Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-09-06

long survive. An enterpr15ing Ameri-
can. living in Rouen. thought he saw
a future ahead of him in the intro
duction of washboards, 80 he laid in a
large supply. which ware all left on his
hands and the fumes of boiling I've still
proclaim TO ones nostrils when 1t is
wash day. A large SPACE in the eS-
position is devoted 10 showing the |
primitive methods of housekeeping and |
farming in France in the old DAYS, but
TO an America the present methods |
seem primitive enough TO be put on
exhibition. large proportion of tho |
prizes at the exposition are to 90 TO |
American exhibitors at the award.
soon TO be made; it is said. about |
1900 in all. of which about hundred |
will be grand. or gold prizes. The |
majority Of those will be given to |
manufacturers Of heavy tools and ma
chinery.
Yesterday was general holiday in
France, the fete of the Assumption,
and services were held in all the |
| churches. In the great cathedral, one
of the finest in Europe, the scene was
| quite magnificent. The sunlight shone
through the beautiful painted windows
| and lighted up the graceful clustered
columns that were draped with rich old
| tapestries representing Biblical sub
| jects. The services were closed with a
procession OF choristers and clergy
along the splendid aisles. They were
led by two imposing sacristans,
| gorgeously arrayed in scarlet, with
wide cooked hats heavy with gilt
btaid, and white plumes: behind came
| priests bearing rich banners, the arch
bishop in crimson robes and golden
1 h. Sd, III DC
bearing on theif shoulders the gilded
reliquary, set with jewels, claimed to
enclose precious relics, among them
piece of the veil of the Virgin Mary.
The candles shone on the, high altar
and incense clouded the long aisles.
The west front Of the cathedral is
being repaired and its architectural
defects are hidden behind lofty scatfold-
ing but the most beautiful part, the
Butter Tower is fortunately IN.
touched 1t is thus named because it
was partly built with money that was
paid for the leave to eat butter in Lent.
The spire that once covered the great
central tower WAS destroyed by lightning
in 1922 and replaced by one of iron
which quite spoils the outside view Of
the cathedral and is truly 1.-THE greatest
trial it has to bear.n In the treasury
under the North Tower IS keEt one of
the most remarkable historic relics in
Rouen, the shrine, oil Fiente Of st.
Roman, which remains as token of
cherished privilege held by the clergy,
that of annually liberating from the
iails prisoner who had been con-
demned to death, along with his accom-
, pllces, If he had any. The origin of
this privilege goes back to legendary
| Il IL E..
some dragon, dwelt in the reedbeds of
the Seine and desolated the county
around about by dining on several per.
SONS each day, until finally the then
} bishop, st. Roman, taxing with him as
! a bait criminal under death sentence,
J iured it from its lair and made the sign
, of the cross over it when it obligingly
allowed him to tie his stole around its
. neck, drag it to the river and drown
it. In recognition of ST. Roman IS
! service the clergy of the cathedral were
allowed the privilege each year of re-
t leasing prisoner, as the saint released
D the one who assisted at the destruction
: of the "Gargouille. In all these years
r there were doubtless some worthy men
j released, but the records show that
9 many deeply dyed Williams received the
y privilege, and, let us hope, led better
4 lives The prisoner was chosen by a
l. delegation of clergy who we're given
s the keys CT the prison and allowed to
visit the cells privately and interview
the criminals. Kneeling before a
j. orucifix, each swore to tell the truth
o about his crime, the dispositions were
y written down, and the one was chosen
e by vote, after which a feast was held,
y then public procession in which iht
| 49, 10 rala 4 oh a..
q the ieweled and gilded shrine contain
a ing the relics of the saint, until h,
is reached small chapel which still
y stands, and which was built solely fo
10 this annual ceremony. Here bis chain
Is were struck oil and he was free man
t. This Anticipated custom, along will
Or many others was abolished by the up
n heaval Of the Revolution. Al the doc
st of every church sits licensed heggar
I'd often blind one, who, on the ap
40 proach of footsteps rattles a sou in hi
~ metal cup as an invitation to others h
i'd come and jingle beside 1t. If one i
no dropped in it is promptly pooketed an,
IN the lonely tingle is started again.
o. The old church Of st. Ouen is tn
or finest sample of later Gothic in exist
On enoe; the clustered slender shafts Q
o. columns spring straight from the pave
ne ment and leap upward In unbroke
n lines to the groiDed arches Of the roc
IN and give sense Of soaring height an
,ff beauty as one looks up to the grea
IT. windows above the cleretory wher
IT. the images Of saints in colors tha
To- shine like jewels are set in exquisit
ne silvery glass, through which the ligh
n falls like moonlight. There is onl
he just enough masonry to lie behind tb
IN vaulting shafts and the whole wal
nd seem made of glass. The 600 yeal
lis that have rolled over it have tinte
'se arches and columns soft rich gra,
by In the font OF holy water near the doc
an the lofty arches and gorgeous window
are reflected and seem to sink
In fathomless depths. The courteous an
in picturesque old sacristan told US thf
IN John Ruskin used often to stand /
ire this font and gaze at this reflection
J The sacristan, by the way, claimed
rly be descendant OF the famous oil
No Norman, Jacques Cartier, who explore
of Canada.
am Rouen is a city OF churches; the
are seem to have them to spare for the
nts are several exquisite old church towe
Ia standing alone, the rest of the edifit
nts having been turned to other uses
is torn down in order to straighten Il
street. Victor Hugo truly describes
RS, as 1.-THE city Of old streets ard tower
loh debris of disappeared races, CITY of
the bundled bells, carolling in, the a
it'll whose forehead is bristing with spire
fly that tear necessarily the mists OF Il
OF sea. There are famous Old paint,
ork windows'in the churches whose exter
Id is 80 plain that it gives no hint of Il