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A FORTRESS-CATHEDRAL OF SOUTHERN FRANCE

Albi and its cathedral. What New York commercial traveler, we asked ourselves, would answer questions about, say, the Cathedral of St. John the Divine with as much intelligence or enthusiasm as did this Frenchman about scenes familiar to him?

When, after an hour's journey, we came in sight of Albi, our friend motioned to us to look across the river. "La Cathédral!" he exclaimed with pride. We gazed on a huge mass of brick, topped with a single, somewhat austere tower, and reserved our decision as to the position of Albi's Cathedral on our list of fine churches.

We did not, however, make any reservations as to the picturesqueness of the town's situation. High above the river, with numerous remains of defensive works and with several fine old bridges, the town immediately impresses one as an age-old, worth-while place. The prevailing tone of color is a dull red, for Cathedral, forts, bridges, and houses are of brick. Dull skies this afternoon tone the color into a softness of hue that is most pleasing.

After reaching the little station and bidding our commercial friend adieu, we go at once to the Cathedral, for have we not planned to leave on the only returning train that afternoon? But the way to the big church proves altogether alluring, with quaint, twisting streets, timbered houses, and interesting doorways.

Before we arrive at the Cathedral we succumb to Albi's charm and forget our afternoon train back to Toulouse.

We approach the great church from its rear, and a stupendous mass of brick it seems, with walls running up a hundred and thirty feet, surmounted by small turrets. Narrow windows pierce the lower part, with loopholes here and there. The massive, bastion-like buttressed walls indicate the purpose of the Cathedral to serve as a place of defense if necessity arose. The religious wars in which the Albigenses, or natives of Albi, were engaged in the Middle Ages, though they were mostly over by the time this Cathedral of Saint Cecilia was built, naturally suggested the idea of a church stronghold, and on several occasions the Cathedral has heard the tramp of armed men within its massive walls. It could, of course, no more than the Cathedral of Rheims withstand the assault of modern artillery, but in the time when it was built it was indeed, in Luther's phrase, a "castle strong of our God."

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Now it was the abode of perfect peace. An itinerant shoemaker had set up his shop in a wagon at the rear of the building, and a merry song came from his partly open door. At the side of the church a splendid stone porch, elaborately sculptured, constituted the main entrance. Within, the vast proportions of the edifice, built without nave or aisles, were modified by a magnificent rood screen which separated the church into two parts, one for the people, the other reserved for the use of the clergy.

After inspecting the wonderful carving of this screen, seeing some of the many fine statues of saints and apostles, and marveling at the semi-Byzantine effect of the decoration, we descended rapidly from the sublime and began a search for the inevitable postcards which were to tell our friends of our "find." The search was rewarded with unexpected diversion. The custodian of the cards, a capable woman of the type that is usually selected for such a job by the wise fathers, was surprised to find that her visitors were from the far-off land of America. Her surprise was outdone by that of some of the town's idlers, who gathered near and gazed open-mouthed at the visitors from the New World. To one who is accustomed to the sophisticated natives of many foreign cities, this attitude of the Albigenses was most gratifying. It was evident, too, in the aspect of the children whom one met. Their attitude toward the visitors was that of respectful wonderment. One of the tourists dropped a glove while standing in the street. A little Albigensian picked it up and stood gravely holding it, like a precious memento, till the loser turned and saw the small boy waiting for attention. The glove was restored without the slightest appeal for a reward, but simply as an act of courtesy from one gentleman to another. So, also, when the tourists inquired for a certain street of a group of school-boys who passed. One of these boys was instantly deputed to go with the strangers and show them the way. Does the reader wonder that after this Albi was immediately double-starred in the visitors' note-book?

After a long stay in and about the Cathedral came the search for a stopping-place for the night, with some incidental shopping-for the tourists had come empty-handed. Was it not a pleasure to be waited upon by the proprietress of the little dry-goods store, with every sign of interest in the unexpected customers! How different, we thought, her

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