The New York herald., 1922-08-06
BY BLANCHE McMANUS.

eSN t-0 WI W 0tc-
ignate a dwelling house. On
the Mediterranean shores of blue,
villa" covers anything that might
correspond TO bungalow, a Maine
camp, a country house or just a
plain dwelling.
When We looked for a little pied
feire that should give us a resting
place between flights we came house
hunting to the paradise of villas, the
French Riviera, in climate and love-
hness sister TO California, and
historically much older and prolific
in souvenirs of the past.
AS we knew the Mediterranean
coast of blue" like the inside of
our pocket. as the Latins say, we
knew thus where to go house hunt
ing. also that the best way to salt
the tail of the homing bird along the
shore of this saltiest of tideless seas
is to dribble along in a motor car
and investigate any and all "A
Louer" or "A Vendre" signs that
any seemingly attractive and suit
able house might have placarded
upon it's face.
The windines of charming high
ways and byways are preferable to
unwinding the devious methods of
French house agencies, whose sum
mum bonum of an attractive offer
is thirty room chateau with four
garages and one bathroom-once oc-
cupied by duchess and thus sup
posedly suitable for an American
millionaire, were not for us.
We didn't even find the one bath
room when we finally came to the
loose end of a little string of road
way which tied up to the front gate
of an old time garden facing an
ancient structure perched high upon
rugged rocks rising sheer from the
sea.
The place pleased us; near enough
TO a small village for daily provision
ing needs and yet in a countryside
unspoiled tranquil for those who
cover paper with words and pictures,
but within quick motoring distance
of Cannes and Nice when one wished
social, mondaine contact.
The renting was in the hands of
Monsieur lie Notaire, French middle
man for all affairs of business, Off
cial master of all community cere-
monies. Our notary was in a neigh
boring village. We took our villa
seriously, purchasing it outright for
the very modest sum of 10000 post
war francs, the house and a hectare
(2h acres) of land, mostly occupied
old knarled olive trees.
Its very age should have dis
countenanced our villa with most
who acquire properties on this
recherche, flower garlanded coast
For this reason it was TO us like the
possession of a rare old book, the
turning of its mellow pages con-
tinual pleasure.
Just the sight of the time-vorn
parchments which We're shuffled be-
fore us at the notary's gave guaran-
ty of its pedigree, while its outer
covering, its binding as il were, bore
the impress of most of the races of
the Mediterranean who through the
ages had halted here.
The oldest end of the house was
of great, square hewn, red porphyry
rocks, which / suspected had been
filched off the paved Aurelian WAY.
which paced off the leagues from
the golden milestone OF the Roman
Forum, well preserved remains Of
which could still be traced close TO
our own door sill.
Buttressed up against this was
a middle section bearing the tool
marks of ecclesiastical architecture,
while the other side was probably
as modern as a hundred years ago.
Here was n deep loggia facing out
to sea, with square cut openings,
suitable for our rose bowls, and a
stone tagged pavement. On the gar
den front was a white balustraded