The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1875-01-30

our most Joined us. We found him an
enthusiast in art, and courteous gentle
man, willing to tell us the thousand and
one interesting peculiarities in the objects
about us.
The room which is called the reception
room is large shadowy apartment, unique
in its arrangement, quaint in every detail.
The walls are covered with rare old pic.
lures which seem, in the aubdued light, to
be reaching out of the shadowy past which
gave them birth. In the centre of the
room is fountain, whose figure piece is
graceful bronze, nearly life size. From
the ceiling are suspended three flying
female figures of bronze, bearing the
clustered gas lights. A stairway winds up
from this room among pictures and past
tinted antique window. Back Of this
shadowy region is a well lighted room,
communicating by broad arched door
way, at each side of which stands figure,
clad in armor from stop to toe" | say
figure indeed it required a strong effort of
the understanding to assure ourselves there
was not Briande Bois Guilbert, or some
other medieval warrior encased within
these suits Of steel
In the rear room, opposite the broad en-
trance, is large picture nearly filling the
side wall, representing the Farewell of
Louis XVI. with his Family before his
Execution" The figures arc life size the
grouping, the attitudes, the drapery, are
maryels Of art. The other walls are
covered with pictures by the old masters
referring mostly to legends of the saints
and martyrs. Surrounded by these pic
lures of sacred old times and legends,
whose painters even we call sold" and
have placed reverently in the inches of
the past, one forgets tho petty prosaic life
of to day and drifts away back into roman. =.
tic medieval times, and fingers there in
sort Of serene ecstacy, almost believing the
aureolas about these heads are luminous.
had taken one of the luxurious seats
in the loom and was delightfully."- drifting
into this sort OF dream when was aroused
by our host saying, "If you are ready we
will go up stairs"
had supposed this was the extent of
the collection we had come to see, and
would have felt amply repaid had it been,
beside | was loath to leave this enchanted
region, but INCREASINGLY followed through
the shadowy fountain room, up the wind
ing stairs, past the eager, sad aud agonized
faces which looked out from the pictures
past the tinted window, and statue in
niche, when we suddenly found ourselves
in an Aladdin world of beauty. Here are
four rooms en- suite, communicating by
broad door-ways, so that standing in the
front room you seem looking down the
nave of n cathedral, the tintings are SO rich.
and the light so mellow. At the extremi-
ty Of the vista is large stained glass
window, whose rich warm colors beyond
the shadowy middle distance produce a
very fine effect. Each of these rooms is
fitted up in an entirely different style,
having character of its own as unique as
ii is beautiful
On entering the front room, which is the
drawing room, you feel yourself enveloped
in soft brightness, a glow of cheerful
freshness pervades the apartment. The
prevailing tints are rose and drab Car
pet, walls, furniture, ornaments, harmo-
nize in softened brillianey, and large
mirrors at opposite sides of the room
repeat this beauty with fine effect After
few moments you discover there is
something more here than mere suifusion
Of soft bright color, there is a meaning
here-a history.
The walls aud ceiling are pictured
allegory This painting resembles freseo,
but is finer than fresco, as il is done upon
canvas attached to the walls. The whole
painting represents "Thc Overthrow of
Paganism by Christianity" Upon the
ceiling, in groups, are represented "Jupi-
ter" with his thunderbolts; "Minervs,"
"Hercules," the tragic story of "Prome-
theus, "Saturn upon his Throne" "The
Fairies and their Trains, and the "Fates,''
in their various vocations Here is the
exquisite story, "Diana and Endymion."
"Apollo" dashes through the heavens,
scattering and dispensing the clouds, The
pretty story of "Cupid and Psyche" fol-
lows then comes "Aurora," ushering in
the morning, surrounded by genii, who are
refreshing the earth with dew. These
NEUROLOGICAL subjects have been carefully
arranged with reference to their signi6-
cance, to illustrate the moral growth toward
Christianity. On one side of the ceiling
are "Moses Holding the Tables of Stone,
and "Sibyls aud Prophets Receiving the
Divine Light On the opposite side are
"St John with the Revelations, "Proph-
cts and Sibyls," and "The Magi Following
Star" The side walls are arranged in
panels, divided by pilasters. luthe panels
are represented successfully the Christian
virtues, glove" "Truth," "Faith," "Jus-
tice,' Temperance by some scene from
life. The pilasters are finely decorated
with vines, fruits, flowers, birds, eherubs,
and graceful caryatides support the en-
tablatures. Though there ara several
hundred figures upon this ceiling and
walls, one does not have sense Of crowd
ing or confusion The tints arc so soft
and harmonious that it is only when one
begins to study the painting that the