And Grammont itself, a town of 13,000 inhabitants, was well worth the journey, situated3 as it is in a lovely region of rolling hills, and deriving4 its name from the steep slope (Grand Mont) to which part of the city clings. The surrounding undulating country is dotted with quaint5, clustered villages, some with thatched, some with tiled roofs, and only twenty miles away is the charming town of Audenarde—poor Audenarde, so cruelly wounded by the war!
I reached Grammont about noon, having lost an hour on the way through the difficulty of passing camions and artillery6 and marching companies of Canadian soldiers. Between Ninove and Grammont, too, were many squads7 of German prisoners at work on the ruined road. They were guarded by the French, but it was a rather lenient8 surveillance, at any rate the sullen9 groups in their trailing gray capes10 appeared to be casually11 tapping the mud with their spades instead of being genuinely at work.
A “MARIE ANTOINETTE” IN CHANTILLY LACE, MADE WITH BOBBINS, NEAR GRAMMONT
[129]
CUSHION COVER
Center Venise, borders Valenciennes, lace executed by 12 workers in one month, embroidery12 and mounting by four women in two months, design by M. de Rudder
TEA CLOTH
Point de Paris, cock design
My Belgian chauffeur13, whose health is broken after three years of forced labor14 in Germany, would have been delighted to run them down, and at one point did succeed in splashing a group with mud, as he called “Boches” and something I did not catch. I began to understand the ruling that released Belgian prisoners shall not be placed over Germans still held here.
After lunch I started with Madame Cuseners to the little lace school whose director has courageously15 carried on during the four years. We walked through a narrow arched passageway beside a brick building and into a large hall at the rear which was at one time the lace class-room. Instead of lace-workers, however, we found Scotch16 and Canadian soldiers [130]busy tacking17 the union Jack18 and Belgian flags on the wall, and hanging boughs19 and festoons of colored paper rings—they were making ready for a “grand” New Year’s Eve dancing party. In the courtyard still farther back a half-dozen Scotchmen had built a campfire, protecting it with a low canvas roof, and it was burning brightly despite the dismal20 rain.
It shone on the windows of the long, narrow room at the side of the court, which looked like a conservatory21, but which had become the refuge of the lace-workers, when because of lack of thread and fuel, they could no longer occupy their hall. I found fifty sweet-faced girls between thirteen and fifteen busy over their cushions, a faithful, tired-looking old Abbé and an enthusiastic young woman teacher. They were not making black nor the less important white silk Chantilly, for they had long been entirely22 without silk thread. Nevertheless, they [131]were preserving the art of making it, since they had been kept at work on Chantilly designs executed with bobbins and the white cotton thread furnished by the Committee. They had some fine flounces, which were not, however, to be compared with the traditional black silk ones of the great Chantilly days.
For Chantilly has seen great days. It appeared first in France about 1740, where it achieved a phenomenal popularity, which was unfortunately rudely ended by the Revolution, for since it was a favorite lace at court, the Revolutionists made it a crime to appear in Chantilly. Later, under the Empire, it enjoyed a revival23, the fabrication of the silk laces spread in France; Bayeux became a celebrated24 center; and, finally, toward 1835, it crossed to Belgium, where Grammont was early recognized as its home. In 1851 all of the forty-nine schools of that province taught the technique of this [132]lace. Then toward 1870 true Chantilly seemed doomed25 a second time to extinction26 by the success of the machine imitations of St. Pierre des Calais, and also because the vogue27 for black lace had passed. But again the pendulum28 has swung back; the imitations are now greatly in favor and there is a cheering increase in the demand for the true lace flounces.
The Abbé brought out from dusty drawers the school’s stock of designs, elegant groupings of bouquets29 and foliage30, with occasional striking geometrical details introduced, all joined by a fine hexagonal mesh31, which resembled at first that of Malines, and later, more closely, the Point d’ Alen?on mesh. The fact that this lace is often used for scarfs and gowns, and that the customary flounce is of generous width, has encouraged the development of elaborate patterns. Some of the sketches32 were [133]divided by heavy pencil lines into the separate narrow strips on which the lace-maker actually works. To achieve the wide flounce, these strips are attached one to another by special workers who employ a joining stitch that defies detection. The individual pattern strips include both mesh and flowers and follow irregular lines, curving, it may be, to include a full-petaled rose. When one examines the fineness of the clear hexagonal mesh that forms the base of Chantilly, it seems all the more remarkable33 that the division lines are not visible. This Chantilly mesh has differed during various periods and besides there are always almost as many varieties as there are workers, for one weaves more closely or more firmly than another. I came soon to realize how great a difference in effect results from a practically invisible variation in the thickness of the thread, or in the manner of twisting or looping it or [134]in the placing of the pins. One of the distinguishing characteristics of Chantilly is the relief produced by a heavier thread that outlines the pattern and forms the twigs34 and veins35 of the leaves. In securing a brilliant relief, the French have always succeeded better than the Belgians.
These Grammont pupils were also making Blonde, a favorite lace with the Spanish people, and introduced into Belgium from France at the same time as Chantilly. Its processes are very similar, tho it is easily differentiated36 from its sister by the heavy glossy37 petals38 of its flowers and their conspicuous39 open-work centers in the Point de Paris stitch. The name Blonde is derived40 from the écru silk which was first employed in its making; now it is made of white or of black silk, and chiefly in the form of scarfs or mantillas. The girls were making their war-time Blonde of cotton, the good Peat [135]cotton of Nottingham, brought in by the C. R. B. for the Lace Committee. It is practically only in the Grammont and Turnhout regions that Blonde is still made.
The instructress showed me the little bundles of poor, crooked41 brass42 pins that were all that remained after four years of the occupation, explaining what harm poor pins can work in a fine mesh like that of Chantilly. Then she asked if I could not tell them when they might expect new ones. Alas43, these disheartening months of the winter of 1918–1919 when one hope after another has been deferred44; so many things to be done at once, and all depending on the re-establishment of a system of transportation utterly45 destroyed.
I went from the school-room, past the fire in the courtyard, back to the large hall where the Canadians were still decorating for their party, and where we wished [136]one another a Happy New Year—brave Canadian boys well loved by the Belgians—then on to the house of Madame’s mother, who for a half-century has been a lace fabricant, or dealer46, and whose front room served easily as combined salon47 and office. Precious laces need very little space; they can be stored in a handsome carved oak armoire, which is at once a safe and a beautiful article of furniture. This old lady’s hair was still dark and glossy, as is so often the case with grandmothers in Europe, and her brown eyes were bright and keen. She talked of the time when there were more than twenty dealers48 employing over 2,000 workers on Chantilly in the Grammont region, and of the gradual decline of the industry. [137]“Certain empty houses on the heights above the town tell the story. Long ago the lace-makers left the valley at the foot of the slope, and seeking the brighter light on the hill, formed a lace colony there; but they have come down again, the houses on the hill are deserted49. One by one the skilled old workers have died, and their secrets with them. There is only one really excellent piqueuse left and she is a baker-woman who exercises her talent of pricking50 patterns between baking! And I believe that instead of the former thousands, we have not more than eight hundred dentellières to-day. Here, as elsewhere, factories have come, and the lace has fled. With us it is the cigar and the match that have banished51 it, they furnish better wages and our women follow. However, if we can win a higher pay for the lace, and can but develop the little school you have just visited, and continue to train our girls, we shall yet be able to restore Chantilly. Especially,” she added, [138]“if we can be helped by that fickle52 Mistress Fashion, who last year smiled again on the black lace gown. Some of our patterns for robes can be made in a few weeks, but the truly fine ones take months, even a year to make. All depends on the design and the number of threads. We have had much to combat in the success of the marvelous Calais machine imitations of Chantilly, but true lovers of lace will never be content with them, however clever they are.”
She shook out a folded triangular53 shawl. “There is no lace in the world more beautiful than this,” she said, as she spread it on the white tablecloth54, the better to display the wealth of its black flower clusters and long fronds55, and then had me squeeze the delicate mesh in my hand to test its resiliency. I could not but agree with her. Her daughter brought out an exquisite56 collar, a tendril and flower pattern, with long tabs that could be crossed in front and let fall like a sash behind, a “Marie Antoinette” of most tempting57 loveliness; then a dainty [139]parasol and a fan and a few filmy winged butterflies—all pieces made before the war, before the Germans set a wall of fire between the women of Grammont and the silk thread (Grenadine d’Alays) which meant their bread.
I was glad to have a few hours of sweeping58 hill country between these elegant black laces and the Valenciennes I was next to see; for the moment all white lace seemed negligible.
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futile
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| adj.无效的，无用的，无希望的 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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situated
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| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
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deriving
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| v.得到( derive的现在分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取 | |
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quaint
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| adj.古雅的，离奇有趣的，奇怪的 | |
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artillery
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| n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队) | |
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squads
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| n.（军队中的）班( squad的名词复数 )；（暗杀）小组；体育运动的运动（代表）队；（对付某类犯罪活动的）警察队伍 | |
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lenient
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| adj.宽大的，仁慈的 | |
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sullen
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| adj.愠怒的，闷闷不乐的，(天气等)阴沉的 | |
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capes
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| 碎谷； 斗篷( cape的名词复数 )； 披肩； 海角； 岬 | |
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casually
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| adv.漠不关心地，无动于衷地，不负责任地 | |
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embroidery
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| n.绣花，刺绣；绣制品 | |
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chauffeur
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| n.(受雇于私人或公司的)司机；v.为…开车 | |
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labor
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| n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦 | |
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courageously
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| ad.勇敢地，无畏地 | |
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scotch
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| n.伤口，刻痕；苏格兰威士忌酒；v.粉碎，消灭，阻止；adj.苏格兰(人)的 | |
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tacking
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| （帆船）抢风行驶，定位焊[铆]紧钉 | |
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jack
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| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
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boughs
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| 大树枝( bough的名词复数 ) | |
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dismal
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| adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的 | |
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conservatory
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| n.温室，音乐学院；adj.保存性的，有保存力的 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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revival
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| n.复兴，复苏，（精力、活力等的）重振 | |
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celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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doomed
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| 命定的 | |
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extinction
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| n.熄灭，消亡，消灭，灭绝，绝种 | |
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Vogue
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| n.时髦，时尚；adj.流行的 | |
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pendulum
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| n.摆，钟摆 | |
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bouquets
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| n.花束( bouquet的名词复数 )；（酒的）芳香 | |
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foliage
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| n.叶子，树叶，簇叶 | |
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mesh
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| n.网孔，网丝，陷阱；vt.以网捕捉，啮合，匹配；vi.适合； [计算机]网络 | |
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sketches
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remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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twigs
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| 细枝，嫩枝( twig的名词复数 ) | |
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veins
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| n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理 | |
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differentiated
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| 区分，区别，辨别( differentiate的过去式和过去分词 )； 区别对待； 表明…间的差别，构成…间差别的特征 | |
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glossy
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| adj.平滑的；有光泽的 | |
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petals
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| n.花瓣( petal的名词复数 ) | |
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conspicuous
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| adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的 | |
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derived
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| vi.起源；由来；衍生；导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取 | |
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crooked
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| adj.弯曲的；不诚实的，狡猾的，不正当的 | |
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brass
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| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 | |
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alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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deferred
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| adj.延期的，缓召的v.拖延，延缓，推迟( defer的过去式和过去分词 )；服从某人的意愿，遵从 | |
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utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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dealer
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| n.商人，贩子 | |
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salon
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| n.[法]沙龙；客厅；营业性的高级服务室 | |
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dealers
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| n.商人( dealer的名词复数 )；贩毒者；毒品贩子；发牌者 | |
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deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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pricking
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| 刺，刺痕，刺痛感 | |
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banished
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| v.放逐，驱逐( banish的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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fickle
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| adj.(爱情或友谊上)易变的，不坚定的 | |
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triangular
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| adj.三角（形）的，三者间的 | |
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tablecloth
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| n.桌布，台布 | |
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fronds
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| n.蕨类或棕榈类植物的叶子( frond的名词复数 ) | |
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exquisite
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| adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的 | |
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tempting
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| a.诱人的, 吸引人的 | |
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sweeping
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| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
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