_July 18th._--This (and several other) evenings we walked to the
hayfield near the Trianons. There were a great many grasshoppers and
brown butterflies (meadow arguses) flying out of the haycocks. We sat
down on the hay, and Miss Wragge got a wisp of hay round her leg, which
she took for a snake; this amused the people very much. Near here we
used to see some little pensions of poor children going out to walk.
At the gate of the Trianons we saw a little child of about three years
old standing. It came up to us with a straw in its hand, which it held
like a soldier; it then put it to our faces and tickled them. We asked
it where it lived; it said 'là-bas.' Miss Wragge gave it a sou. The
French children have a very forward manner; they come up to strangers
and talk quite at their ease. We returned by the gardens. There was
now a band of music (every Wednesday and Friday) in the King's garden,
or the Tapis-vert. There were a great many flowers out in the King's
garden: many different sorts of columbine, honeysuckle, syringas, and
roses on sticks. The trees in the garden (Hartwell) are not cut like
those in the rest of the garden, but are suffered to grow naturally.
The music was not pretty; the players seemed very much afraid of tiring
themselves, as they rested more than half the time. While the music
played to-day, the Tapis-vert was crowded with people. We observed
one little boy, who did not look more than three or four years old,
with light curly hair and rosy cheeks; he had a kind of little bag
before him, in which were different sweetmeats--dogs, lambs, etc. He
ran to every person and begged them to buy; his little sweetmeats were
a sou apiece. At first we thought it looked very pretty to see the
little fellow selling the things, but we soon discovered that he was
accompanied by a very disagreeable woman, and as the child followed and
plagued every one it was quite unpleasant. As we returned through the
gardens we saw some watering-pots--great, awkward, copper things--which
we drew on our nails. This was a fine day.
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