London Central Secondary School - Golden Glimpses Yearbook (London, Ontario Canada)

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48 with a dairy, a mill, and several small rustic hamlets. The people in these hamlets did the simple farming but often the Queen and her Princesses amused themselves in the dairy making butter and cheese, chatting with the humble folk, studying their opinions and their simple language. It was a complete rest after being hedged in by the monotonous conventions of the French court. The Petit Trianon was a fabul- an ex- ously expensive toy for travagant woman, but it will re- main through the ages as a token of the of the former grandeur French Court.-Emily Illoorc IIE! From a Sidewalk Restaurant in Paris Since it is five o'clock let us take a chair outside the Cafe de la Paix and watch the people go by, for when all is said and done these out- door cafe chairs in Paris give it its highest charm. VVe see a stream of people,incessant and ofincredible density, all walking at the same pace, all talking as only the French can talk, rich and poor equally owners of the pavement. Now and then a Camelot offers a toy or a picture postcard, a performer bends and twists a piece of felt into every shape of hat, culminating in Napoleon's famous Hchapeau at comes. One thing that one notices is the absence of laughter. The dominant type of face seen from a chair at the Cafe de la Paix is not a happy one. Around and about one all the time, as one watches this pan- orama, the swift and capable waiters are busy. Paris may be a city of feminine charm and domina- tion but to the ordinary foreigner it is more a city of waiters. Still the people stream by. Look at those two long-haired artists from the Latin Quarter in velvet cloaks and black sombreros. In Canada they would be stared at and laughed at, but here no one is laughed at and it is interesting to note how little street ridicule there is in France. Individuality is encouraged and nourished. There is such a variety of types. The busy, capable girls and women shopping-their pretty uncovered heads all so neatly and deftly arranged, and their bags and bask- ets in their hands, the chair THE REVIEW N o d t e r e P a D r i m s e the mender blowing his horn, Htondeur de chiers with his mournful pipe and box of scissors, the brisk errand boys, the neat little milliners with their band- boxes, the business men with their inadequate portfolios. Paris as a spectacle is perpetually new and amusing. The foreignness of Paris never decreases. Every sound is foreign, every costume, every walk, every facade. From the women with no hats to the butchers who frankly sell nothing but horseflesh -everything is foreign. So from a chair outside a cafe we catch a glimpse of the real charm of Paris, one of the most fascinating cities in the world. --E. Harvey EIU Montmartre Paris has many quarters, each with characteristics so sharply de- fined that every true Parisian boasts that, if he could be dropped by parachute from an aeroplane anywhere within Paris he would instantly recognize the quarter in which he found himself. For tourists, ofcourse, these quarters are identified by special monuments. One of these, Butte Mont- martre , is identified by the Sacre Coeur, which with its opalescent white domes dominates a great city. This church, of remarkable size, was built on a hill-top after the war of 1870. The streets of Montmartre are peopled with historical, literary, musical, and theatrical ghosts. There lived on Rue de Chaussee d'Antin Baron Danglars, one of the villains of Monte Cristo, the banker whom the Count of Monte Cristo contrived to ruin. It was on this same street that Mirabeau, a distinguished statesman during the French Revolution. died. Here also Napoleon met Josephine de Beauharnais for the Hrst time, whose influence secured him his appointment in Italy. In the Rue de Bruxelles Zola, the great French realist of the nine- teenth century, worked hard to earn his living, he was sometimes so impecunious that he was obliged to pawn his coat and trousers, and stay home and work in his shirt. Nearby, Gounod composed masses, and the Ave Maria which are still sung in our churches today. Now these ghosts have vanished and these same streets are throbbing with living masses. Artists set their easels anywhere along the streets, painting unmindful of passers-by. Along the Boulevard de Clichy is the home of the night restaurant and cabaret which change con- tinuously. At one time Le Rat Mort is most frequented, then its popularity wanes, and gives way to ' Le Caveau Caucasien, oriper- haps Le Fetiche. No matter what may be said of these, there can be found genuine and distinct- ive art in the Montmartre cabaret. Montmartre is a city within a city and one of the most interesting parts of thewonderful city of Paris. -Rita Gilles DEI Versailles Versailles, the palace built by Louis XIV., is the epitome of grandeur and extravagance. It was constructed twelve miles from Paris and opened with a magni- ficent fete which was attended by Queen Marie Therese and Queen Anne of Austria. It is surrounded by miles of park which are a triumph of imagination and art- istry. It seems almost impossible that the great expanse of woods and flower gardens, with great lawns and ponds, a canal a mile long and large fountains, was once a mere sandy waste. Although, says a writer of the day, it has not the great size that is to be remarked in some ofHis Majesty's other Pal- aces, it is charming in every respect, everything smiles within and with- out, gold and marble vie with one another in their beauty and bril- liancy .... Its symmetry and the richness of its furniture, the beauty of its walks and the infinite - I Continued-on page-98

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days. The wise onlooker protects his face from flying pellets with a mask, as do the judges, and wears a cape with a high frilly collar to protect his ears from the blaring, clashing bedlam of many bands. There is, however, surprisingly little drunkenness, although wine flows freely. The streets are crowded with flower sellers. The air is thick with confetti. For days after one seems to leave a little trickle of it wherever one goes. King Carnival knows no restric- tions. Do as you please is his motto. Yet there are conventions even amid confetti showers. The masquer must disguise his voice as well as his face and preferably assume the costume of opposite sex. Carnival time is the gala. occa- sion of the Riviera. -Frances Copeland ED French Customs Any newcomer to France would find life so utterly different from that of other countries that it would take some weeks of readjust- ment before one felt really at ease. Thrift is an outstanding trait in a Frenchman. Comfort costs money, and to the Frenchman com- fort seems transient, while money is not, and the cheapest thing with which to pay is his own skin. For this reason he forfeits good plumb- ing and heating and mourns aud- ibly over a small hole burnt in an old rug or tapestry. Nor is food ever wasted. A French cook can cover a medley of unappetizing scraps with a heavenly sauce and make it a dish fit for the gods. No one ever leaves food on his plate, for besides it being a dread- ful waste it is an insult to the culinary arts of the hostess. The housewife in France is responsible for every little detail. She must attend to the process of cooking a dinner, even if she has a cook, as closely as though she were doing it herself. She must listen patiently to the account of the workman who repairs the stove on the temperamental character of that object. Besides this she watches her children's studies, helps them diligently in their homework, and makes herself their constant companion. Another distinguishing charac- teristic of a Frenchman is his THE REVIEW exquisite manners. Shop keepers and clerks manage to show a flatter- ing deference to their customers without losing any of their own dignity. Youth looks up to middle- age but never speaks to an older person with What would you do if you were young? In France the gentle art of con- versation still flourishes. It would be an insult to ask one's dinner guests to play cards after dinner or to go to the theatre. At any rate it would be superfluous for con- versation flows freely and delight- fully. The French feel that it should never develop into a lesson or an argument. Altogether the French are a charming people, thrifty without being mean, conscientious, tactful and exquisitely polite and enter- taining. -E. Harvey UU Le Petit Trianon Le Petit Trianon fLittle Castlej is to-day a touching memorial to Marie Antoinette. It was the gift of Louis XVI to his Queen when she asked him for a place of retire- ment where she could lay aside her duties and cease to be Queen. The Petit Trianon was one of the most perfect and graceful and delicate creations ever designed. It was situated in a retired nook in Versailles park, well out of sight 47 of Versailles and yet conveniently near. It was no larger than a country mansion of to-day and was furnished in an unostentatious manner. everything d e n o t i n g privacy and ease. The Queen pro- duced fashionable plays and comic opera there for her amusement and that of her friends. The boudoir for social amenities and amusements was the centre of the house. The panelling was of carved and gilded wood and there Were soft silken hangings. The prevailing colours were cream, delicate cherry and pale blue. It was designed for pleasant, intimate gatherings by a woman in the springtime of life. It was a doll's house whose win- dows looked out upon beautiful lawns and gardens. Marie Antoi- nette desired a natural garden and so engaged the best known horti- culturists to build it for her. This garden was to contain within its four square kilometres a reproduction of the whole of nature. T h e r e were French, Indian and African trees, Dutch tulips, a lake, a river, a mountain and a grotto, a roman- tic ruin, Greek temples, Dutch windmills. In this garden of nature the Queen spent the most enjoy- able hours of her life and even the King came only as a guest. In one section there was a com- plete miniature farm, equipped l-L'Opera 3-La Madeleine 2-L'Arc de Triomphe 4.-Tomb ol' lNapoleon

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A Trip Through the Black Forest Everyone touring Germany wishes to take a drive through the Black Forest. This trip is espe- cially delightful on Sundays, when you can see numerous parties of bicyclists and hikers or gaily- dressed peasants going to their little hidden churches. As we travel along, we see on both sides of the road countless shrines, where some lonely trav- eller stops to pray. Old monas- teries and the ruins of monks' dwellings are hidden in the loveliest places of the earth, where the monks of old chose to meditate. On the way, we pass through many little villages, each boasting of its own exquisite setting. Offen- burg, with its neat gardens and picturesque homes, Elzach, with its medieval gates and an old fashioned church, and Freiburg, built on a hill and running into the forest. As we are driving along, we ,stop to see a peasant procession. The girls are wearing waists embroid- ered with beads and flowers, wide velvet skirts and wonderful head- dresses. At last we come to the Lake of Titisee, the popular Sunday resort. From Feldberg, near the Titisee, it is possible to view the Alps from Zugspitze to Mont Blanc. From Feldberg we pass through the home of the Black Forest fur- niture and the famous cuckoo clocks, and arrive at Lake Constance. Constance lies on a piece of land jutting out into the lake. During its nine hundred years it has woven many legends into its history. From here we take a trip over the lake to Lindau. On the way, the medieval castle of Meersburg is seen with its draw- bridge and famous cemetery. Not much further on is Friedrich- schafen, the home of Count Zep- pelin, and its mighty airship fac- tories. From here we pass through one green meadow after the other, going in front of large open win- dows, through which we see smiling girls making toy dolls. From now on, we pass over count- less bridges until we come into Munich, the end of our journey. TI-IE REVIEW Editor-Kitchener Hartmann U Q Germany ' The Legend of Falkenburg The baron of Falkenburg swept down from the hills, To rob and to pillage, to plunder and burn,' He suddenly heard the sweet sounds of a bell, That made him stop, listen and turn. He elimbed the church tower, cut loose the bell, And swiftly returned to his lofty stronghold. The priest coming home from his mass late at night, Stood silent with wonder at the tale that was told. Our hero,-no coward, swathed him- self in a cloak, And toiled up the mountain, a long weary trek, The baron, annoyed and dismayed at the sight, Seized the poor man, tied the bell on his neck. He dragged him out into the dark- ness nearby, And sunk him quite deeply in a watery well, After the horrible deed he fell ill, And heard on his death-bed, the sound of the bell. German Marriage Customs The civil marriage in Germany usually takes place the day before, or early in the morning of the same day as the religious ceremony. Several couples are married at the same time in the church. There is a fee for the organist and decora- tions, but none for the minister. The bridegroom fetches his bride in a richly-decorated carriage, and takes her to the church. The mar- riage vows are similar to those in our country. At the end of a very long sermon the bride and groom exchange rings, for in Germany both the men and women wear rings. These are usually worn on the right hand. The bridal wreath must partly be made of myrtle, because this is the emblem of 49 brides in Germany. After the wedding dinner, the newly-married couple slip away, unnoticed by the rest save for the bride's parents, and go on their honeymoon. In past years it was the custom to break crockery at a wedding and to celebrate for a couple of weeks afterwards. In this case the couple stayed home and entertained. At the end of this time they would then go away on their honeymoon. -Kitchener Hartmann EIU The Dragon and the Maid Long ago, in a dark deep cave high up on the Drachenfels in the Siebengebirge, there dwelt a hor- rible monster. He held the Rhine valley in a state of terror, and even the Roman legions shuddered in their sleep, when they dreamed of him. Since his favourite and daily meal consisted of tender human beings, he used to drag his scaly length out of the cave and creep into the villages in search of lunch. A brave general decided that, in order to protect the valley, he would supply the dragon with a daily menu of human victims. One day two centurions dragged a lovely young maiden up to the cave. When she stood in the sunlight, revealed in all her beauty, the sol- diers became very jealous of the dragon and arranged a iight to see which one should win her as his bride. The general was quite annoyed, and feeling himself duty- bound to feed the dragon, he led the girl mercilessly towards him. The whole mountain shook as the dragon came forth roaringly. The trembling maid held high her cruci- fix. The dragon halted, turned to flee, and dashed himself into thou- sands of wriggling pieces against the rocks below. -Dorothy Phillips UCI Christmas Customs in Germany The celebration of Christmas in Germany is indeed a wonderful event. Every family has a Christ- mas tree decorated with the finest of blown-glass ornaments. Shiny red apples and gilded nuts are set about the stem, so that it is not noticeable. There are really three days of celebration.