The little maidens, varying in age, are all dressed alike in long black or colored skirts, beneath which peep out red or blue slippers, closely fitting long-sleeved bodies of some bright material, white chemisettes, aprons of different colors, and dainty little caps of velvet, silk, or cotton, some of them embroidered with beads, tied beneath the ear with narrow ribbons.
In addition to the great centers of devotion, every village church, every site once occupied by a chapel or a shrine, has its own particular pardon, for the Bretons do not estimate the power of a saint by the size or grandeur of his or her sanctuary, but cling with affection to the traditional scenes of past miracles of healing. It is impossible to over-estimate the importance in the life of the true Breton of the pardon of his parish, for from his earliest childhood, it is associated with the most solemn moments of his existence. As an infant he is carried to the shrine, and as soon as he can walk, he is allowed to take part in the procession.
Boxing the strawberries. This is the most productive part of Brittany from an agricultural point of view, for the inland valleys are rich in grain, and the seaboard districts in a great variety of fruits.
Plougastel is noted for its wonderful calvary. It is one of the finest in Brittany. It has a massive terrace pierced by arches, and adorned with a rich frieze representing the Life of Christ—the Flight into Egypt, the Marriage of Cana, the Foot washing, and the drama of the Passion. This latter is told in as many as two hundred statuettes of wonderful originality, full of life, vigor, and passion, carved in green Kersanton stone.