_June 20th._--Before breakfast we went to see the girls and boys take
their _première communion_ at Notre Dame. The church was so full we
could hardly get near to see them.[27] The first set of young ladies
that came in were dressed in white muslin frocks trimmed with lace
and satin, white sashes, gloves, shoes, and ridicules, lace and white
satin caps, and lace or muslin veils; the next set were dressed in the
same way with pink sashes; the third set blue; the fourth set green;
and the two next sets white. After that came a school of girls dressed
in buff cotton frocks and common muslin veils, who seemed to be poor
girls: several nuns sat with them. Another set had on thick white
frocks. All the girls sat in a seat by themselves. The boys had bows
of white ribbon on their arms. Madame Crosnier's school was very smart
with white sashes like the others; those of her girls who did not take
their communion were dressed in neat white frocks, scarlet sashes, and
Leghorn bonnets. Madame Crosnier and her teachers were very nicely
dressed. The girls had every advantage that dress could give them; but
we could not help remarking how very different a set of English girls
would look to those with their dingy complexions. They had candles
in their hands, which they lighted and blew out several times during
mass. Some of the candles were very much ornamented with gold paper,
etc.; one had a little gilt basket filled with flowers round it, and
others lyres on them. I thought there was a great chance of the girls
setting fire to each other as they sat close together. While we were in
the church there were two women with a little child beside us, which
squalled and fretted the whole time. It first would have one thing,
and then another. The women managed it excessively stupidly; they
first gave it a cake, then snatched it away from it, then whipped it,
then kissed it; and they looked at each other as much as to say it is
impossible to make it be quiet. The French children are little petted,
disagreeable, spoiled things; they say that it hurts their health to
find fault with them.[28] They are very dirty, and their heads are
covered with a cap of dirt which they call the _Écaille du bon Dieu_,
and it is reckoned a kind of sacrilege to take it off. Even the highest
ranks of people do not comb their children's hair till they are two
years old, that they may be covered with this cap of dirt, which, they
say, prevents them having sore eyes and makes them cut their teeth
easily. Another prejudice that they have is that nursing and tossing
the children about makes them mad; the doctors say that it is only the
dull air of _England_ that requires it:[29] some of them say that it
is that which causes so many mad people in England. The consequence is
that the French babies are dull, heavy, and stupid. We were obliged to
leave the church to go to breakfast, so we missed seeing the girls take
the sacrament, which they take on their tongues and eat whole without
breaking it. After they had done we saw them go home; Madame Crosnier's
school went in a coach. In the evening we went again to Notre Dame,
where one of the priests preached a sermon to the boys and girls that
had taken the sacrament, and told them to prepare for being confirmed
the next morning. After the sermon was finished they walked in
procession round the inside of the church, the girls first and the boys
after, with lighted candles in their hands. Some of the candles were
so much broken that they could hardly hold them upright. One or two of
the girls did not look more than six or seven years old: we supposed
that they had not been taking the communion, but were only walking in
the procession. It was altogether a pretty sight. After they had walked
round the church they all went home. When they receive their _première
communion_ it is customary to give the priest something: this time they
gave a clock.