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 PROVENCAL FESTIVALS * * * * * BY THOMAS A. JANVIER SOCI DOU 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 RHONE 133 THE COMEDIE FRANCAISE 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"--NOEL " 118 THE LANDING-PLACE AT TOURNON " 166 THE DEFILE OF DONZERE " 190 THE ROUMANILLE MONUMENT " 198 AVIGNON " 204 GENERAL VIEW OF THE THEATRE " 210 "IT LOOKED TREASONS, CONSPIRACIES AND MUTINOUS " 236 OUTBURSTS" THE GREAT FACADE " 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 Rhone, 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 Vielmur according to the traditional Provencal rites and ceremonies in his own entirely Provencal 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 Rhone margin of Provence.