Houma Ceres. [volume] (Houma, Parish of Terrebonne, La.) 1855-18??, 1855-07-26
The Glory Of Italy,.

that soil, we learn that Imagination and
Sentiment are the Italian elements of our
nature. All things seem ideal, poetic,
visionary. Splendors that the northern
world knows only by half.heavenly flashes
that fade before they can be felt, here are
natural and permanent. From the valleys
and plains of Italy the lustre of summers
is never wholly Withdrawn, and winter
seems but tardier spring. Elsewhere
we have glimpses Of her life in conserva.
tories, and when we enter the guarded re-
treats where orange-tress, and olives, and
myrtles are garnered up as creating
around them kind of sacred soul-life,
we say, "This is like Italy," Its atmor.
phere is fragrance, its soul is beauty, its
canopy a glory unimaginable. Its air
is prism to turn the common light into
enchantment. What melodies of color
violet, rose, purple-roll alongits sleeps.
Yet the true fascination of Italv is of the
soul and the features of the scene enjoy
our devotion on account of the spirit that
looks out from them, and which they typify.
1t is the cline Of art-the temple Of the
sacrament Of the perpetual marriage of
the formal with the divine. Life, thought,
passion, manner, all things, partake an
aesthetic quality. An ethereal stream Of
ideal sentiment seems IS feat over the
land and It fract all perceptions, feeling
and objects, into beautiful outlines and
hues. 1t is the land of Antiquity, the
school of History, the home of the Past.
No time is recorded when Italy stood not
foremost in the annals a scene where
great things were thought and wrought.
Etruscan, Roman. Pontifcal-these civ.
ilizations have succeeded one another,
and no later one has effaced the vestiges
of that which preceded it. All now dwell
together, and the face Of the land is as
a selcregistering chronicale of all that has
been felt and done upon its surface. Here
under the calm grave eye Of the venerable
Past, the Present moves modestly, and
with self.distrust. Here you may stand
in the religious presence OF the Older Day
and imbibe temper which is more than
wisdom. The active, the striving, the
destructive, we leave behind when we
cross the mountains. Evistance. here is
moral, consultative, intellectual. 1t seems
like an Elysium, where life is fancied,
and interests notional this blissful future
state of an existence gone by, where
shadowy forms rehears in silent show the
deeds that once resounded, or elsewhere
resound. It is land where all is ruin;
but where ruin itself is more splendid,
more permanent, and more vital than the
freshest perfections Of other countries.
Above all things, it is THE SOIL OF REL1c-
IoS. Here, and only here, is realized, in
uncrumbled aud undimmed completeness
that vision, which in other nations is but
fragmentary dream, or a dim tradition
THE CArHoLIc FAITH. And deny it,
overlook it, forget it, as We may, that is
the deepest spell of all the entertainments
that Italy holds, in store for Us. OF its
truth or utility let theologians and econo-
mists dispute : as sentiment, as a civili-
zation, humanity has evolved nothing SO
beautiful, SO refining so delightful. In
this land, it is an inward, soul.heard music
TO which all life regulates its movements.
1t is as solvent Of moral grace, melting
and rounding all the forms Of existence
into picture-like and pleasing shapes
Horace Binney Wallace. 4 lanoma 81
SuRLY SENTIMENTs.-By a professed
Old Grumbler.-No woman on her own
accord She is always "ortlered'' to drink
it! sue "@z ''' ' ..st...
Experience is pocket compass that a
I fool never thinks Of consulting until he has
lost his way. :" - z' @r'' ~. ~. III III
When man has the headache, and says
SITS the salman,"' you may safely conclude
! he has been drinking like a fish" :
The moment friendship becomes tax,
| it is very singular, at every fresh call j,
makes, how very few peosons it finds, at
home i''s, .'.'. 7'''s. .''i,,.''.'
They had better let Prentice alone. The
following is the way in which he pays his
respect to Mr.. Wick life, who made an at.
tack upon him recently in a political
speech:s .slgaal4 sdi al sas7asf ioTlad+ 38
ssMr. Wicklife calls us tan obolitiodist.'
The charge is not only false but ungentle.
manly. The truth is, Mr.. w. never had
tany part Of gentleman in him, excep,
when he once bit of and swallowed 4 gen.
/ tleman ear. "aoe# .ta. ga 8 u lttffI q