Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1872-05-18
LETTERS FROM ABROAp.

ROME, ITALY, April, 1879.
l can scarcely believe am in the Eternal
City the centre of the world, toward which
all hearts are drawn. But eleven hours Of
car riding surely has brought us here. We
ieit Florence at A. NJ, our coupe full of Ital-
ians, mainly but some of them proved very
agreeable, and we found ourselves chatting
away as if We had found a party of English.
Nothing could surpass the exquisite beauty
OF the mountains all the way; the weather
was perfect, and as the mists rose from their
nights rest, through the delicate film the gray
sides were visible, or above the film the half
concealed tops, with their fresh mantle OF
snow, and the sun pouring down upon il.
Sometimes during the day, a single SUNNI.
looked like mass of silver up in the air. as
the sun was hidden behind cloud and shone
upon that only. AS we neared Rome, q grand
sunset turned all nature to that peculiar rose
color we see here when the atmosphere is so
clear, and later, the hills were all blue-that
rich blue that one sees from burning alcohol
That is the prettiest blue know, but the
mountains were not SO delicate shade.
Fortunately, we had engaged rooms in ad.
vance, else we might have had to sleep in the
depot, as scores do, who foolshly have come
10 Rome without rooms. Rome could hardly
have been fuller during Carnival than it is
this, Holy Week. l was sorry TO be obliged
TO come so carly, for there is nothing wbatey.
er to be seen in the way of grand functions in
ST. Peters and the Sixtine Chapel, which
made Rome so attractive before. last year.
The Pope, still in the sulks, is trying to get
sympathy for himself as prisoner and will
not make his appearance on Holy Thursday
to bless the people, or have the church illumi-
mated, or issue from the Vatican at all. He
even has suppressed some of the ordinary mu-
sic, the paper says, evidently trying to spite
the King and make the people run to the arms
of the Holy Father again, for protection and
renewal of their old ceremonies. But the
people, as yet, are too fond of the King.
1t had seemed to me that had been in
Rome, so many details of it was familiar
with, and thought, show stupid it will be to
write accounts of things described over and
over again in books and letters" but wbea
going out the next day after our arrival, 70 SEQ
sights, assure you nothing seemed worn out
from description. but all as delightfully."- new
as if I had been ignorant of it all /; and In.
stead of the ruins being swallowed up in pro.
fuse accounts. they seemed to stand out solita.
ry and majestic, and bits of history or infoEma.
ton were recalled to add to their innate beau
ty. To do the drudgery FIST, we hunted for
mosaics, though it proved very pleasant work.
The shops for mosaics seemed 10 occupy
good share Of the streets around the Piazza di
Spagna 1 was surprised TO find this piasxs
surrounded by shops and hotels instead of res
licences AT one end is great staircase, With
the church of La Trinita del Mont at tho top,
commanding fiue view Then we drove 10
the tombs of Shelly and Keats, and theAcs
went down INTO the tomb Of Caius Cestus,
close by great pyramid built to his honor.
say "down," for everything Of the Roman Pc
riod is down, if excavations have been made.
Six little frescoes are painted on the wails
that are beautifully preserved; one face Of
female figure is exquisite, aud yet was painted
in the time of Christ Following the Appian
Way short distance we arrived at the Baths
of Caracalla. They are continually excavs-
ting there and finding mosaic floors. bits OF
broken columns or statues. had no idea
these baths were 90 immense--about $50 feet y
square, of Immense proportions and aecomnao- !
dated sixteen hundred bathers. A great Oh,
long room in the center was probably the
main bath room; at eech end ase tuQ ae@iy
ft