. Our home in Aveyron : with studies of peasant life and customs in Aveyron and the Lot . two white-robed figures were strug-gling with refractory tripods, which would slip onthe polished floor; and presently out of two win-dows overlooking the road there peeped the brasstubes of the lenses, the rest of the apparatus beingconcealed by the curtains being cunningly pinnedover them. Just below the window was a bridge over a purlingstream, and a rude wooden cross leaned half againstthe bridge ; and the procession was expected to pauseat this cross, which bore some special repute. Thesound of the c
. Our home in Aveyron : with studies of peasant life and customs in Aveyron and the Lot . two white-robed figures were strug-gling with refractory tripods, which would slip onthe polished floor; and presently out of two win-dows overlooking the road there peeped the brasstubes of the lenses, the rest of the apparatus beingconcealed by the curtains being cunningly pinnedover them. Just below the window was a bridge over a purlingstream, and a rude wooden cross leaned half againstthe bridge ; and the procession was expected to pauseat this cross, which bore some special repute. Thesound of the chanting drew nearer, accompaniedwith the tramp of many feet, and soon the proces-sion, of some hundreds of people, came in view. Firstmen bearing a banner, inscribed Marie, protege vosenfants ; then peasants, three and four abreast, cladin their best black blouses and soft, black, wide-brim-med hats, the effect being somewhat marred by themen keeping their hands in their trousers-pockets,which bunches the blouses up unbecomingly; thenthe young men and the small boys, the latter march-. A RELIGIOUS PROCESSION. 15 ing sturdily along, as if highly conscious of the im-portance of the proceeding; then the priest in hiswhite robes, preceded by the crucifix, and, book inhand, leading the chant; then the little girls, andbehind them the bigger girls, the young women,then the matrons, and, last of all, the old women, allneatly and tidily clad. As they passed the cross,the priest bowed and crossed himself, and theinstantaneous shutters clicked, and the lenses caughthim in the act. The faithless curtains became unpinned, and re-vealed our instruments, so that every eye was up-turned. I was horribly afraid that I was doing-something irreverent and repugnant to the taste ofthe people ; but every face wore a pleased and con-scious smile, and there was a general involuntarystraightening up to look their best; so that my fearswere dismissed. We got them again upon theirreturn, and then we noti
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, bookpublisherlondonwblackwood
