Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1895-12-26
A uRIVE THROUGH PROVENCE.
Plan. Trees and Poplnrs Picturesquely
Frame tho Roads.


Frame tho Roads.
In The Century, Thomas A Jan
vier describes n notable performance
he witnessed given by the Comedie
Franchise in tho old Roman theatcr
at Orange. Mr.. Janvicr gives tho
following description of drive
through Provence:
1t was ) in the afternoon when we
got away from AvignOn. A mistral,
the winter banc and summer bless
ing of Provence, was blowing brisk
ly; the sun WAS shining; the crowd
ed Cours dc In RCpubliquo was gay
with ilagS and banners and stream
CrS and with fCstoOnS of ColOred Ian
terms, which later would be festoons
of colorcd fire. We passed bctweon
tho towers of the gateway, left ram
parts behind us and went onward
over the perfect road. Plane trees
arChCd above us. On each side of
the road wcro little villas dccp set
in gardens and bearing upon their
stone gatCpOStS the names of saints
AS wo increased our distance from
tho city We came TO market gardens
and then to vineyards, olive or
chardS, farms. Rows of bright green
pOplarS and of dark grccn cypress,
set up as shields against the mistral,
made formal lines across tho land
scapc from east to west. Tho hedges
on the lee Sido of the road wore
white with duSt-a iaCcliko effect,
curious and beautiful. Above them
and between the trees we caught
glimpSCS Of Mont VentouX, already
beginning 10 glow like a great opal
in the nearly level sun rays. Old
women and children stood in the
gateways staring wonderingly at the
long procession of vehicles of which
our carriage was part, all obvious
ly filled with pleasure seekers and
all ineXplicablo. Pretty girls, with
out stopping to wonder, accept |
with satisfaction so joyous an out
burst of mcrrymaking and unhes,-
tatingly gave us their smiles
We crossed the little river Ouveze,
and rs we mounted from it to the
northward the tower of the ruined
Chateau-n"uf du Pape came into
view. a new key was struck in
the landscape The broad, white
road ran through n brown solitude
"a level upland broken into fields
of sun Drowned stubble and of gray
brown olive orchards, and then far.
ther on through high, desolate
plain tufted with sagebrush, whence
we had outlook to wide horizons far
away. Off 10 the eastward, cutting
against the darkoning sky, was the
curious row Of sharp peaks called
the Rats Teeth. All the range OF
the Applies was taking on a deeper
gray. Purple undcrtones were be-
ginning to soften the opalescent fire
of Mont Vcntnux.
Presently the road dipped over the
edge of the plain and began a do,
scent in perfectly straight line,
but by very easy grade, of more
than mile. Here were rows OF
plane trOcS again, which, being of
no great age and not meeting over
the road, We're most noticeable as
emphasizing the perspective And
from the crest Of this ACTIVITY, down
the long dip in the land, at the end
of the gloom of gray white road lying
shadowy between tho perspective
lines of trees, we saw rising in som
Der mass against the purple haze of
sunset, dominating the little CITY
nestled at its base and even dwarf
ing the mountain at it's back, the
huge fabric of the theater.