New-York tribune., 1903-04-20
ROSIERE.
Il Charming Custom IN French
Village.

John F. Macdonald, in The Saturday Review.
Once a year NJ. le Marie is nervous. troubled.
Once wear NJ Ie Marie shuns the society of the
Montmorency villagers. Once a year NJ le
Marie gathers around him his five Oldest ana
most intimate friends; who like NJ. lie Mare
himself, are nervous troubled. And TINS, hoI
merely for a day, yet for week; but Tor an
entire month. All. the state of MOntmoTeilcy
at this strange season! Nervous and troubled
become the villagers: on the cobbled square, at
doorways in the shops, they hold little meetings;
And they whisper. And they ask, LaqueiIe:
And when NJ. le Marie and his five frlendS ap-
pear. the villagers closely scrutiniZe their races.
Inscrutable, however. those faces M lie Mare
is another sphinx; fixed and stony is the express
sion of his five colleagues. Hush. they pass!
They are gone, they have disappeared. lnlo
the Marie: and there long sittings huis clos.
Necessarily, huis clos. Imperative, the
huis clos. For NJ Marie and his five friends are
determining which is the most CnSeltish, the
most charitable the most virtuous, me tne hiGSI t,
perfect young woman in the community the
young woman who most deserves the annual
prize Of 800 francs and the pure title OF Rosiere
Heavens. the anxiety of the position! Think
we have actually to single out the most virtuous
maiden in this most unusually virtuous com
munity No less than seven candidates present
themselves-so competition No fewer than
seven young women lay claim TO perfection-so
too much perfection. Impossible to divide the
prize: NJ. le Marie and his five friends must,
therefore, choose the paragon OF paragons-
Which them o which? Well. according to Nine
Gallois her daughter. Mile. Jeanne, should
be named Rosiere. Ellie est bonne, bonnie,
cries Nine. Gallois. Ellie est douce, douce.
Enfn. monsieur, CeSt ange' And Nine Gal
lois sends NJ. lie Marie and his five colleagues lit
tie offerings of vegetables and fruit; and Nine
Galois is for ever putting Mile. Jeanne IN the
path of NJ. le Maire-and never was Mile.
Jeanne's expression naive, so demure. How
ever Mile Germaine is also "un ange." And so
is Mile. Marie: and SO. again, is Mile. Angelo;
and So once more Is Mile. Yvonne And the
mothers of all these paragOnS present NJ. le
Marie with offerngs-so they tremendously
provided with vegetab abes and fruit. But all the
time the judges remain solemn, inscrutable;
again and again they shut themselves up in the
NTaf~ -i,,aI hafOr 4En
However. rumors. I. for my part. convinced
that Mile Angelo is perfect; but Nine Gallois,
proud mother Of Mile. Jeanne would disflusion
me. Mon pauyre monsieur" she cries, "Vous
vous trompez." Heavens-is Mile. Angelo a
hypocrite. a serpent, the worst woman in Mont
morency? Says Mime. Gallofs: She is sly, sly
And /, already troubled, must also hear that
Mile Marie and Mile Yvonne are deep deep"
And l, now nervous and dizzy, urged to ask
Mile. Georgette what she was doing in Paris
Monday last. All. Mile. Georgette the blonde
that cruel, that haunting insinuation. l would
believe in you; 1 do believe in you that it is
publicly announced that you have an old. old
aunt in Paris But Nine. Gallois still suspects
YOU Nine. Gallois actually shakes her fist in
your mothers face. And your mother lodges a
complaint at the Marie; and many mothers
are at war. Scowls and scowls; sneers and
sneers Feuds and feUds: who knows, perhaps
a Veritable vendetta in MOntmorenCy? But
the day approaches. Opposite the station the
cabmen and donkey boys are betting on the
probable result. Each one has his favorite.
Each one refers to her as the blonde" or the
bruno" the rousse' And they bet the
seven most perfect young loiter in the
neighbOrhoOd of the Mairie-naTve. demure. The
last sitting a huis clos, Hush the Judgment
Alas, Nine. Gallois, you have offered fruit and
vegetables in vain. Although she took train to
Paris on Monday last Mile Georgette. the
blonde, is proclaimed the most perfect of the
many perfect young women in MontmOrency
and-Rosere.
Flags flying the Marie and over shops, and
from poles: and also shields high with the
motto. "Liberte. Egalte. Fraternite" A hol
day: the villagers in their best. And before the
Marie. a crowd Alas in the crowd. / hear
Nine CallOiS teri de-
clarfng, And yet she in Paris Monday
last" They shrug their shoulders: they sniff
they laugh. But their daughters-p gOps in
deed!-are blithe: and smile: and say Have
you seen Georgette? She is exquisite" And X
quisite she is when she issues forth from the
Marie on the arm of NJ le Marie; exquisite is
Mile. GeOrgette, the blonde in her pure white
dress, white satin slippers. white lace veil, with
a wreath of white flowers in her hair. And NJ.
le Maize is proud of her: NJ. le Marie in a coarse
ill-httfng frockcoat and great top hat, who
guides his fair charge slowly and sedateIy tow
ard the church. Behind them. the mother and
father Of Mile. GeOrgette-old wrinkled peas
ants, but happy. happy. And then NJ le Mares
five friends and the garde champetre Gn his best
blouse). and the villagers-a long procession.
And so. slowly and sedately across the cobbled
square to the village church.
A short service. and Mile. Georgette receives
the cur4's benedction. A brief sermon in
| honor Of Mile, Georgette. And 1t is pleasant to
see Mile. Georsette. the blonde. with her eyes
cast down. and her wrinkled old parents beside
her, with their eyes-proud, shining eyes-f1xed
on NJ le Cure on high Down the aisle, the
arm of NJ le Marie, comes Mile. GeOrgette-Ro-
siere Would that Mile. Georgette might pause
little longer in the doorway of the gray old
church; all in white. smiling blushing the
arm OF NJ le Marie! Charming Mile GeOrgette,
the blonde; may all the good wishes of NJ. le
Cure be fulfilled; in his words. may you always
be true to yourself may you and yours always
be happy But before the church, is q brass
band. the band of the fremen OF Montmorency;
ard after a sign from NJ le Marie. the band
strikes up. Advance. Mile. C1eorgette. March.
1remen OF Montmorency. Across the cobbled
square goes the band; and Immediately behind
it walk Mile. Georgette and NJ le Marie. and
then the old wrinkIed parents, and NJ. le
Mares five friends. and the garde cham
ire and the six next most perfect young
women in the village; and the peasantry Of
Montmorency. Down narrow streets, up hills,
through lanes. the procession passes. Heavens,
the music. Heavens, the merriment- Heavens,
the a1niabiIity of NJ. le Marie. He is evidently
in fine fornl-for Mile. Georgette is laughing.
And she too is vivacious and talkative; looks
I'D into NJ le Mares face, smiles up at him.
And So all over Montmorency; on and on and
hack again with music all the time, until the
hand halts before cottage door. Smallest of
cottages: Mile. Georgettes poor home And here
Mile Georgette thanks NJ. le Marie, and thanks
the five friends And here NJ. le Marie kisses
Mile Georgette on the forehead, and here also.
The six next most perfect young women kiss
Mile. Georgette in turn