Wilmington daily commercial. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1866-1877, 1873-08-05
WILMINGTON, DEL. TUESDAY, AUGUST s, 1873.

We are to-day on the long road from Munich
to Vienna. 279 miles the guide books say, but Z
does not look 80 far on my old Mtchels map,
which took page out of to bring with me, and
it has been of a great deal more use than the
crowded and mixed up map OF the books.
II looks like home too, and that il something.
We do not get honesick2 No We are kept
too busy. The Wandering Jew didn't have a
more unreetful time than we. Why, do you
know we think 1t great comfort TO get to ride
in the all day. it Is such rest after tearing
over the stony pavemsnts, sight-seeing, till our
eyes ache and our brains spin, trying to see and
10 remember cathedrals and churches which
look all alike, with altar pieces by Rubens, and
tapestries by noble ladies, with frescoes by some.
body else. Then the picture galleries Every
city has its collection and its museum and its
Botanic and Geological Gardens in Munich we
saw pictures by hundreds and thousands room
after room Of plain, shadowless figures in bright,
blue and red, representing virgins and saints in
Vulnerable and cruciixions and ascensions, ,pur-
gatories and assumptions, expressionless and
meaningless to ME. Even their great pictures
that are full Of life and expression, are of such
agonizng subjects that one wonders of the con-
dilion OF mind OF the painter who could conceive
30 many such.
There are some glorious works of art, among
them, some Munllos Of common street seen Cd
that are very fine. some ideal representation Ms
by Rubens and portraits by Van Dyck that / ELL
joyed exceedingly, but when first walked in the
morning to got upand go zee more cathedrals
and more pictures, | said wished all OF them
we're burnt up, or that an earthquake would de-
stroy them, felt so averse to looking, and yet
| must see them after coming all this distance.
L was glad Rubens was not alive now to paint
any more horrible scenes.
But with the seeing, came, enthusiasm, and
fatigue was forgotten.
Such funny dressing as we see! At first
every nice looking woman, We said looked like
an American, till We found that all the higher
classes in sll these countries follow the same
fashions that we do, and do not appear materi-
ally different in any thing; the same rutfies.
frils, overskirts and neckties but they do wear
more towering chignons, at least some OF them,
real double decker crowns of hair, right on top
of the head. The working people might be a
distinct race, they appear 30 different in face,
figure and dress.
Iu Antwerp, the work-women wore in
the streets the sweetest white caps,
with immense ear.taps. beautifully en-
brodered and exquieitely clean; small
shawl or handkerchief over the neck and 5honl-
ders, and short, stiH, full skirt. that made
them look like barrels, standing on red pegs. In
Germany the cap is changed for the large, white
handkerchief, stiffly starched and pinned close
round the face the corners covering the shout
ders in some localities. The handkerchief is
black
In Brussels, think it was, we saw the pretty
little round French caps, instead Of the long
cared ones. 10 fact Brussels is more French
than German in many things. They speak the
former almost more than the latter. In Great
Britain you never saw such chgnons as they
wear hair must be cheaper than in America,
or it would take fortunes TO supply the family
heads, The caricatures in Harpers' are not ex-
aggerations of some of the heads and boDnets
that we saw in Edinburgh. little blue crepe
affair, all lace and flowers stuck of on the hair
at least one foot from forehead and ears and at
an angle of 45 degrees, not upon top as they are
worn at home.
The most of the Scotch girls wear their hair in
those long, black rolls or rats" that were fash.
iOnable two or three years ago. In other things
the ladies' dress fashionaby enough. E. W.