New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-05-28
BY THE RH0NE
A Delightful Sheaf of Travellers
Letters.

IN THE RHoNE COUNTRY. BY Rose G.
DID. x, 307. +. p. Dutton & CO.
II the average travel book OF to-day is
rather dull and melancholy affair it is
for the reason that 1t is written with
malice aforethought. The calculating
tourist explores some land of romance
chiefly to make a profitable volume out
Of it-with pictures. 1t is, therefore, n
peculiar pleasure to come upon such
pages as Miss Kingsley has written,
pages quite spontaneously recording the
impressions Of traveller who rambled
from Lyons to Mines merely for love of
landscape. architecture and the French
people. Her letters home disclose knowl-
edge of an historic region, an acquaint-
ance with art and its monuments. but
they contain what is even more precious.
the spirit of place, interpreted with true
feeling.
For example, we have been in Miss
Kingsley's company for scarcely ten min
utes when at Lyons she turns from the
great architectural relics of the past to
the interests Of the people to-day. 1t is
good to learn that her experience has,
as she says. given the lie TO all that one
| is so glibly and ignorantly told OF the
decay Of faith in France. and the empti-
ness Of French churches" On one occa-
sion she sat in an open ram car and
wondered why its usually hurried de-
parture was delayed The driver was
waiting so that he, with numbers Of
humble folk standing about, might share
| in the benediction presently bestowed by
the venerable Cardinal Archbishop of
Lyons as he passed in his modest
| brougham. Continuing with reference to
the survival of religious feeling in France
she says:
has led me day after day into churches
great and small. whether for the purpose
Of studying their architecture or for
precious and restful moments Of medita-
ton In tho busy day. be it Sunday or
weekday one finds that the church is
never empty. Man or woman, It matters
not which. is always there before one.
And on Sundays there is constant stream
| OF worshippers from earliest mass to
evening benedction, young men and old;
private soldiers in blue and red; solid
| within the sanctuary at high mass; lads
who stand quietly in the aisles and kneel
devouty on the. pavement at the eleva-
ton; throngs Of women old and young
rich and poor. SO that at high mass one
has to be in good time IL one desires 10
get seat near the front OF the congrega-
| ton
IN every direction Miss Kingsley's oh
servation led her to take a singularly
friendly and appreciative view Of condi-
tons In the France Of to-day. She found
the people happy In their churches, and.
by the same token. happy in their bar
racks Her hrief glimpses here and
there Of the general sentiment regarding
military service show that the latter is
accepted with admirable temper by all
classes. Obviously. this traveller
touches the most diverse subjects with
perfect sympathy, but certain predilec-
| tons of hers count heavily, Of course IN
the unfolding Of her informal narrative
! She is a devoted student Of architecture
and she has a passion for flowers One
OF the best If her chapters is that en-
titled Roses and Rosegrowers" and de-
scribing visits to several Of the leading
wizards in French rose culture She
WAKES fairly ecstatio over some Of the
types she was privileged to see in ideal
| circumstances and one kindles to her
fervor. 1t Is amusing to note. by the
way. that this clever lady. who can
write so we'll about roses. can also give
us really charming account of the wine
cellars she visited at ST. Peray
OF her architectural notes It NAV he
said that while they are brief and make
no pretence to authority they are fun
OF understanding and give the reader
vivid sense Of the beauty of many nota-
| bic edif1ces. Most Of these are to be
sure, very familiar. but she writes Of
them with engaging freshness, and in
some instances draws attention 10 build
ings whose merits are not perhaps
known save to the specialist. We are
especially grateful for her note on the
Hotel de Vile at Beaucaire a charming
Renaissance structure OF which she Of
fers. too. capital photograph. The
illustrations in this volume are indeed
of unusual merit. well selected and well
printed. A carefully written appendix
embodies suggestions for an automobile
tour in Provence which Americans go
ing abroad this summer would do well 10
consult. Altogether this is "A capital adj
dition 10 the minor literature of travel
-