THE CHRISTMAS KALENDS OF PROVENCE ***
Produced by Amy Cunningham, Suzanne Shell and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
[Illustration: "'TO THE HEALTH OF THE COUNT!'"
See p. 32]
The Christmas Kalends of Provence
AND SOME OTHER PROVENÇAL FESTIVALS
* * * * *
BY
THOMAS A. JANVIER
SÒCI DÒU FELIBRIGE
AUTHOR OF "IN OLD NEW YORK" "THE PASSING OF THOMAS" "IN GREAT WATERS" ETC.
_ILLUSTRATED_
* * * * *
HARPER & BROTHERS PUBLISHERS
NEW YORK AND LONDON
1902
Copyright, 1902, by HARPER & BROTHERS.
_All rights reserved._
Published November, 1902.
TO
C. A. J.
Contents
PAGE
THE CHRISTMAS KALENDS OF PROVENCE 1
A FEAST-DAY ON THE RHÔNE 133
THE COMÉDIE FRANÇAISE AT ORANGE 209
Illustrations
"'TO THE HEALTH OF THE COUNT!'" _Frontispiece_
AT THE WELL _Facing p._ 6
PLANTING SAINT BARBARA'S GRAIN " 14
ELIZO'S OLD FATHER " 74
MAGALI " 100
THE PASSING OF THE KINGS " 112
"THE BLIND GIRL"--NOËL " 118
THE LANDING-PLACE AT TOURNON " 166
THE DEFILE OF DONZÈRE " 190
THE ROUMANILLE MONUMENT " 198
AVIGNON " 204
GENERAL VIEW OF THE THEATRE " 210
"IT LOOKED TREASONS, CONSPIRACIES AND MUTINOUS " 236 OUTBURSTS"
THE GREAT FAÇADE " 238
SCENE FROM THE FIRST ACT OF "OEDIPUS" " 248
SCENE FROM THE SECOND ACT OF "ANTIGONE" " 256
The Christmas Kalends of Provence
I
Fancy you've journeyed down the Rhône, Fancy you've passed Vienne, Valence, Fancy you've skirted Avignon-- And so are come _en pleine_ Provence.
Fancy a mistral cutting keen Across the sunlit wintry fields, Fancy brown vines, and olives green, And blustered, swaying, cypress shields.
Fancy a widely opened door, Fancy an eager outstretched hand, Fancy--nor need you ask for more-- A heart-sped welcome to our land.
Fancy the peal of Christmas chimes, Fancy that some long-buried year Is born again of ancient times-- And in Provence take Christmas cheer!
In my own case, this journey and this welcome were not fancies but realities. I had come to keep Christmas with my old friend Monsieur de Vièlmur according to the traditional Provençal rites and ceremonies in his own entirely Provençal home: an ancient dwelling which stands high up on the westward slope of the Alpilles, overlooking Arles and Tarascon and within sight of Avignon, near the Rhône margin of Provence.
