Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1872-05-23
A Letter from, Rome.
BY A RUTLAND LADY.
ROME, Italy, March, 1872.

up in an uncomfortably high ancient |
chair, ready to begin my first letter to
you from Rome, with only this Difficult
ty, that don't know where to begin.
Things are always happening here, and
so fast that no sooner is an event over
than it begins to be thing of the far
past, and we have really to rack our
memories to recall what we did yester-
day. Even now that we are settled
down into the quiet Lent, it is a quiet
only in name, and there is enough to see
and do to fill every hour of every day.
Just for beginning, then, shall try to
make a little picture of my Roman home
for you. But shall have to bring you
away from the cleaner and more modern
thoroughfares into the dirty little Nicolo
del Gallinaccio, turkey alley) with
small muddy river running down the
middle of the pavement every time 1t
rains. We are in an aristocratic neigh
borhood, for next door is the PalazzO
del DragO, inhabited by some coroneted
Italians and several J0restie1j families,
Foreigners among whom are the Gle
giant Captain and Mrs. D., who are
up at the top of the Roman elite, and who
entertain so much that every evening
there is a constant roll of carriage wheels
under the arched portal into the brick
paved court. Turning the corner we
step into a much nicer street with
IL C,1.,y A
and here is my portOne, street door,
which after dark is closed. Two heavy
raps for the second piano, (flO0r) and in
moment, the great latch is pulled from
up stairs, and we push open the heavy
door which closes behind us with a bang.
The long corridor stretches out beyond,
and through the gratlngs or an iron door
there is quite a picturesque perspective
of arches and columns out in the court.
| wonder, every time | mount the dark,
dirty flights Of stone stairs, how we
Americans, accustomed to our clean.
fresh houses can live so COntCntCdIV and
uncOmplainngly in the midst Of all this
Gloom and dust and dirt. | consider the
objectionable condition of my entrance
almost atOned for by a beautiful border
in white plaster bassO relieve of flowers
aud fruits and little cupids on the first
! piano, and on the second, a great medal
| lion of an ancient Roman four-hOrsc
/ chariot. Arrived before my door. we
/ pull the great iron chain which rings tn"
( bell. and directly comes the challenge,
/ "CAip! Who's there" which must be
/ answered by "1najcj, or "B2lo1ln gei1te,
/ "Friends," and then there is a trcmcn-
/ dous pulling of bolts and rafting of
/ chains, and the great door is open. This
/ is my padron0, SignOra Rosclii, who
| bowsso gracefully and says, 'Far0rt>c1
-enter.-Or Pcpina, you will hear her
called from one end of the house to the
other. with a strong accent on the ''pi.
Zin2a. her Young npiCe, in constant
( picturesque disorder. issues from an oh
Scure corner bringing the Roman brass
/ 'anD which interests us so much as a
I relic from the veritablc ancient Rome.
I II !. a long brass rod with the oil lamp
/ in the middle and the wick on the side
. of it; the shears and eXtiuguisher dam
ole from the top by long brass chains.
Nv pride in showing my hahitati"n viii
( meet with a downfall if YOU don't cast
lust as curious a look rs | did at first
aronud the antc-camera at the ponder
ous door with its numerous bars and
,'lI.. " ,nI chaine. at thr red brick floor
.,,d tho frpscord cci]inr. the hioh. dark
,,r,.sers thp table with two of The biz
,,os+ hooks 7 ever saw. with immense
( 01,,,,., and tind with red ribbon. into
,,h,,o , ',,1,sta,ias never looked Only
aionca at This room. and peep
through the grated window down into
the court of the PalazzO del Drago with
: NV fn,,a+oin rroo,1 Win moss and
~ VIZ ,,,I ;r1+n Tho Toon which wonld he
xxx nc a eattinu-ro0m The door Of
,,,,, ..},o,varu i omen. and YOU NAV look
;;,,33o 1,aoonctum Of q New ENGLAND STU
l4 =, Drr,o More red brick floor.
Witches of Comet evcrnt a little ru~
49, mo +obln. walls nainted instead
e ,,a,,ornd and hunr with the oIoomicst
,f P.sd{I ,3oetors 80 Gloomy. indeed.
o,d 90 old tho+ Won have TO look steadily
fnr awhile at the St. Sebastian over the
hod Lofnrn Won DISTINGUISH him. But
.} ~, a, t,,.9 lovely NIadonnas which I
~. ~, 1,iii;ng to believe were Daintcd bv
% a., '' Pa5,,o,o or Andrea del Sarto as
Sirnora prnina tells me. 1t is one of
1,, ,,,I,,.,, ON, tirnd of CRAM
mars and dictionaries. to lean back in
lIi,,' o1,ai, onI alnrost break my neck
inGl,inr at the frescoes on the ceiling
, wIi~h are really beautiful, done in adcl-
ina aI, jJn , and rose color and cold: cod
J 1.@s in fIvin9 draperv. and ever 81
momv littIe cberubs scattered about
o'nij.t yyandrrinu arabesQucs. I have
, nn two chairs alike. except in this, that
t tiW aro AL unsteady ON their lees. and
olro al ~ d" ,t' Old and soiIrd By
f T,e window wi LOOKING out into the court
oro1nd which rms a balcony filled with
rntS Of flowers stands the fable with its
spcarlet cover, on which are the home
Ionls and pictures and writing desk.
and T don't need to tell Won that there is
the sanctum sanctOrum Now it yot
viii come into the salotto. the drawing
room. Won shall be seated in state upon
the sofa before which is laid the sole
cornetinC in the room, at liberty to loOF