.
| Their grazing lands were the richest,
/ their cattle the finest, their grain of the
plumpest kernel, and their fruit the
! sweetest in all Britain. Tradition has it
| that the fine old apple orchards, still
| standing here, were planted 10y these