The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-01-02

ne A4lllle bdTFel must nave lHpHSiil
 that in this story, at least, the author
 had allowed himself to be carried away
 by his contempt and hatred of the type
 he described. As a matter of fact sucf
 deliberate cold blooded and eowardly
 murder was actually planned and car
 ried out ir recent years in the Maupas-
 sant country. In this easel heard all
 the particulars described as good joke
 and smart piece of practice--the vic
 tim was a man, and the poison used
 was absinthe. The purchaser of the re-
 version used to invite his annuitant ev-
 cry day to the cafe and played cards
 with him for drinks, always managing
 to lose. The result was that the annu-
 itant killed himself with drink. In the
 true story, however there was a Nem-
 esis for the murderer, for in toasting
 his victim he, too, had destroyed his
 health and he only survived to enjoy
 his plumber for a few months. But the
 peasants who told me this story omitted f to draw any moral from this fact.
 The same ferocious egotism displays
 itself, as far as have observed in the i Norman peasants every act Although
 an affectionate parent, he has no feel
 ing for his parents nor for his brothers
 and sisters. Of this had repeated evil
 dence. In one instance I heard peas
 ant being urged by his wife to step a
 few yards out of his way on his re- turn from the neighboring market town l and, to visit his elder brother who, it 1 was reported, was dying. Let him die 1 like 8 dog" he answered. Tt has ' nntIill n d.a r,t;tb s,,,, ,nt nt,,r,
 to flag myself to go visiting him. Quill
 creve, si cela 1ui plait" All this in the coarsest language I ascertained that there had never been any quarrel be- l eween the two brothers The ill-treat-
 ment and starving of parents who have been foolish enough to make donation
 of their property, in return for board
 and lodging, to their children, are of course as common in Normandy as in any other part of rural France.
 All over the territory of the French republic marriage is looked upon pri- rnarily as q business contract, with
 which sentiment or affection has little
 or nothing to do. Tn Normandy this
 view of the sacrament of marriage is even more pronounced than in any
 other province. Here also De Maupas-
 sant has not in any particular over drawn his pictures, Allow me to de- scribe q wooing and a wedding of two Norman peasants which | watched from inception to conclusion. I was staying at the time in village inn, and ane day heard In the village that the landlady's daughter--let us call her Mademoiselle Celestine-was going to be married. Whilst Celestine was serv- ing my dejeuner that day I asked her if the news were true "Oh, yes" she said, I've arranged 1t a day or two ago. Who Is fe?p l asked, not hay ing seen any follower on or near the premises. You haven't seen him." she said he has only been here twice. and she told me that he was q grocer in q small way in the neighboring town asked her, "Do you love hm?n and she laughed and exclaimed What q stupid question. have only seen him twice. Love him? Of course not es teem him. He seems all right" She went on to say that he lacked in per- sonal distinction, But that doesn't matter" she added, we'll distinguish him..
 Her mother that afternoon told me how the young man had asked fer her daughters hand. "He came into the cafe, she said, land asked for jug of I cider. Whilst I was serving him he said, thought you had some daugh- 1 ters.' Only one here now answered, ! the other one is married And the | one that Is here-I have seen her. I ! thfnk--is she disposed to get married, | too? Because I am wanting Il wife | You see I'm in business--here is my | card-and want q wife to help me ana | to look after the house. I should like | to marry your daughter We'll I said. It's very proper and respectful of | you to address yourself in the first 1 place to the parents, but, of course, I 1 can't give you an answer until I have | consulted Celestine herself. She is not | very well to-day and is lying down. But if you will wait, I'll run up stairs, | tell her what you want and try to get her to come down So I went up stairs into Celestine's bedroom and I said: My daughter, a young man has called fo ask me If you would care to marry him. He Is waiting down stairs. Oh, tell him to go to blazes,' said Ce- estine, and turned over on her side. old her I couldn't take back such a message, and then she turned over again and asked what he was like In he end she agreed to get up and come Town to just have a look at him and hen a talk. It seems that he suited Ter, and having settled the conditions he marriage has been fixed for six weeks from now, just the time necessa- y for us all to get our clothes made for he wedding"
 A few days later I was introduced to he fiance, and went out for a short l walk with him. "Of course" he said, I could have got a girl with some honey. In fact, there was proposed to ne a girl in this village who has got l wo thousand dollars. But I fancy Ce- l astine is a good worker, and will help ] ne to push my grocery store along md she isn't bad-looRing, either As l 0 what gossips in the village say about l : CT. I don't care half-penny." I may add that the wedding took lace in due course accompanied by | Z he usual revelrles and facetiae. I ( ave frequently seen the young menage ince in their home, and I must admit l hat this marriage of reason' prom ies to turn out much happier one In l ( very way than many marriages of ointment" which I have seen. J,> 41, ll. L. 1