The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1901-01-31
CHRISTMAS IN A FRENCH cHArEAU
Extracts from a personal letter.

SAAS>AS = MAY AN a cAGN~a VuA11AO.
EXTRACTS from personal letter.
PARIS, Jan. 4, 1901. The Christmas
holidays spent out at the old Chateau
de Montaire. L. has probably told you
about our visit there. The castle for
merly belonged to Henri w.
Madame de Baronne asked me to join
her house party, and l enjoyed every
minute OF it. On the oath they gave a
dinner ito all the poor of the country.
Men, women and children in their bright
colored peasants costumes were seated
at long table in the coach house, and
afterwards Nine. made them a speech,
and distributed gifts and partly worn
clothes.
Christmas night we had costume ball.
| had hired my costume in Paris at
regular costumers for $40. and so was
fright in it," 1 selected that of Mar
quis at the Court of Louis XIV, for the
beard was not fashionable at that time.
At eleven O'Clock the ball opened with
reception in the Grand Saloon. Nine.
La Baronne stood in front of the huge
fireplace with her brother. They wore
costumes as Italian prince and princess
of the last century and received us all.
Then, after half-hour's conversation,
we marched into the Salla darmes, the
marble floor of which had been waxed
for dancing. At o'clock the entire
company passed out into the dining
room, where over hundred chairs were
placed around the oak table.
The candles were not lighted, as the
birch logs, six feet long, in the fireplace
made the farthest corners of the hall
bright with red glow
At a side table were the various re :
tanners of the castle-the steward and
his wife, who have been there for fifty
three years-the Marie of the village,
the post master, the school master, the
cure, etc, all of whom l enjoyed talking
with during the evening, quite as much
as with the guests and with the people
who had come down from Paris. | took
out to dinner the daughter of one of the
directors of the French railroads. and
on the other side of me was the young.
/ est daughter, Violette, whom L will
! remember There is no use in telling
you of the good things we had to eat
OF to drink. Suffice it to say that the
/ old wine had such an effect upon the
brother of the Baronne, that when the
toast to "Absent friends" came ht
jumped up, interruptiDg the man who
was speaking, and said he wished tC
drink to the most beautiful of all girls
absent or present Then turning to me-
he continued all the terms of course il
| French, Je bois a mademoiselle-la
charmante Americana" OF course |
had to say something in reply, but il
wasn't difficult ON that subject.
Towards the end the company got
very jolly and friendly, and the plumed
hats and swords waved in the air while
the vari-colored costumes and powder
ed wigs were well set Off in the flicker
ing fire light against the paneled walls
from which looked down the portraits
of real kings and queens.
We danced for another two hours, and
then the guests having taken the early
morning train for Paris the little group
of twenty of US who remained for the
house party took our candles, each
one, and marched up the grand stair
way, to separate on the landing for an
hour or two's sleep before daylight. As
they knew my weakness for historic
things they had given me as usual the
Henri ~. room, and l slept in the very
bed under the gold lace bed-covering
which served his French majesty about
twenty years before our Pilgrim Faith
ers landed at Plymouth.
The next day we visited the park, ETC.,
and played billiards. The following even
ing they drove me down the long ave-
nue. of over mile which leads through
the property up to the castle and left
me at the station. A half hour later
as L was travelling towards Paris in the
train, / got a last view of it's walls and
turrets glistening in the moonlight
covered with white hoar frost-the
nearest approach to winter one gets il
this French climate.