File:St. Nicholas (serial) (1873) (14593595450).jpg

Identifier: stnicholasserial271dodg (find matches)
Title: St. Nicholas (serial)
Year: 1873 (1870s)
Authors: Dodge, Mary Mapes, 1830-1905
Subjects: Children's literature
Publisher: (New York : Scribner & Co.)
Contributing Library: Information and Library Science Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Digitizing Sponsor: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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rly a castle onthat very spot, and no doubt the foundationsare those of the older building. The old guidedoes not tell one this. He believes that Wil-liam was born in the present castle; and sincehe knows that travelers like to see the placeswhere famous people were born, he leads oneup a little stairway, and around the inside of themighty keep, and whenever he comes to a win-dow he shows how thick the wall is,— fifteenfeet,— and finally he brings one to a littlechamber built in the thickness of the wall.Then he strikes an attitude, and says : Behold,my lords and ladies, where William the Con-queror was born ! One looks at the alcove,and reads, doubtingly, the lofty words inscribedon the wall which set forth how the mightyConqueror first saw the light in that tiny room. Williams mothers name was Arlette, andshe was a washerwoman — at least, she waswashing clothes when Prince Robert first sawher. There is a little washing-fountain atFalaise, now, which goes by the name of the 436
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BRONZE STATUE OF WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR IN THE SQUAR 437 E OF FALAISE, NORMANDY, HIS NATIVE TOWN. 438 THE BOYHOOD OF THE CONQUEROR. (Mar. fountain of Arlette; and people wash there just as Williams mother used to wash. They put the clothes down on a board or stone, near the edge of the fountain, and whack them with a wooden paddle until they imagine that the dirt must be beaten out; then they souse the clothes in the A water, and lay them upon a stone to dry in the sun. This process is all very simple, as there is neither soap nor warm water; and it is very likely that Arlette was beating her clothes clean in this fashion when the young prince saw name was Fulbert. There are tanneries on thesame spot now, and the smells of the place areprobably as terrific as in more ancient times. Williams father, who was eighteen at thetime his renowned son was born, was theyounger brother of the Duke of Nor-mandy. At this time he was only Count of ■ i ■.. . . JBft. Hiesmois, a long-Pi M . Mm # i

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