enjoying the scenery of "belle France," (beautiful France), but by and by
we became tired of watching landscapes.

To see odd styles of architecture, and watch the strange ways about a
people, may afford a pleasant diversion for a time; but the eyes, too,
become tired of looking. A striking feature about the agriculture is the
smallness of many of the fields; there being no fences, the fields are
distinguished by their crops. Some of them are but several rods in extent.
The various colors which the different kinds of vegetables assume in their
progress of growth and ripening, make the landscape look like an immense
expanse of checkered carpet, exceedingly beautiful to behold.

When these scenes seemed no longer to be charming, or we had become too
fatigued to appreciate them, we commenced to amuse ourselves in games,
joking and tricks, of which the traveler sees and enjoys his fill.

Gambling; which is such a wide-spread social evil in America, is
prohibited or restricted to certain fixed days of the year, in some
countries of Europe; but games of various kinds are played, by the best
society, almost everywhere. Notwithstanding all the arguments that may be
advanced in favor of games at chess and back-gammon, as exercises in
mental gymnastics, and of playing cards as affording pleasant diversion
for mixed parties, the diligent tourist, like the industrious student,
should not squander much of his time at it.




Chapter VIII.