Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1921-09-08
COUNTY
GIRL IN FRANCE
Extracts From a Letter From
Mrs. Glenn Bartlett Mac
Curdy, Now Residing in
An Old French Town

The following interesting descrip-
ton of what a Fulton County girl
sees in her present home in an old
French town is given to the readers
of the Tribune through the courtesy
of Mrs Jennie Bartlett of the Wau-
seon High School Faculty and is
taken from a recent letter from Mrs.
Bartlett's daughter, Mrs. Grant
MacCurdy, better known to the citi-
zens of York and Clinton Townships
as Glenn Bartlett, whose husband DR..
George Grant MacCurdy is now in
France for the purpose of establish
ing an International School of Au-
ithropology:
Villebois Iiavalette,
(Charente) France,
July II, 1921
Dear Mother:
1t is just two weeks yesterday
since we reached here. The wea-
ther is ideal, somewhat cooler than at
home, and very cool nights. 1t is
so dry that figs and mulberries are
dried on the trees. There was a rain
in April, the only one since last
December, so everything is suffering
Villebois is a ve1y interesting old
place, nestled around the foot of
hill on the top of which perches the
chateau built in the years between
600-1300. Part is in ruins, but the
house was restored about 1900 and is
now owned by Count de Fleuri. The
old Roman walls and chapel are still
standing, the cement between the
stones harder than any modern work.
The portcullis has been replaced by
a gateway, but the outer gate is still
as it was originally. Our little home
is just below it on the hillside, built
in 1900 to serve as a school for the
girls of the chateau and other noble
mems daughters. The walls are
more than two feet thick and some of
the floors of tiles. The woodwork is
beautiful and the furniture is lovely
old hand-wrought. Our stove is dis
covered by opening a door in the wall
where are four pits in which little
iron charcoal containers repose
There is space also for rows of cook
ing utensils.
From the second floor we go to a
tiny terrace, high above the street
to our garden. Just above it is the
old court of honor" or tournament
grounds. We watch the sunsets at
8:45 from there. Then the moon
floods the whole countryside with
light 1t is quite hilly and the all
is so clear that we can see for miles
1t is beautiful with woodland anC
ripe wheat fields, and occasiona
, villages with red tiled roofs. Tht
peasants are SO picturesque in thei
black dresses in the fields, gatherin,
1 Sio =
a Mccormick reaper to which ar
The war took practically all tn
horses from the country and most 0
the cattle too.
e We have excellent food. TIL
French understand cooking as n
/ | other people do. We go b.
2 donkey cart about two miles to tn
t 'diggings" and have luncheon an
dinner nearby, where we have lat
ratory.
: The Blois have a fine old place @
four hundred or so acres. 1t ha
! 1een in the family for five hundre
o years. The ancestors used t
gather all the taxes and grain frol
The Duke Vassels.
The house is built partly on an ol
Roman wall and the holes frol
i which stones were cast down al
= very evident. They have beautifl
IL old family furniture and silver, O
70 July 4th they gave very speci;
le Inner for US Of course we ha
another celebration on the 14th +
fhe people are most cordial to u
/ Americans are greatly in favor hel
II
- We have found a quantity of inte
4sting Monsterian implemen
100000 years old, and bones of e.
= 5inct animals which they ate, but /
> human skeletons thus far.
@ In August we are going to Il
x cave of the Dordogue and later to tt
french Pyrenees. &. The wi
lowers here are lovely. Who
rs ields are blood red with Flande
III )oppies, and there are wild larkspu
,r Clematis and Sweet Peas. II
Is country is so beautifully kept, ju
el ike a big, public park all the W;
n from Cherbourg to Villebois- Love
u cite. There are so many fores
es md the roadsides are lined with tire
ne md hedges. The roads are Iii
oavements with their old Rom
. foundations.
A trench about 10 inches wide a
= swo or three deep is dug from t
I road to every tree to give it the e
Z ;ess moisture. Everything is und
! cultivation and every tiny sto
! louse has its flower garden wi
5. vines and roses over the doorway.
! The prettiest little girl of abo
Z eight, in black dress and white ca
J. nerds her flock of a dozen geese
Z low US.
/ The little boys all wear bla
i oelted dresses over their suits
: school. 4
! We found a tiny oriole one
1 and fed him worms until his fatt
Z and mother came and spirited h
4 AWAY. He was very tame