The Christmas kalends of Provence and some other . at his very best. Above all, his noelsare local. His background always is hisown country; his characters—Micolau thebig shepherd, gossip Guihaumeto, T6ni,Christdu, and the rest—always are Proven-gaux: wearing Provengaux pink - borderedjackets, and white hats bedizened with rib-bons, and marching to Bethlehem to thesound of the galoubet and tambourin. Itis from Avignon, out by the Porte SaintLazare, that the start for Bethlehem is madeby his pilgrim company; the Provengal musicplays to cheer them; they stamp their feetand swing their arms about
The Christmas kalends of Provence and some other . at his very best. Above all, his noelsare local. His background always is hisown country; his characters—Micolau thebig shepherd, gossip Guihaumeto, T6ni,Christdu, and the rest—always are Proven-gaux: wearing Provengaux pink - borderedjackets, and white hats bedizened with rib-bons, and marching to Bethlehem to thesound of the galoubet and tambourin. Itis from Avignon, out by the Porte SaintLazare, that the start for Bethlehem is madeby his pilgrim company; the Provengal musicplays to cheer them; they stamp their feetand swing their arms about, because themistral is blowing and they are desperatelycold. It is a simplicity half laughable, halfpathetic—such as is found in those Mediaevalpictures which represent the Apostles or theHoly Family in the garb of the artists owntime and country, and above the walls ofBethlehem the church spire of his own naive local twist is not peculiar toSaboly. With very few exceptions all Pro-vencal noels are packed full of the same de- 112. THE PASSING OF THE KINGS tbe Christmas K<)l^na$ of Proocnce lightful anachronisms. It is to Provencalshepherds that the Herald Angel appears; itis Provengaux who compose the bregado,the pilgrim company, that starts for Bethle-hem; and Bethlehem is a village, alwayswithin easy walking distance, here in Pro-vence. Yet it is not wholly simplicity thathas brought about this shifting of the sceneof the Nativity from the hill country of Judaeato the hill country of Southeastern life and the look of the two lands havemuch in common; and most impressively willtheir common character be felt by one whowalks here by night beneath the stars. Here, as in the Holy Land, winding wayspass out from olive-orchards, and on acrossdry reaches of upland broken by outcrop-ping rocks and scattered trees and bushesand sparsely thatched with short dry the silence will come now and thenthe tinkle of sheep-bells. Sometimes a flockwill
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookpublishernewyo, bookyear1902
