50 GOLDEN DAYS 



some. At seasons they are very idle. If 

 this be a moral failing, their saints must 

 be held responsible ; and surely such 

 drudging toil deserves its ■pardon days I 

 They are not modernised, these Bretons. 

 Indeed, they still put faith far before 

 scientific fact ; and should they meet and 

 understand the most recent of philosophis- 

 ing pedants he would leave them cold. 

 They are wiser, for they have learned that 

 life is never demonstrable, that two and 

 two do not of necessity make four. 



These people, moreover, do not yet 

 enjoy the advantages of the modern news- 

 paper. There are still districts which have 

 never felt the iron hand of a syndicated 

 Press. 



For many years the beggars were the 

 only recognised bearers of official news. 

 Even to-day they hold an honoured place at 

 fireside and board. The Breton beggar 

 was also the purveyor of the guerz, or 

 national ballads, which were sung through- 

 out the country ; also of the sones, or 

 admonitory songs, which were composed 

 by and for the peasantry. The most 

 typical of these is *' The Cholera Song," 



