The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1921-01-06

and looking for the nrst
time upon the ancient towers Oh
Toulouse, may well wonder whether
they are indeed old, so modern is
the appearance of the red brick, after
the gray-gold stones Of the Roman
Provence. Old, nevertheless, they are,
though differing in style, as in color,
from any thing to be seen In other
parts of Paris.
The Toulousain gothic has char
acter all it's own; for the true spirit
of northern architecture-thato of the
soaring line-never became indigo
nous here, says writer In the Christian
Science Monitor. These southerners
accepted it only as a fashion OF the
day, to which concessions must be
made; that granted, they proceeded at
cnce to modify the style, to suit the
local traditions Of a people that at
heart loved a horizontal line better
than an aspiring one. So they de-
clined to build interior vertical pill
lars-which, moreover, needed large
stones and were very expensive-and
instead they threw great vaults over
wide spaces, broke up their towers
into bays, generally mingled, In "a
very curious fashion, the spirit Of the
gothic and the Romanesque. These
are points that strike one about the
great cathedral Of st. Sernin in Tou-
louise, the largest and finest building
Of the southern style that Is to be seen
in France today.
Cathedral Of St. sernin.
As usual In churches hereabouts,
the building Is dark, being lighted by
windows behind the triforium, and not
from a clerestory above. The Roman
esque manner did not relieve its main
walls by distributing part Of the
weight along flying buttresses to the
aisles; therefore it dared not build
them very high, nor weaken them by
piercing large windows. Toulousain
congregations, however. never cared
for much light within their churches
There was already more than enough
without.
Very interesting was my walk round
the church, with the sacristan beside
me, a handsome, kindly man, gentle
and courteous, yet with a certain dig
nifty in his manner, as Of one who
though In a humble station, knew vel
how to command. liked the quie
flrmness with which he rebuked thu
old women who would chatter tot
loutlly In the transport.
As we did the round Of the churcl
we talked together. He told me hov
5 deeply he cared for knowledge ant
learning, how much he regretted tina
such things meant so little to so man.
l people of his country. "They are liz
ards who love to. lie in the sun; ant
II Is the sun we must blame"-h
smiled at his jest-"if my fellow
townsmen are neither savants no
/. workers, and are too idle to follow q
7 the idea that their minds seize upo
: 30 quickly. That is why when W
e have energy we do so well. / ga
often that some Of our best president
:, nave COme-nr. II dilcIcS uLAohS ehVh
] from the left bank Of the Garonne.
And with bow the sacristan left mi
/, to continue my studies" He was tn
h most eloquent Of the many who hav
deplored to me the meridional di
inclination to hard work. There Is
proverb extant: "The men Of the MID
). use what the men Of the north pr
{ duce." The men Of the north, SUI
;, pose, produced that proverb.
o Houses are Fascinating.
After the churches-perhaps eve
before the churches-her renaissan<
hotels are the greatest charm {
Toulouse. And by "hotels" mea
houses, not hostels. Certainly the
\ are most fascinating. both as spec
j mems Of architecture Of their tim
and as affording an idea Of the ma
nificence In which the merchal
princes Of that day lived. Almost a
styles of renaissance are to be see
! from that Of the Hotel Po-nuv-trars