, 1866-02-24

" ~
Thoec travellers whose good fortune has
brought them into Italy this year have found
the sunny land of which SO much is said and
80 truly little known, This is my fifth winter
in the Peninsula, and 1t is the first one which
bears any resemblance TO the ItAllan winter OF
books ot travel. December and January haya
passed without frost, and most OF their sixty
two days have been as nearly cloudless as the
skies Of this region ever permit. The frat OF
poetIcaI observers Charles Dickens remark
ed some years ago that blue skies were rare in
his time at Genoa aud Pisa Tho fact IL CON
Grmed hy my experience, and may add that
i seriously doubt whether fair, deep, blue
sky can be secn anywhere except on the prai-
ries Of Illinois. But tho genial sofsneas Of
Italian air, aud the absence of ftost, render
our sunny days here especially charming to
those who think OF home with shirer and
thronging Images Of heated stoves, frosted
window panes, and wide expanses Of Ice and
STOW,
So we have enjoyed onr Florence In winter
and listened with satisfaction to tales of 9TH
er winters that kept this balmy softness TIL
the spring scattered flowers along tho banks
Of the Aruo. We even hoped this winter
would learn OF the mystic good old time and
broad light OF summer. But we all woke up
this morning to find chilly drizzle filling
the landscape Which was sunny yesterday.
and We looked out Of our windows to sec
through the drizz1e the lower circle Of hills
growing white with falling SNOW We do not
wish 1t so; bnt the frost Is coming down
from the hills, and d weary month Of mud
and cloud and chill is before Us.
THE CARNIVAL.
Y,,% e1,nr fc,y
II the Italians had not carnival they would
be tie eoberest people on the planet. Tho
carnival Is tho contrast 10 all The rest Of the
year and tends to keep up the balance be.
tween gravity and mirth Which at last makes
all people Of one blood. We are all more or
less childish In our carnival; the traditional
usage lakes hold of us despite our occupa-
bic away to the theatre and ball and ''kick
dull care away" as heartily as any Of your
Ynnkee tribes.
I know We are accounted merry; bnt no
mere traveller reilly sees ue SO. Ono must
live among Us TO find US really gay. We are
server, aud he must have found his way to our
hearts who sees US In undress. We do ur-
bend. We are doing it now. Taxes are high,
bread is dear, dowries for our girls are on the
rise, and We feel pincbcd. We wear our last
years clothes and calculate the price Of our
Oluuefe Win UNUSUAL CATE. ~ AeFt we go
with vine and dance and Song and the wo-
man, who, as Wegg would say, Is "the min
ion OF the hour"
TEE DANCE HOUSES.
A great deal, ninc-tcnths; Of our mirth-
making and reyclry Is very Innocent Look
in al peoples eating house where citizens
and peasant girls-or to coin a word nearer
the truth, poJ,o7an girls-arc dancing the night
away, and defy you to pry out with the
3nfI
tion OF Mrs. Grnndy. There are hundred Of
these peoples dances going Oh every night IN
every principal Italian city, and believe the
dancers get the maximum OF pleasure with the
minimum Of cost, whether II money or NOR
ais. 1t Is pleasure to look IN upon these
happy, Innocent children of nature.
For the couyentionalitics thatcEuEh ont all
lille In the higher circles Of onr society, do not
bear Oh the people. We are therefore natural
and ,nconstTaincd to degree. We arc not
and never expect to be gentlemen md ladies'
We do not ape tail coats and ball dresses
they arc in sad world from which our pow
erty excludes us. But We are gay as birds.
and for the time we have as little care. We
say what we mean, and that is often 30 very
plain as TO bring blushes to the cheeks of pco-
pie who cultivate modesty for their neigh
bors. Hearts are won and lost there ere
leart-breaks md heart.aches-hoW can He be
lively without these ?-hot tenpcrs clash to.
Gethcr, and vino lit eyes blaze out untoward
WEnth, and the rude walls ring with curses
that, Ii properly translated, would pass mus
ter 10 Ehcrmun's army. Bnt the great dEtlk
Of this aboundlng flow Of Life looks and IL
essentially Joyous, happy-or as nearly 50 a.
human felicity Of the mere earthly sort ever
gets to be.
HIGH LIFE.
In the fashionable balls and operas, there is
another spirit. The outside Is frosted over
here md the atmosphere about Il has chill
TINT rcpels you until one pair Of bright warm
eyes lures you within the circle. Then you
70 there to dance with that pair Of eyes and
be happy because they warm you like generous
wine. ! do not wonder or prate. It Is the
truth. Men and women here are excessively
individual, personal IN all their enjoyments.
Beppo goes TO the masque ball to dance With
Ernfnia, and she to lean on Ills arm and be
formcd by his breath. It looks dull to M
outsider, and poor fellow ! 1t il dull to him.
Two people enjoying each other always give'a
dteary look to the world around them, aud
the world retorts BY making alcm seem simple
and childish.
This iuliyidualis1n or rather dualism OF the
bali makes It a little difficult to comprehend
1t. For example, who shall report whether
The bali was successful orno: We escape the
embarrassment By having no reporters and
leaving each one TO decide whether or not he
was happy. Very difficult often is this ones
vealcd to you half your history in a ire min
utcs' whisper and then t1itted out Of eight.
There Is the woman in psntaloons-why not
Just soy it?-who bewitched your Ksenses
ns kne daheea; tnele Is tnei1ntilgue VIII you5
neighbours W!le pfosPefoasly commenced ana
then dashea pg nsals simPuaenee-ali NseI 1aese
aao nunoleo tnole lncloG9ls ~ letalu ~ LOT
ment you "4en you ask you "c1e uapes
next Sunday night.
cARSlvAL SCENES
The carnival Ia the season for which all other
Seasons are made to mnny huxom dame,
who enjoys dance mitch, and fun, with few
drops Of intrigue In It,, much more. have a
neighbor-a young WidoW-Who has spent
the whole year IN preparing tue gunPoWde1
plots to blow up nndes Inc % lsst o. aer 1rlends
and enemies: sae nas s9llscan .caS7aa scnnnAt' in'
ieoeo p Psi,aeT zenare ~ htr camna,sn. Hnw
tp!Ind r LA ~ dsrE snd rnsc w;th The dnwn. hnt
~ ~ o.u mnn,h mast ,he has mt ciosed her ewes
~ w.. ga,4 49,, 1;v1his ~ hcr ft,s35s
n,ts;i. ~ NO theatre nr hall rnomN Sho
] chans1es brr masks. aitera her voice, md takes
naG iann,,ann II ,f,n infn,te conf'sion of ali
rbon e she tnEtnres. Nryt reor she says shC he
viii hc nerSect she viii lave Ten different
fan1t,css acccnf. she womb tl5o # inanttIon
;Tthnre vare m csrniva1, What vii ehe 5n
when tl,r yenrs increase and the day ieclines
"----' sc.xn.7s
ee4spAts
Ou5 GTnn9 balls TINS year are not without
seanaat. me e7ayc cloers snake thelr heaa:
and say It Is the Court Perhaps 1t Is partly
true ou1 moi wholly, Ihe aoosencss OF nlt
mas mol ~ come i5om 1uIan:
One in'1nsse THESE oames "aqse d!1I iame Is EURO. 70
~...S..,"n -, ~ <ra,5 Iii 80. -. - ~.
acn. Ehe nersonsted a bacchante with snst
terrih1e fidrlity fbnt She nartyTized herself fc
he iinsv ~ i1jsnloyfn~ four serr,i nni,e Ijrnh;
en5 -. f.n1ticss hust for the ndmIrntion q
those who were 50 shortsicbtcd as to see thest
md not SEQ The lcopard's skin which diI no
fsll scan,ia, II m 81, and surely YOU havt
| ern,oh ~, thnt sisIe ~ ihe Atlantic.
eA ~ ...rn,e.rs ,nno.n