_June 24th._--This was the _Fête Dieu_, a grand fête day in France.
Soldiers and priests were passing all the morning. There was a
procession at eight o'clock, which I did not see. At half-past eleven
we went to the Avenue de St. Cloud, where we were told the procession
would pass. There were a _very_ great number of people, amongst others
our porter's wife, who ran to get near the procession that the priests
might touch her baby. We stood near Madame Crosnier's school; the girls
(except Mademoiselle Rose, who was much as usual) were neatly dressed.
There were soldiers along each side of the avenue. We were amused at
several women who tried to run quickly across before the procession.
After we had waited for a long time the procession at last came:--1st,
three men on horseback; 2nd, a man in a red gown trimmed with fur, who
carried a large red flag--two boys held the strings; 3rd, a man in
purple who held a purple flag--two boys held the strings; 4th, a priest
with a red flag--two priests held the strings; 5th, pioneers and a band
of music; 6th, priests singing; 7th, a number of priests with books and
crosses, and a concierge; 8th, priests with censors full of incense,
and baskets full of flower-leaves;[30] 9th, several priests holding a
crimson velvet canopy, under which was the Bishop of Versailles, an
old man of eighty-four. A number of pages dressed in coats embroidered
with gold, fleurs-de-lys, etc., and a number of officers, closed the
procession. Along each side of the avenue there walked the boys and
girls who had taken their _première communion_, dressed as before.
The girls walked on one side and the boys on the other. One of the
girls was dressed in white silk and a blue and gold mantle, with long
hair over her face and back. We were told that this little girl was
dedicated to the Virgin; she was a very curious-looking figure. Several
nuns walked with the girls. After them, along each side, there walked a
number of priests in very brilliant dresses, gold, red, and green, etc.
Besides these there were priests in different parts of the procession.
Every now and then the procession stopped, and the priests that went
before the bishop turned round and threw incense and flowers, which
looked very pretty.
After the procession had passed, we went to see the _reposoir_ of the
Lyceum, which we were told was the prettiest. It is a building like
a temple. The doors were shut, but a very civil, gentlemanly-looking
person let us go in. The pillars were hung with wreaths of green, and
there were rows of trees in boxes up the middle, cut like those in
the gardens. The altar was a good deal ornamented: there were golden
candlesticks, artificial flowers, etc., on it. They were putting away
the things while we were there. The person who let us in said it was
customary to give away the flowers; we got two or three, which were
all that were left. Before the _reposoir_ there was grass laid for
the priests to kneel upon; we saw some women picking it up. There was
another _reposoir_ in the Avenue de Berri, and one near us at the end
of the Avenue de Sceaux, which was made slightly up, out of doors.
There were flower-pots on the sides, and a cross of lilies and roses on
the top. The children had dressed up little chapels on tables against
the wall, in the streets, with little figures, vials full of flowers,
coloured paper, etc. As people went by they came to beg 'pour la petite
chapelle.' One girl who came was quite a monster: she had no nose, and
two teeth that stuck out of her mouth like tusks. Out of some of the
windows in the streets were hung pieces of tapestry and old carpets.
_June 26th._--Catherine was now extremely ill; indeed, no person
seemed very well. What with the cold, and one thing and another, we
grew more dismal than ever. This day papa told us for our comfort (for
the first time) that as soon as Catherine was able we should all go
home. This piece of intelligence made us all happy for a short time,
as it was what we did not at all expect. I cannot tell what made me
dislike France so very much; one reason I think was that I raised my
expectations too high. I had heard so much of the fine climate, the
excellent fruit, and the lively people, that I was quite disappointed
at the cold weather, the bad fruit,[31] and the dull people. Besides,
I felt so far away from home that I grew quite unhappy. Nothing seemed
agreeable; I was tired of the gardens and the processions. My greatest
amusement was a little rose-tree that died soon after I got it. In the
morning when I got up, the only thing I wished was that the day was
over, and that we had a day less to stay at Versailles. The family that
had lived above us was now gone. Miss Ward and Miss Johnson--two Irish
ladies, with Mab, their French servant--now inhabited that part of
the house. They had come to France on account of being ill. They were
remarkably civil in sending down 'comed-milk,'[32] fruit, or anything
else they thought Catherine might like.