Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1878-09-19


for the clouds of vapors which were
.seething and rolling around. Had our
breakfast and then, in carriages, started
in heavy rain for the Observatory. The
beggars were as thick as blackberries-
which are just getting ripe now-they,
the beggars, not the blackberries, followed
us clear to the top. We took the road cir
cling round the bay; then leaving it,
struck out up the ascent, passing strings
of donkies patiently trudging along, with
paniers of onions, egg-plants, peppers,
figs, peaches, grapes, melons, etc., these
paniers being three times larger than the
dOnkies, from whose galded shoulders
and backs the blood was dripping. The
people drive them with eudgle like an
oar, and they are so utterly brutal to them
that it makes me sick to think of them.
At. the commencement of the sleeper
ascent there was lull in the storm; and
as DR.. Loomis said I should go up on a
.donky,. with a boy to guide it by the tail,
decidedly told him I would not, and
jumped out, and was followed by pes
tiferous beggar who tried to pull me up,
and, as l refused to be pulled, he got be-
hind and tried to boost me ;being repulsed
in every quarter, he contented himself
by running along in front of me, under
pretense of pointing out the path over
the lava, which was as plain as from the
house to the mill. If stopped an instant
to admire the lovely scenery, and think
of Buchanan Reeds lovely poem, 'FDrift-
ing," this rascal was at my side-rags,
dirt and vermin, to distract my attention.
If stopped to gather a spray of the love
ly asphodel he did likewise. declare, 1
was strongly tempted to pitch him down
the hOrrid lava beds, to get clear of him.
The lava is GlQful; there is no other word
for it. Curled, contorted, twisted, ,writh-
ing, foaming, seething, it has poured over
the fairest olive and orange orchards eye
ever beheld. The great flow of '72 is dis
tinctly traceable, and its edges marked by
the sickly figs and pomegranates. 1t is
the color of burned loaf of bread, the
under portion, where it has broken loose,
is of a lighter color; but never can tell
you how it makes one feel to look at all.
this seething mass.of desolatiOn; !; looking
up and seeing the sullen smoke floating
away, to think of the destruction wrought
in. the past, and what may be done in the
future. .ss. ..s
When we reached the Observatory,
where the real ascent commences, the
horses were ready for us; but, as looked
up at this awful, quaking mass-in shape
like an egg, with the small end up, with
dent in it-and looked around at the
.hard-faced guides, and pestiferous beg
gars, my heart failed me entirely
would have gone on-but being alone-I
thought, if anything should happen to
me, you would take it so hard So [
missed a glorious opportunity of burning
soles, and souls of inspiration, enthusi-
asm and shoe-Ieather, and ingloriously
went back ina carriage and deIuge of
rain, which continued all the way to
Rome, which we reached about 10o'clock,
weary, but happy to shake the dust, YER
min and beggars of Naples from our feet.
This is Sunday afternoon, and some of
the party have gone to see Michael Ange-
los ''Moses," one. Of the grandest colos-
sal statues 1 have seen. Part went to St.
Peters, to Mass. went upon the Pin
clio, with Mrs. Jones, and got my sermon
i cut of the lovely scenery, where are
/ Epumgranate, orange, date, plan, gum ces-
| tus sensitive trees (as large as locust
treesl and know not what all, of lovely
| trees-shrubs and flowers all around, and
/ no beggars nor monks to poster US. The
little Lizards were darting hither and
| -everywhere-on the hot stones
1
beady eyes. l went to a fountain in
| which a couple of swans were quietly
I feeding, with five young ones-gray cyg-
nets that reminded me of Hans Ander-
sens story of the ugly ducl1ling-though
these downy, grey things were as large,
if not larger, than any full-grown duck
Here isa. curious, water clock, the ma
tchineEy being hid inside Of four calls
/ lilies, which, with their leaves, arise ou
9of a messy rock. and decayed seed-pot
+ of lilly serves for pendulum, int
which the water dropping-or rather run
ning-sets into motion, causing it to roc
from side to side like cradle. Tt strike
the half and quarter hours on a bell wit
a hammer, something like the bronze an
~
the wonderful clocl1-tower at Venice,
believe. have gadded about so much
cannot remember where have seen sue
and such things, unless IrefeE to, my no
: book, and just now am too busy.
Mrs. Br0ckway came in for. me, just
/ finished the above, and went out on tt
Pincio and spent the rest of the afte
I7nOT1 in hof oh r -,
went to the church of. San Trinite de Ho
r ii, which is close, to. my window. It
open only ON Sunday; and, as Mende
$ sohn once composed some music especia
e ly for tho nuns of this church, they sil
5 it at vesPers on Sunday evening. new
S saw more mockery of religion and oh, tt
= wasted lives of these women, spent
: counting beads and kneeling, for wh
: purpose, it is difficult to conceive.
e Tomorrow morning we go to the Pla
). hzO of San Maria Del Popolo, below n
D + west window (the Pincio is in front
j.. i an d above my east window, where the
; is an Egyptian obelisl1, and wonderf
s fountain of wateP-spOuting lionesses.
). The Bragdons have little party of the
N own tonight. Some have gone one w
i'd and some another. Some to drink frC
ne the Fount of Levi.
as Pisa, Aug. 6.-I wound up Sunday
o. ternoon by going to hear the Nuns sin
t. after supper, packed my trunk and we
Il. to bed. In the morning Iwas out on t
it Pincio early, before the beggars a
ID monks were abroad, and only America
e. about. After breakfast went shoppil
re with Mrs. Jones and got some canoes, b
it. not what 1 wanted. We just got back
go time for dinner; hurried through tt
Y, and was off for the station, and never {
nd here till after IL last night. The road
one constructed on the ancient Aureli