Legends and Lyrics-1 [2]
to Madame B., who said she would like it
very much, and we had better go, children and all. Some of the
servants were already gone. We rushed away to put on some shawls,
and put off any shred of black we might have about us (as the
people would have been quite annoyed if we had appeared on such an
occasion with any black), and we started. When we reached the
farmer's, which is a stone's throw above our house, we were
received with great enthusiasm; the only drawback being, that no
one spoke French, and we did not yet speak Piedmontese. We were
placed on a bench against the wall, and the people went on dancing.
The room was a large whitewashed kitchen (I suppose), with several
large pictures in black frames, and very smoky. I distinguished
the Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian, and the others appeared equally
lively and appropriate subjects. Whether they were Old Masters or
not, and if so, by whom, I could not ascertain. The band were
seated opposite us. Five men, with wind instruments, part of the
band of the National Guard, to which the farmer's sons belong.
They played really admirably, and I began to be afraid that some
idea of our dignity would prevent me getting a partner; so, by
Madame B.'s advice, I went up to the bride, and offered to dance
with her. Such a handsome young woman! Like one of Uwins's
pictures. Very dark, with a quantity of black hair, and on an
immense scale. The children were already dancing, as well as the
maids. After we came to an end of our dance, which was what they
called a Polka-Mazourka, I saw the bride trying to screw up the
courage of her fiance to ask me to dance, which after a little
hesitation he did. And admirably he danced, as indeed they all
did--in excellent time, and with a little more spirit than one sees
in a ball-room. In fact, they were very like one's ordinary
partners, except that they wore earrings and were in their shirt-
sleeves, and truth compels me to state that they decidedly smelt of
garlic. Some of them had been smoking, but threw away their cigars
when we came in. The only thing that did not look cheerful was,
that the room was only lighted by two or three oil-lamps, and that
there seemed to be no preparation for refreshments. Madame B.,
seeing this, whispered to her maid, who disengaged herself from her
partner, and ran off to the house; she and the kitchenmaid
presently returning with a large tray covered with all kinds of
cakes (of which we are great consumers and always have a stock),
and a large hamper full of bottles of wine, with coffee and sugar.
This seemed all very acceptable. The fiancee was requested to
distribute the eatables, and a bucket of water being produced to
wash the glasses in, the wine disappeared very quickly--as fast as
they could open the bottles. But, elated, I suppose, by this, the
floor was sprinkled with water, and the musicians played a
Monferrino, which is a Piedmontese dance. Madame B. danced with
the farmer's son, and Emily with another distinguished member of
the company. It was very fatiguing--something like a Scotch reel.
My partner was a little man, like Perrot, and very proud of his
dancing. He cut in the air and twisted about, until I was out of
breath, though my attempts to imitate him were feeble in the
extreme. At last, after seven or eight dances, I was obliged to
sit down. We stayed till nine, and I was so dead beat with the
heat that I could hardly crawl about the house, and in an agony
with the cramp, it is so long since I have danced."
A MARRIAGE
The wedding of the farmer's daughter has taken place. We had hoped
it would have been in the little chapel of our house, but it seems
some special permission was necessary, and they applied for it too
late. They all said, "This is the Constitution. There would have
been no difficulty before!" the lower classes making the poor
Constitution the scapegoat for everything they don't like. So as
it was impossible for us to climb up to the church where the
wedding was to be, we contented ourselves
very much, and we had better go, children and all. Some of the
servants were already gone. We rushed away to put on some shawls,
and put off any shred of black we might have about us (as the
people would have been quite annoyed if we had appeared on such an
occasion with any black), and we started. When we reached the
farmer's, which is a stone's throw above our house, we were
received with great enthusiasm; the only drawback being, that no
one spoke French, and we did not yet speak Piedmontese. We were
placed on a bench against the wall, and the people went on dancing.
The room was a large whitewashed kitchen (I suppose), with several
large pictures in black frames, and very smoky. I distinguished
the Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian, and the others appeared equally
lively and appropriate subjects. Whether they were Old Masters or
not, and if so, by whom, I could not ascertain. The band were
seated opposite us. Five men, with wind instruments, part of the
band of the National Guard, to which the farmer's sons belong.
They played really admirably, and I began to be afraid that some
idea of our dignity would prevent me getting a partner; so, by
Madame B.'s advice, I went up to the bride, and offered to dance
with her. Such a handsome young woman! Like one of Uwins's
pictures. Very dark, with a quantity of black hair, and on an
immense scale. The children were already dancing, as well as the
maids. After we came to an end of our dance, which was what they
called a Polka-Mazourka, I saw the bride trying to screw up the
courage of her fiance to ask me to dance, which after a little
hesitation he did. And admirably he danced, as indeed they all
did--in excellent time, and with a little more spirit than one sees
in a ball-room. In fact, they were very like one's ordinary
partners, except that they wore earrings and were in their shirt-
sleeves, and truth compels me to state that they decidedly smelt of
garlic. Some of them had been smoking, but threw away their cigars
when we came in. The only thing that did not look cheerful was,
that the room was only lighted by two or three oil-lamps, and that
there seemed to be no preparation for refreshments. Madame B.,
seeing this, whispered to her maid, who disengaged herself from her
partner, and ran off to the house; she and the kitchenmaid
presently returning with a large tray covered with all kinds of
cakes (of which we are great consumers and always have a stock),
and a large hamper full of bottles of wine, with coffee and sugar.
This seemed all very acceptable. The fiancee was requested to
distribute the eatables, and a bucket of water being produced to
wash the glasses in, the wine disappeared very quickly--as fast as
they could open the bottles. But, elated, I suppose, by this, the
floor was sprinkled with water, and the musicians played a
Monferrino, which is a Piedmontese dance. Madame B. danced with
the farmer's son, and Emily with another distinguished member of
the company. It was very fatiguing--something like a Scotch reel.
My partner was a little man, like Perrot, and very proud of his
dancing. He cut in the air and twisted about, until I was out of
breath, though my attempts to imitate him were feeble in the
extreme. At last, after seven or eight dances, I was obliged to
sit down. We stayed till nine, and I was so dead beat with the
heat that I could hardly crawl about the house, and in an agony
with the cramp, it is so long since I have danced."
A MARRIAGE
The wedding of the farmer's daughter has taken place. We had hoped
it would have been in the little chapel of our house, but it seems
some special permission was necessary, and they applied for it too
late. They all said, "This is the Constitution. There would have
been no difficulty before!" the lower classes making the poor
Constitution the scapegoat for everything they don't like. So as
it was impossible for us to climb up to the church where the
wedding was to be, we contented ourselves