Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1912-01-24

was an invitation to a real Ola Fieno-
chateau in the country The owners
were an American artist and wife who
had lived in Paris about fifteen years
We were met at the station by
quaint old peasant and a carriage as
quaint and as old as himself. After
driving through several miles of
golden grain studded with brilliant red
peoples and blue corn flowers, we
came to a one-street village winding
around a high stone wall and entered
Immediately the atmosphere of the age
of chivalry. The high stone wall was
more trustful than in by-gone days,
for the heavy iron gate stood always
open. We drove into a garden court
shaded by tall chestnut trees. A great
hall opened with French doors into
the court. Our hosts came out to
greet us and were such Warm-hearted,
charming Americans that they made
these days some of the happiest of our
trip.
The house was about 500 years old
and proved to be as medieval look
ing inside as we had hoped The
floors downstairs were tagged. Each
wing was built with the upper story
at a different level, so in going
through the winding halls it was nee
essary to keep ones eye on the floor
as sometimes an unexpected step led
up and sometimes down
In front the French doors of the
large hall opened onto a stone terrace
facing about five acres Of lawn, hedged
with a great variety of old trees
It was the most beautiful landscape
garden we had seen At the side a
long avenue of linden trees led to
kitchen garden inclosed by a stone
wall All the fruit trees were planted
against the north wall and tied up
like vines to get the south exposure
There was the most glorious moon
light while we were there. They drew
the piano up to the French doors and
our evenings were spent on the ter
race overlooking fairyland, while a
young musician played for us the soft
dreamy music of Beethoven.
A French play was given in costume
one afternoon out in the garden. In
stead of moving the stage scenery the
audience picked up their chairs and
moved the house" The first scene
was on the stone terrace and the next
two down under the linden avenue
One night we played Halloween and
hung large paper lanterns on five-foot
poles We marched down among the
old forest trees before the moon came
up and our weird lights bobbing in
and out among the dark. gloomy
shadows made the creeps come over
the Irish side of my nature. They
showed us the old moat around the
chateau and the place where the draw
bridge had been. We came back to
our garnet in Paris" feeling we had
been royalty entertained
We went to the opera also and feel
satisfied that we did better at the
box window than buying through a
broker. They showed us the floor
plan and we chose very fair loge seats
for $140 each. We learned by ex.
perience to go early, stand in line
hurry to the entrance door of the loge
and tip the concierge quickly in order
to get the front seats, as the six seats
of each loge are unreserved.
On the whole. we enjoyed our econo-
MIXING and felt drawn closer to the
real French people. Many Americans
who go to Paris manage to see more
of their own countrymen than any
one else, and this is not strange, for
Paris is full of Americans in summer,
not counting the $4,000 who live there
the year round.
Walking along the boulevards one
hopes to see a member of the exclu-
sive Faubourg San German. You
often see beautifully gowned women
approaching and, while at the highest
pitch of expectancy, you suddenly real
ize they are speaking American" and
the accent-well, it sounds like Mon
tana.
l once read the story of a man who
rushed into an American club in Rome
and cried ooh come quick! Look
out of the window"
What is it?" said several at once.
why, it's an Italian coming down
the street"
JANE TEAL