Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-10-20
LETTER FROM ITALY.
Italian Peasant Life and n Mediterranean
Watering Place.


The experience of a second summer passed
in Sieua has confirmed the impressions Of the
first in regard to its advantages as health
resort for foreigners during the warm season.
The wave Of heat which swept over the
American continent in July reached us also,
and was followed by the same cool change.
But during the exceptionally hot weather Of
July, the the thermometer in my parlor was
never above So; there was always cool
draught of air through the corridors, and,
by closing the blinds on the sunny side Of
the house during the middle of the day
we could always, even there, maintain tem-
perature which was bearable if not agree
able. The nights were invariably cool, and
in the narrow streets one could always walk
in the shade, even at noon the high build
ings making some Of them perpetually dim,
so that wondered how the inhabitants OF
the ground floors could have light enough for
the commonest occupations. But the Ital.
ians, though they rejoice in the brilliant sun
shine OF their land, as identifying the land
scape and ripening the olive aud the grape,
do not like to admit it to their houses too
freely. Many large and elegant room is
spoiled for US light.lovng foreigners, by its
small allowance of window perhaps one at
the end Of a long saloon, and that heavily
draped and protected by all sorts OF inside
and outside shutters. Add to this that the
Wallpapers or other coverings are almost
always of dark, notwithstanding tnts, and
you will understand why the most handsome.
ly furnished room often appears gloomy and
repelling to an American or English eye.
How the delicate embroidery and lovely lace
which in times past were the iavorite occu.
patton of women here both in the convent
and in the family, were ever made 10 such
dimly lighted rooms, surpasses my power OF
Imagination. Galileo's daughter writes him
to beg for piece of oiled linen for the win.
dow Of her cell in the convent Of Arcetu,
that she might not suffer so much with cold
in the winter days, at the fine sewing she
wishes to do for him. With the feeble twi-
light which struggles through her little win.
dow high up in the wall, thus glazed, she can
do better than with the unobstructed light
because her fingers are not so chilled.
But in the summer days these great dusSy
rooms are welcome even to US, and we wan
der about the old palaces Of Siena, undis-
turbcd by the fierce glare that makes the
Campagna walks impossible. | am more
and more impressed with the perfection oil
these specimens of the architecture Of the
middle ages. All about them is nobly con
ceived, and worth of transmission To poster
| ity; even in the details one sees the evidence
of an intelligent love OF beauty, and OF am
Pile means and leisure to crafty it. Modern
times have borne away the prosperity Of the
city, aud the riches Of its mobiles; but there
still remain, not only the buildings and the
pictures of a happier era, but many remnant
of the spirit of those ancient times. The
feuds OF the Guel phs and Ghibellines have
hardly been forgotten; the great victore!
aud defeats of other days are still fresh II
their thoughts and every year. in the civic
fiesta of August 10, the story Of the rou
of the Florcutinc army at Monteaperto, il
1860, is recalled by the battle.car, which
has its place in the procession, and which Is
constructed in exact imitation of the original
which was captured by the Sieneso on that
memorable occasion. Something, also, Of
the ancient simplicity of habits and belief
still fingers among the common people Of ST.
cna; they have a reSpsctaJleReSS OF appear
ance which is quite opposed to the ambitious
tawdriness of the Florentne and Roman
lower classes, and they have preserved a
purity Of language and accent which is quit,
exceptional.
During long days Of illness at Siena,
amused myself not a little with the legend
and family histories which my nurse had al
/ Skn , go
the mother Of large family, for whose sup
port her precarious gains as nurse, with the
wages of her husband in a hospital at 81
per month, had to suffice [ have seldom
seen happier woman. Her only ambition
was to keep out Of debt, aud thus far she
had succeeded There was no trace abou
her Of the everlasting worry which kill
American women even in easy circumstances
yet she had apparently much to make he
lot hard one. One of her children wa
hopelessly a cripple, AMI all but one wer,
still too young to do anything toward theiI
own support. She was intent on glvin
them sufficient school education to avoid tn
difficulties she had experienced for the wan
Of it.
asked her, one day, if she could read
"Alas no, signora - she answered. 81 hay
not been to school since | was ten years old
and | only went two months in all. This
how it happened My oldest sister was |;
then, and had been going to school Ion
time One day my father found her writin
a love-etter. What do you think of that
Only 49, and already falling in love Wei
my father was very angry, and declared tina
il such was the use girls made Of learnin
he would have no more of 1t in his family
aud he took me out of school that very day
was so sorry, for had not got throug
the alphabet. However, when my Bopp
was at the war, sent him letters regularly
Notwithstanding that | did not know how /
write myself; and the father never found IN
out"
Here was bit OF romance, evidently
Let us see how this love.makiug under di
liculties is carried on in Italy.
80 them" | said "Catelina, your iathC
did not approve Of your lover Tell II
how you managed to marry him. "Senti
signora My Beppo and | had known eac
other from the time We were little children
but, when | was II, he began to make Low
to me in earnest. My father wanted me t
marry somebody else, and would not hear
Beppo, so we hardly ever saw each othe
But his sister came to our house almol
every day, so we sent messages through hi
and the father was none the wiser. All
there is always way when one is in low
But then came the CONSUMPTION, and m
poor Beppo drew low number and had
60 to be a soldier, and for six years he WI
away off ia Piedmont, and never saw hiI
in all that time. When he came back,
tried again to get my fathers consent, f
we had never ceased to think of each othe
but it was all in vain. Imagine dear lad
how hard it was for US both Then the wa
of SO broke out, and BepPo volunteers