Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1865-06-22
Ole guteIIigeutsr.
mo women Of Venice I'm 1864.

new 70 u.s. "A CaPit1A uesCEIPNlou VI tns
women, however, as you see them in
Venice now, is TINS given by late Wi.
ter:
In the magnificent court of the palace of
the Doges there are two antique fountains |
Of massive bronze, adorned with renowned |
sculptures and TtpousSe work. Round |
these fountains pressed crowds OF women;
some drew water, while others stood wait. |
ing behind them, and formed exquisite |
groups. These women come hither daily |
at the came hour. The water is drawn in |
a copper or wooden bucket fastened to a |
rope. Tho bronze rim has been worn at
several places by the rope. never before |
saw so many women so quiet. They are
go silent, active and timid in their movo
ments and work, that it might DO fancied
the Doge still resided in the palace. When
they have finished, they put the yoke on
their shoulders and start of at a smart
trot. Their occupation of supplying every
house with water is lAborious one
These hard-workiug and sturdy wo-
men are not VeuetiRDs, but come
from the mountains of Tivoli, whose
snow-clsd peaks are seen rising high in the
air. They come in troops to Venice, Wb ere
they are called byoIauti, from the yoke they
bear on their shoulders. They all live in
the poorest districts of the city. In winter
they wear short wOollen jacket, and
green or dark blue skirt with q red border.
ing. On their heads they have a round hat
of felt or coarse straw, which is coquettish.
" arranged over the left ear, and allows
the peculiar ornnmeniation of the back
hair 10 be seen. These ornaments consist
Of large steel or silver pins, 80 arranged as
TO resemble a coEonet. The size and mo.
terisl of these pins vary according to the
savings of the women, for they constitute
their entire fortune. On the strength of
these pins they marry, but not in Venice !
for no TiVolese woman, however rich or
beautiful, could find a husband there. The |
old law, which foIbids marriage with o
foreign woman, still lives in the minds OF
the people.
On st. Marks Square the original blend
ing Of town and country, which is seen in |
other Italian cities, is not perceptible |
One does not even notice the mixture of
the social classes, which in large Europe. |
an cities is peen in the variety of costume,
manners and Language. No workmen, no |
shirt. sleeves, NO rags are to be seen. A |
few beggars crouch in remote csrBer or
behind a column; some barefooted and
bRreheBded children run after the stranger
along the pavement Of the Procuratio; but
even the deepest poverty looks here like
decadeuCe, and feels ashamed. The man
is careless, and. recognising the useless
meas Of any exertion, iDdulges in a naughty
far niente. This Carelessness, this want of
moral courage, is everywhere expressed in
the streets, on the squares, in the palaces,
the houses, the Offices, and even in the
chambers Of the poor. People get up late
and go to bed late; when the toll of dress-
ing or undressing has been accomplished,
people desire to derive the greatest possi-
BILE advantage from it.
One eide Of St. Marks Square belongs
exclusively to the Austrian officers. They
are avoided, and persons pretend not to
notice their presence. On the other side
there is crowd of ladies. in long black
silk dresses and floating wells. Many of
them wear the round Hungarian hat, with
apigeon's wing as ornament, Neither the
dress nor the bat, the regularity of feature
uor lustre Of the eye, allow their rank to be
recognized. You must look at their neck
aud count how many rows the gold chain,
which every lady wears, forms. But who
could count the fine and delicate rows of n
Venetian chAin2 Easter and equally Ger.
tain marks arc the length of the cbain and
the knot formed with it at the waist-for
the wealthiest lady makes the largest knot
All these women are beautiful, however /:
and two types of feminine beauty, forming
a striking contrast, can be noticed. Many
Venetian women arc daughters of the
night, and their amber hued complexion
impRrtsto them q psllid simmer, like a
dagger lRade in the moonlight. The others
are daughters of the dawn, resembling
roses that have bouTgeoned 10 the full GLOW,
of the sun, images of the fullest and richest
life. These two types of beauty must be
seen in order to understand all the pictures
and adventures of VeEice. Belliui, Geor.
Rione, Tintoretto. and Carpaccio preferred
the first type; Titan and Veronese the
second. When rich models are had, color
must bear away the victory, and drawing
could never allow such perfection MS in
Florence and Rome. The Venetiaus arc
said 10 have been the loyeliest, most ten
der, and most passionate of all women. In
the names of Desdemona, Anna Erizzo,
Biauco Collalto, Blanca Capello, La Gritti
and many Others whom poetry has made
lie own, these passions are written In let.
tiers of blood and fame.
The splendid festivals of Venice are nc
longer kept up. Some disappeared spon
taDeously with the revolution; others have
been prohibited by Austria, because they
aroused dangerous "Reminiscences; and in
those still existing no one feels the slight.
est interest. But festivals, theatres, con.
certs, reRattas, fireworks and illumiuations
have been bauished, because the country
is mourning the national temper. In Ma.
pies, Palermo, Rome and Florence hot,
dry atmosphere is breathed. In Venice
there are no storms, and the air is 80 pure
and mild that life flows along like an un-
rippled stream. Every family must have
its maid servant. In this respect the We.
netisns are animated by a true Spanish
Pridei they cannot wait on anybody. not
even on themselves. The meauest Vene.
tian woman has her maid to light FIRE,
though there may be no wood, and hang
the pot over the Fame, though there may
be no meat in it. The girl has a spindle
hanging from her girdle, and lazily spius
away her thread aud her life. What is
the use of burning wood aud cooking
that is to say, workipg7 For two.pence
irethIy boiled fish can be purchased, broth