Evening star., 1900-09-29

all interspersed with such appeals as Lord
Jesus, have mercyp' in ornamental Gothic
text.
This man was imprisoned twenty years,
released lived on and died, all shortly be-
fore the discovery of America; yet each
scratch and half-finished mark remains as
clear today as though he had only just been
interrupted at his carving. Here are also
marks Of quick and desperate efforts to cut
away the stone sides of the doorway which
held the heavy bolts; but these were never
finished, as he must either have seen their
uselessness or have been persuaded to de-
sist.
Thus Wolfram acquired an Immortality
that no one will envy him. Several memoirs
have been made of him, the old dame Gus
todian says, although the writer has never
been able to come on one of them. Saving
his identity and the touching relics of his
occupation, little certain is known Of the
prisoner of Gisors. There are ten books
about him, and they are all false" says the
old lady. Dwelling always on the spot, and
having the prisoner always in mind, she
has her own idea of him, all unhampered
by facts AS one reclines upon the grass
of the old ramparts and listens to the old
wife's tale of love and jealousy, it seems
better to remember than the alleged discov-
cries of historians.
In the aerlier afternoon an orchestra had
played in the park before the castle en-
trance. 1t was the music, or the fanfare, of
the village, made by amateurs, who tore off
waltZeS, marches and romances from the
operas with cheerfuness and generosity.
dozen old men sat around, rather chat
ting than listening. Three country girls sat
hand in hand, giggling. One hundred and
seven children, from three years to six,
played tag around the music We never saw
SO many children in France before. The Pa
risienne was scandaliZed. This was the
music of Thursday afternoon. But when
the twilight came there was no CHEEKY gath
ering of the population in a town beer gar
den, there to drink and listen, as you would
find in Germany. The town growing
silent Certainly the French country people
take their pleasures sadly.
Normandy Lanes by Moonlight.
1t is the right hour for exploration of
the country and a return by moonlight
through the lanes of Normandy. The Nor
man carts, which sit so high and roll along
with such jolly humping, are not unlike
the dogcarts once popular with us at home,
except that they are larger. AS we jog
along the air is clear, the sky is red the
cowbells tinkle through the fields, and each
small incident along the road takes on a
pleasant significance
There fields of oats so red with poppy
flowers that 1t seems not to have been
worth the cutting. They look like tulips,
but are much more deiicate-So delicate,
that they wither in hour when plucked.
These pretty poppy flowers are character
istic of the Norman landscape in midsum-
mer. Housewives make a tea of them for
toothache and sore throat. Poppies are
cultivated much here for the Paris chemical
market to which they are sent for the eX-
traction of their opium. Indeed the Nor
man farmer is the handiest. most resource
full person | have ever come He
raises poppies for their opium He raises
flowers to sell to perfume manufacturers
sometimes making the perfumes himself,
with his own homemade alcohol. He Idis-
tills applejack from his cider. Everywhere
the landscape is marred with tiny factory
himneys-factories owned and worked by
farmers their farms
There are other fields that are red, white
and blue. The white is made of the ripen-
Ing wheat. the red is that of poppies, and
the blue is due To the presence of millions
of blossoms of the weedy bluet, corn
flower
A feature is the country tavern. The ma
tive beer is dark, sweet and bitter. 1t IS
sold at cents quart. In the bar parlor
is a printed card with the French law
against drunkenness. After two formal con-
demnationS for scandaous and public drunk
enness (mere committals do not COUNT the
offender, ipSo facto, incurs the following
disabilities: G) Loss of his vote: (2) may not
be voted for: CD may not serve on a jury;
"a may not exercise any administrative
faculty, such executor of will: 90 loses
his right 10 carry arms. All these are for
a period of two years. The actual punish
ment for first offenSe is mere reprimand
or nominar fine, from 20 cents to dollar
For the second offense it is a months i'm
prisonment, with maximum fine of $40.
The dog cart rolls through the fair fields
of Normandy in the long twilight, still al
most light at 10 pm. Then, In your bed
room at the Grand Hotel de rEcu de
France, instead of going Immediately to
sleep, you may institute a great flea hunt
because the stables are beneath these
rooms, and the Intelligent insects climb up
the sheer wall to you.
STERLING HEIIIG