New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-11-27
THE BRETON GENTRY.
THEIR PURPOSELESS LIFE AND IHEiH
CONTEMPT FOR THE PEASANT

From The London Globe.
It is ritc saying mat onG-haf The world d9ss
not know how The other half lives II IS appIGa,nIe
probably to the ordinary Engishman ~, a7e
OF the NE Of foreign county Try G ,hnt we alone
OF all nations thoroughly understhhd tl' ar vi
To- underratc tho efforts Of foreigners In that arcs
ton. And TO a certain extent v. are i'rY', n,die
turbed peaceful leisure peaceful that Is, IN tne
sense Of freedom from the social upheayais Wn'CS ~
rings h.r. in France az least. But Brittany is &C,
knowledged to be behind the times IN an tnlhsS; 'i
follows aturally that Shc mas pe'il 'pu'i'l!
backward in adopting the true democratic spirit
OF the r.puncah cou'tS o ~ mora Inference shown
10 the quality or to what does duty for the quah'y
fm,ill,.s tn whom to show respect the peasant has
yreedy seized such outward ana NlSloIe S'sl9 W
o'q,t' y n5 who wishes to be convinced Of his
fact drive ride or even walk dcccnty ci9d TO ne
~ nj ndocd II n" is not convorted Every cap VIII
he dofei rs ne passes an accol1ihs 10 nncoyrr
I'm response II is rather curious. by inc way. 10
house YOU are begged to keep your hat on should
YOU as YOU naturally would. have iah'n u on
and your host hostess would feet hurt II you re-,
fused You viii not be asked To it but you WE
be requested to "coNcr yourself. ana 10 Nt7.e
the cider or maybe the crepe" az the peasants
call those wonderful buckwhoat cakes rs big round
as a grndstonc and as thin ms a Wal"r; IT..
dripping with butter. Won must eat crumpled up as
You might crumple your handkerchief rms ~ me
10 continue. How is this dcfcrental attitude 81
and solely as their due If eyer any one Wra nD
obiectesson I'm minor d"sr"H OF tne utI 'n ii
Of the lower classes tn" 'c4ialllr. Y 1o' ,,,iI
ct IT here. And T. n" ever icIt SuIP'no, -" ,t,
rising Of the masses and az INC h1rce ,S
gentry treat the p"asantiy to us" a t'iF.t nh,
sion Ike tho dirt beneath Their rect Hnu N w.,
is more. the oourgeosie In the towns aphs l"' ~,
bctfers follow suit. II IL impossible 10 give IN
words the contemptuous accent lald on me VOL
denote an inferior species in the same sort Of way
that the term dog" Is employed I'm acrlp'ur..
paysan?' ne Viii ask as If intimate that in that
case. the individual might possibly ne known &c, 10
him. but IS far too much beneath his notice LOT MN
As the shopkccper. so the gentleman. IN greater
degree The latter. il is true. may consent 10
shake hands-aIl Brcons are STeht mt ' n .n
nlrt Win his daughter. should she happen TO Ia
cornely: but thus far and no furthef mere ere 9s
MS tween an old-fashioned squire and the theis
OF the soil whatever their degree. In Worn Dr-
tween the gentleman. that is, the baron count g,
there is great gulf hXed. ana II Is linpasSaoiiT
The peasant may be well-to-do. may even be vel
educated. but he remains peasant Inc writer
once asked gentleman who owned ifw nou,aas ,
and complained Of having too Few WY NJ , uu W., ,o
ask we-to,do yeoman neiShuor, VINO ",fo T H.,
answer was: What; WIN a p,asal niu ,so
look which accompanied the words spoke Noluhe9.,
lovaIiv If he is nothing else. AZ least he IS
Royalist When the President passed through
Ouimper last summer there was out one repre-
sentative of the resident gentry 1t the station 10
greet him. and that one only came because ne eN
pccted 10 be decorated I'm this he was disappolnt-
cd. So probably. there is now not even one IN the
neishoorhood who is not Roy9si IN inis there
we're FOR the most part descendants OF the ola
district within The knowledse Of the presen writer
there are several individuals whose faLGers, an an
desirable de" to their names without leave or Il
cense. The real old families naye IN 700 r1ang
the level OF notarios small auctone"rs ana IN"
like In ono country town. for instance, there IS
branch OF family whose younger branch IS repre-
sentod oy one 81 the nohlest names IN france,
Even those who have 10 a certain extent re aimed
their status are living IN very stralt"ned ctcurn-
stances. Thus there is baron whose ant les
fought in the Crusad"s VINO has 20 exc ot his eN-
istence on some 80 year owing principay u
properties and tho crushing 10 per cent death duty
1t is owing TO this tax. perhaps ina the Hr'.on
not sufficiently large estates to occupy NM yer ne
has his chateau and small estai" bringing nm
ing his livelihood II he has as much as tl."r
year he IL considered rich. Sometimes he mas
hugo oIergrown chAteau. without an acre or land,
"a his share in the division. while his brothers have
parcels Of land in which case his condition IS not
iiowe,cr be he roh or be he poor he cannot. ns
wnh ui ,ul, ,s5or9 n The hoari ~ snar,liars
or in any oihcr of the avenues Of like nature
which open 10 an Enelishman IN me same pGs IL
own resources a. XIII time. Much 81 this he o.
day he sallics ont with his gun and his 'chiens
he in pursuit Of he very limited amount o. game
which the poach-r has left him BlackMrdS'
tbrus1pe and such small deer beneath ms no.
tice contrary to the popular idea. II IL diihcult
10 decide whether most 10 admire his pertinacity
in such bootlesS pursuit or to wonder at his per-
However no seems 20 enjoy IT, and goes about il
I'm q lghthearted. DOyish fashion. Few English
men would care 10 walk as he does on cup OF fra
or coffee and 4 slice Of thin bread ana butter from
\ O'Clock TO T.. Then follows dAiNuner at farm
or roadside "auberge." the materials having been
sent from home. He then goes on walking MI
dark. sometimes without having once discharged
his gun the whole day. Still, without ia chase
profitle~s though II he. the time would indeed
hang heavily his hands. For the rest. he il a
frequent Or Of the cafe and the poor apology Tor 4
club which his local town affords. where he alnuses
himself with cards. gossip cigarettes and ''petits
verres" or society know Il in the country
there is none. Garden parties are conspicuous ny
their absence. while balls and dinner parties seem
10 form part % the programme Win solemn
perio teal calls society begins and ends. For re-
, lief from this dulness he flies to Paris. when ne
money is spent he comes home TO recoup himself
The life Of the Breton lady in the country must
he 'frstc" 10 degree Fo. her there is no IA
rhasse." even II she desired il. She has no Yet
arrived at the emancpa ton of her athletic sister
hood in England; nor would such state or things
win the approval Of her lord NO one likes the
society Of ladies' better than 10. in its right
place Breton gentleman was overheard 70 say.
hut that Is certainly not a Ia chase Possibly
the latter would hc deprived of half is charm n
I, lid not give several hours Of freedom from the
domestic mcnage which bores Breton Den"-
Dict What then does my lady do Her life re-
somblos that ~ our great graudmothors I'm sim
liar position to a certain extent. in thai she "a
principally occupied with her housekeeping. with
attending - culinary affairs aud with the making
~ divers corrections. For the rest, swcetmodts
and fiction.
4 PATH THROrGH ARCTTc ICE.