4SO Singular Religious Ceremony in France- MAY, 



children, but formed of sky-blue Satin paper, or silk, with a cross of white 

 ribbon sewn upon the middle, and the words " Vive la Croix!" worked 

 or written along the upper portion. These young persons are the daugh- 

 ters of the most respectable inhabitants of the town ; and they are, for 

 the most part, of that uncertain age, between childhood and womanhood, 

 which, it must be confessed, is a very interesting period in the life of a 

 French female in particular : so that it would be difficult, indeed, to 

 meet with a spectator on whom this part of the procession would not be, 

 more or less, effective ; and the more so, on account of its entire novelty. 

 In fact, it is the novelty of this whole ceremony which has procured for 

 it the eclat that has universally attended it the novelty, added to the 

 extraordinary personal interest that is excited towards it, by nearly all 

 the respectable inhabitants of the various towns where it has taken place 

 being invited to take an active part in it, either in their own persons, or 

 in those of their children or relatives. Think of the baltemens de cceur 

 that must grow out of, and for ever be connected with, a ceremony in 

 which five hundred young French girls, and perhaps four times as many 

 youths, take a public part ! Of a truth, these French missionaries under- 

 stand their metier even better, if possible, than our own ; or, at any 

 rate, their religious and national habits give a scope to them which ours 

 do not. But we are forgetting our self-prescribed limits, and keeping 

 the procession standing still into the bargain. Not that, by this latter 

 means, we shall impair the vraisemblance of our description ; for it is 

 proper to mention that the nature of the arrangements, and particularly 

 the necessity for frequent restings with the cross, cause repeated general 

 haltings of the whole body of the procession. But this produced no 

 awkwardness or halting in the general effect ; because one or other of 

 the divisions of the processions are continually chaunting the canticles 

 appointed for the occasion. 



Taking our imaginary spectator back to the point from which we had 

 for a moment removed him, he will observe that each of the virgins in 

 white w r hom he has just been looking upon (all Protestant as he is) with 

 so lively an interest, bears a book in her hand, on which her eyes are for 

 the most part modestly cast down, and only lifted up briefly, at brief 

 intervals, to judge of the effect that her pious hymns and piquant looks 

 are producing upon the by-standers. This second division of the pro- 

 cession also, like the first, divides itself into two double files on gaining 

 the open street, and leaves the centre space free for the directors, and for 

 other individuals who walk singly at intervals, bearing the banners of 

 various saints. These painted banners are the only objects which con- 

 tribute to call to mind the ordinary religious processions of a Catholic 

 country. The body of young girls in white is followed by as many 

 matrons in Hack, each bearing a flag in one hand, and a hymn-book in 

 the other, and chaunting, at intervals, as the others cease. Or rather let 

 us confess, that the due arrangement, as to the periods of each division 

 ceasing and renewing their chaunts respectively, appears to have been in 

 a great degree neglected ; and the consequence is, that two divisions, 

 close to each other, are singing at the same moment, but in different tunes 

 and keys to the no small detriment of musical harmony ! After the 

 troop of matrons in black, comes a second division of white ones, each 

 veiled, and bearing a little flag and a book, like the former. It must not 

 be forgotten to observe, that, in both these white divisions, about half the 

 number of the youthful aspirants composing them have thought it 

 becoming (in one sense of the word at least) to interpolate into their attire 



