The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-09-09
NeapolItan Street Scene.

hG lObh Nv AAhI " SANSh W 49,
sina, drive OF four miles, and one OF
exceeding INTEREST," you wish to see Ma
pies life. The way is round the curving
bay by tue sea; but so continuously
built up Is IL. and so enclosed with high
walls OF villas, through the open gates OF
which the golden oranges gleam, That
you seem never to leave the city. The
streets and Quays swarm with the most
vOciferous, dirty, multitudinous life. It
is drive through Rag FAIR. The tall,
whiley-yellow houses fronting the water
six, seven, eight stories high, a:e full rs
beehives; people are at all the open win
dOws; garments hang from the balconies
aud from poles thrust out; up very mar.
row, gloomy, ascending streets are
crowds OF struggling, human shapes;
and you sec how like herrings in a box
nre packed the over half million people
Of Naples. In front of the h uses are
the markets in the open air-dsh, vege.
tables, carts OF oranges; in tho sun sit
women spinning from distaffsor weaving
fishing nets; and rows OF children who
were never washed and never clothed
but once, aud whose garments have
nearly wasted away; beggars, fisherman
in red caps. sailorsr priests, donkeys,
fruit yenlers, street musicians, carriages,
carts, twU.wheeled breakdown vehicles
the whole tangled in one wild roarand
rush and babel-a shifting, varied pano.
rama OF color, rags-a pandemonium
such rs tho world cannot show else.
where-tidt is what one sees on the road
to Rcsina. The drivers all drive in the
streets here us II they held commission
from the devil, cracking their whips,
shouting to their horses, and dashing
into the thiCkest tangle with entire reck.
lessness, They have ono cry, used
alike for getting more speed out Of their
horses or for checking them, or In warm
ing to tho endangered crowds on foot.
It Is IN explanatory grllnt, which nay
be partially expressed by the letters
'a.e.ugh.n Everybody shouts it-mule
driver, 'coacllee," or cattle driver; and
even l, a passenger, fancled l could do
it to disagreeable per ection after time.
Out OF this tlrOng in the streets l like
to select tho meek, patient, diminutiye
little donkeys, with enormous pannicrs,
that almost hide them. Ono would
have n woman, seated on top, with n
child in one pnnier and cabbages in tho
other; another with IN immense stock
Of market greens on his back, or big bas'
ket OF oranges, or with row OF wine.
casks md adhering by some unknown
law OF adhesion, to tho sloping tail.
Then there was the cart drawn by some
diminutiye donkey. OF by an OK, or by
m OK and q donkey, or by donkey and
horse abreast-nevet by any possibility
matched team. And. funniest Of oil,
was the high, two.whCeled ealeehe, with
one seat and top thrown back, with long
thills and poor horse. Upon this yehi.
Gle were piled, Heaven knows how, be.
hind, before, on the thills, and under
nsath the high seat, sometimes ten, and
not seldomls many as eighteen people
men, women, and children-all IN
Haunting rags, with colored scarf here
and there, or scarlet cap-psfhaps u
priest, with broad. black hat, in the
centrc-driying along like comet, the
poor horse in galop, tho bells on his
ornamcnted saddle merrily iingling, aud
the whole load in n roar OF merriment.-
"Samttriaqs," BY c. D. RdriT.