..."
"May 28th, 1917.
"It is still boiling hot; thank goodness we have finished for to-day! I
must first, however, tell you how I spent the remainder of yesterday,
after writing home. I spent the afternoon in the town. I explored most
of it. Happening to pass the church, I saw a great crowd. It was full
inside; the west doors were open, and people were sitting in the doorway
and standing out in the street watching the service. So I too stopped
and watched. It was most interesting, but as the service was conducted
in French (apparently the Gallican Church differs from the Roman
Catholic Church in England in that the service is conducted in the
vernacular), I do not know what the service was. Although most of it was
in French, bits were in Latin. It was exceptionally spectacular. There
were about a hundred little boys in surplices and little girls in white
veils (as if dressed for confirmation), all carrying long, lighted
candles. Music and hymns were proceeding all the time. The little boys
and girls were standing still part of the time, and processing up and
down the chancel at other times. Eventually they all processed past the
senior priest, attired in full vestments; and he blew out their candles
as they passed. Towards the close of the service, a little girl,
carrying her candle, was brought out by the priest and stationed in
front of the altar with her face to the congregation; then she recited,
in French, something which sounded like a very long creed.
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