登陆注册
5239300000019

第19章 OUR FRENCH WATERING-PLACE(6)

Then, we have a commodious and gay Theatre - or had, for it is burned down now - where the opera was always preceded by a vaudeville, in which (as usual) everybody, down to the little old man with the large hat and the little cane and tassel, who always played either my Uncle or my Papa, suddenly broke out of the dialogue into the mildest vocal snatches, to the great perplexity of unaccustomed strangers from Great Britain, who never could make out when they were singing and when they were talking - and indeed it was pretty much the same. But, the caterers in the way of entertainment to whom we are most beholden, are the Society of Welldoing, who are active all the summer, and give the proceeds of their good works to the poor. Some of the most agreeable fetes they contrive, are announced as 'Dedicated to the children;' and the taste with which they turn a small public enclosure into an elegant garden beautifully illuminated; and the thorough-going heartiness and energy with which they personally direct the childish pleasures; are supremely delightful. For fivepence a head, we have on these occasions donkey races with English 'Jokeis,' and other rustic sports; lotteries for toys; roundabouts, dancing on the grass to the music of an admirable band, fire-balloons and fireworks. Further, almost every week all through the summer - never mind, now, on what day of the week - there is a fete in some adjoining village (called in that part of the country a Ducasse), where the people - really THE PEOPLE - dance on the green turf in the open air, round a little orchestra, that seems itself to dance, there is such an airy motion of flags and streamers all about it. And we do not suppose that between the Torrid Zone and the North Pole there are to be found male dancers with such astonishingly loose legs, furnished with so many joints in wrong places, utterly unknown to Professor Owen, as those who here disport themselves. Sometimes, the fete appertains to a particular trade; you will see among the cheerful young women at the joint Ducasse of the milliners and tailors, a wholesome knowledge of the art of making common and cheap things uncommon and pretty, by good sense and good taste, that is a practical lesson to any rank of society in a whole island we could mention. The oddest feature of these agreeable scenes is the everlasting Roundabout (we preserve an English word wherever we can, as we are writing the English language), on the wooden horses of which machine grown-up people of all ages are wound round and round with the utmost solemnity, while the proprietor's wife grinds an organ, capable of only one tune, in the centre.

As to the boarding-houses of our French watering-place, they are Legion, and would require a distinct treatise. It is not without a sentiment of national pride that we believe them to contain more bores from the shores of Albion than all the clubs in London. As you walk timidly in their neighbourhood, the very neckcloths and hats of your elderly compatriots cry to you from the stones of the streets, 'We are Bores - avoid us!' We have never overheard at street corners such lunatic scraps of political and social discussion as among these dear countrymen of ours. They believe everything that is impossible and nothing that is true. They carry rumours, and ask questions, and make corrections and improvements on one another, staggering to the human intellect. And they are for ever rushing into the English library, propounding such incomprehensible paradoxes to the fair mistress of that establishment, that we beg to recommend her to her Majesty's gracious consideration as a fit object for a pension.

The English form a considerable part of the population of our French watering-place, and are deservedly addressed and respected in many ways. Some of the surface-addresses to them are odd enough, as when a laundress puts a placard outside her house announcing her possession of that curious British instrument, a 'Mingle;' or when a tavern-keeper provides accommodation for the celebrated English game of 'Nokemdon.' But, to us, it is not the least pleasant feature of our French watering-place that a long and constant fusion of the two great nations there, has taught each to like the other, and to learn from the other, and to rise superior to the absurd prejudices that have lingered among the weak and ignorant in both countries equally.

Drumming and trumpeting of course go on for ever in our French watering-place. Flag-flying is at a premium, too; but, we cheerfully avow that we consider a flag a very pretty object, and that we take such outward signs of innocent liveliness to our heart of hearts. The people, in the town and in the country, are a busy people who work hard; they are sober, temperate, good-humoured, light-hearted, and generally remarkable for their engaging manners.

Few just men, not immoderately bilious, could see them in their recreations without very much respecting the character that is so easily, so harmlessly, and so simply, pleased.

同类推荐
  • 长寿王经

    长寿王经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 餐樱庑随笔

    餐樱庑随笔

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 外科浸淫疥癣门

    外科浸淫疥癣门

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 仲冬纪

    仲冬纪

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 金箓斋忏方仪

    金箓斋忏方仪

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 转运婚宠:异能小妻带回家

    转运婚宠:异能小妻带回家

    一场算计,让她背上了一个“谁碰上谁倒霉”的臭名声,可他却知“倒霉”而上!聂心悦吓唬他:“你不怕吗?谁碰上谁倒霉哦~”而他却说,“好巧,有人给我算过,谁碰上我谁就很幸运。”
  • 倾尽一生,囚你无期

    倾尽一生,囚你无期

    好朋友拿我的身份证去裸贷,我的人生变得惨痛不堪。许莫骞是救我的人,却也让我的感情从此万劫不复。爱他,是我不能说出口的秘密。当我下定决心逃离,他却又……--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 天才制造者

    天才制造者

    陈平是一个普通的不能再普通的学生,甚至是别人眼里的“废物”,但他却有一个特别的身份——天才制造者!只要是他身边的人,全都成了天才!他所在的班级,也因为他成了天才制造班,他所在的班级样样全年级第一,全区第一,全市第一。
  • THE VALLEY OF FEAR

    THE VALLEY OF FEAR

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 顾太太黑化日常

    顾太太黑化日常

    苏蔓柠一觉醒来,发现自己换了张脸,从一个孤儿一跃成为了富家千金一个月后她被家族安排嫁人了,嫁的还是有个三岁儿子的鳏夫老天爷开什么玩笑!好吧,不就是换个地方过日子嘛反正不愁吃不愁喝的,还不用承担生育之苦苏蔓柠表示,很适应婚后的生活三个月后说好的形婚呢?顾先生,您的手往哪儿摸呢!【精彩片段】某天夜里,苏蔓柠又被顾先生吃干抹净苏蔓柠(咬牙切齿):你又不戴套!顾先生:有了就生下来!苏蔓柠:你不是有儿子了么?!顾先生:那是养子,不算!某偷听墙角的萌宝(瘪着嘴):果然最善变的就是自家爹地!说好的把他当亲生儿子的呢?!PS:这不是重生文!这不是重生文!这不是重生文!
  • 绝世神帝

    绝世神帝

    中洲大陆三国鼎立,乱世纷争,人族势微,少年从大秦帝国边陲小城而出,走进天才如云的学院,踏入权贵遍地的帝都,鲜衣怒马天龙榜,一战成名天下知,北御魔族,西抗妖族,他的名字注定要永远镌刻在人族的光辉历史上,这是人族的时代,也是白枫的时代。
  • 重生:守护天使的诺言

    重生:守护天使的诺言

    “我们分手吧。”没有理由的一句话,顿时碎了他的心,在川流不息的马路边,在纠缠中,世界顿时一片红色。“从今天开始,忘记在人间的一切,在我身边。”上帝念她善良,她成了天使,可是她仍心念着在人间的他,于是,她和上帝做了个约定,以一年为期限,来界定他们能否在一起。她认识的他,从王子变成了恶魔,没有了过往的记忆,虽然他们之间有层层阻碍,但她仍相信,只要有心,他,她,还会在一起……
  • 重生之嫡子长媳

    重生之嫡子长媳

    她为了他寻找到宝藏,却被他的妻室推进崖底,许是老天怜她,时光回到一切还未发生时,这一世,她却不会再让他如愿,目的,毁了那古墓,她要让他痛不欲生!
  • 青眼影沉沉

    青眼影沉沉

    透过彼此的眼眸,我们看到了通往幸福的方向。幼年失去亲人的赵萧君迫不得已寄居陈家,和小五岁的陈家独子陈乔其一起长大,可谓是亲如兄妹。英俊、深情、专一却又任性的陈乔其苦苦纠缠赵萧君,而她却不敢正视这段不被世人接受的感情。最终,她被陈乔其的执著所感动,愿意扛起世人所有的指指点点,选择和他在一起。然而世事比想像中的更残酷严峻,流言蜚语、无数的暗流飞箭、现实的压力,终于使她瓦解崩溃,匆忙浑噩间嫁给了事业有成、优雅沉稳的成微。可是故事并没有这样就结束……一份弄假成真的情,一份青梅竹马的爱,将三个人卷入纠缠与纷争中,而赵萧君又该何去何从?
  • 初三(7)班

    初三(7)班

    周雨歌没想到中考后居然还要训练。中考三天前结束了。高中的学姐昨天打电话到她只剩不足十元的手机,那时她待在家里舒服的空调房里把脚跷到桌上喝着冰的饮料发呆。两星期后要打比赛,初一新生也会来集训。下午两点半,这时的太阳眯着眼睛,阳光从深绿色长满灰尘的叶子间钻进来,定在铺着黄色地砖的人行道上,风来到这里的时候一切都在抖动。周雨歌出门前带了一把很旧的小黄钥匙,那是初三(7)班班门的钥匙。