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31 December 1903 — Paris | |
Thursday. 31st December [1903]. Miss Pearce came to see Addie in the morng & we all three walked out to see the shops. Returned to lunch of wh Addie & I partook in the Hotel Rest: Out again shopping in the afternoon & back to tea at 5 at Hotel Ritz. Addie went out again I sat quite & wrote & read. Dined in the salon at 8.15 & sat writing & talking to Addie till 11 when we were called for by the Comte de Franqueville & Sophy and they drove us to the Sacre Coeur at Montmartre to see the midnight mass. On getting to a side door (the sacristy) where men were entering we were stopped & told women were not admitted. After a little parley the Count disappeared into the Church & came out again sadly to say it was no good we must return to our hotel. Just as we were going a fat priest rushed after us, called us back & said he had arranged for us to go in & we were led thro’ the sacristy thro’ a dormitory with 4 rows of beds up a winding stairs a man going before us with a lighted taper & emerged into a sort of music gallery or clerestory from whence we looked down on the whole church. The middle aisle was nearly full of men & the service had begun– The singing was congregational supported by the organ wh was fine & the music serious & good. Then after a long chant there was a sermon preached by a priest with a fine loud voice—but we were too far off to catch what he said. Just before midnight he stopped & there was a solemn silence & bent heads as the clock struck the hour of the New Year—there followed more singing & the mass was continued; after that the Communion in wh every member of the congregation took part & the service was concluded. The church is [illegible word] & built in simple style—but is not very artistic. It is not yet decorated but I think wd be better left as it is. The service is one held for the Confraternity of the Sacre Coeur & is not open to the public. The Franquevilles drove us back to our hotel. We made ourselves tea & sat sometime talking before we got into our beds– How different the ending of this year is for me to many others in former days! | |
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