Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-06-29

The People Of ItaIyATheir Out-door Life.
Harriet Beecher Stowe, writing from Naples,
depicts what she saw on the road to Hercu-
laneum: ,rs.. t,s 49,, rf.r.r. .If.4
All family life in Italy is out of doors--it
Is all that Keeps the breath Of life in people
for the family room is absolutely without
window or any means Of light or air but the
door, and therefore in pleasant weather the
good wives proceed with all their family
arrangements in the street with most aniable
simplicity. Here woman sits with the
tangled head Of child in her lap, hunting
for Uncomfortable game. There an old man
is submitting tranquility 10 the same operation
at the hands Of his little daughter, who ex-
hibits no small sense of her own Importance
in this walk Of filial duty. Here a woman
with q comb is busy on the subject head Of
another woman, while swarms Of ragged
children tumble and roll contentedly In the
| dirt at their feet-all chatter with faces brim-
| full of contentment. r
| Now we see woman bearing on her head
o bundle of Neapolitan clover, with its long
| heads of rich crimson blossoms and fragrant
leaves; and anon another carries a similar
burden Of sort of purple-blossomed vetch,
| whose graceful tendrils and delicate leaves
dance and nod as she moves. Now goes by
a meek little donkey, with two great ragged
| fellows costly tapping their rags up and
down on his back, looking more fit to carry
him than he them. These poor little donkies
have such pretty, patient faces, and look so
innocently resigned to contempt and blows
and contumely, that ones heart aches for
them. The boys that guide them keep up a
constant regular tattoo Of blows, varied by
ingenious twists of the TAIL and in just the
| same proportions whether the creature goes
fast or slow. The donkey accepts the abuse
as a matter of course-a part of its daily
bread, and never inquiries why II was born a
donkey, but goes on meekly as before.
Now rushes by rude, one.horse omni-
bus--one lean horse dragging rough heavy
cart, with seventeen or eighteen jolly ragged
fellows, and relay of children sprinkled in
between. Like the negro slaves of planta-
tions, these lazzaroni Of Naples seem per-
tinaciously gregarious. You can never get
one without dozen idle appendages. They
swarm over every carriage, when the driver
will let them, with not the smallest thought
either of the ability Of the horses to draw
them, or the convenience OF those who ride.
The coachmen generally have some half
| dozen crOnies TO whom they willingly give
O chance of lift. We have seen a ragged
urchin asleep on the back of carriage where
he hung like worm. Like slaves they are
cruel to animals, not from malice or ferocity,
but from sheer idle inconsiderateness. No.
body considers them, why should they con-
slider any bodyp They overload and beat
horses in the most shocking way.
Going up Mount Vesuvius at one time, our
carriage was drawn by some fine, valuable
livery-stable horses. When the ascent be-
came steep, the blows rained down on these
poor creatures-their heaving sides and drop
ping sweet so troubled us that all the party
| got out to walk before the guide could be
| persuaded to take his weight off the box; and
! when it came to the last part of the ascent
the wretches actually struck the horses across
their hamstrings with long poles, to make
them go up the steep.
Any remonstrance on ourpartabout cruelty
to either the horses OF donkeys was met
with bland smile and courdgio, signord.
They could not even form the conception
that we had any feeling for the animal, but
supposed it to be merely pretense to conceal
some personal apprehensions.