The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-01-27
look with wondering eyes upon that monument of
Christian art aud fanaticism. the Escural.


THE GAY CITY OF ROMANCE AND soNG-AN
AFTERNOON WITH THE DUKE DE MONT
PENsIER.
SEVILLE, Dec. 4, 1878.
Our stay in Seville marked by one incident of
personal character worthy of veneration-the visit
of General Grant to the Duke of Montpenser. The
day after General Grant arrived in Seville the Duke
called on him. and the next day spent by the
General and his party in the hospitable halls and
gardens of st. Telmo The Duke regretted that. his
house being in mourning account of the death of
his daughter, Queen Mercedes. he could not give
General Craft q more formal welcome than
quiet luncheon party. The Duke. the Duchess and
their daughter present, and after luncheon the
General and Duke spent hour two strolling
through the gardens. which among the most
beautiful in Europe. The Duke spoke great deal of
his relations with America. and especially of the
part which his nephews had played in tho against
the South. At the close of the reception the General
drove back to the hotel and the next morning left for
Cadiz.
CHANGES SEVILLE.
In part of the peninsula does traveller return
ing to Spain many changes as in Seville. You
reminded of the transformation that has been
wrought over Washington-lear dirty. drowsy old
Washington il was before the war-a sprawling
village Of mud and marble. and what it is now.
among the most beautiful cities. In the olden days
Seville bcggars' opera. The streets seemed to
have been neglected since the Moorish surrender.
The principal occupation doing in the sun.
You could not walk to the church without going
through of beggars. 1t beggary militant.
almost brigandage. The beggars held the town, and
there was nothing but surrender or flight If you
came from the outside world you were their lawful
prey, and sightseeing was. general thing, lead
ing procession OF men. women and children in all
conditions of misery-cripples, dwarfs blind A
shrewd friend Of mine then resident in Seville told
that his plan to hire beggar and pay him three
four francs a week, condition that the others
did not disturb him. His plan was a The
moment it known that he had captulated and
made himself subject and tribute-payer he was
unmolested. That is changed. There few
beggars in Seville. but not onehalf as many as in
Dublin.
MEMORIES OF SEVILLE.
In those days Seville seemed city in which to
dream. It was Spanish mean in the sense in
which the world understands Spanish. 1t was Span
ish see the type in comedies. The whole town
was so quaint so unlike anything in our world
The streets in oil directions There no side
walks. Men, women. donkeys. water-carrers all
streamed along in friendly fashion over narrow,
winding ways paved in stone. You the warm
tnts and the glowing color of the South the beauty
Of Andalusia. The men wore costumes appertanng
to the province and had not fallen into French ways.
The damsels the veil and mantilla They had
not learned the vanity Of bonnets. 1t was like step
ping back two centuries-back to the world Of Ger
vantesto walk along the street called sierpes This
was the Broadway Of Seville, or, to be more
exact, the Broadway and Fifth avenue combined
for here people to shop as well
ckr nj daaf attract on1v 20
feet wide. with the strangest minging of cos.
tunes and decorations Soldiers in their jaunty
uniforms bull fighters with their queus of
hair. and jackets trimmed with braid. peasants
with pork pie hats century DID, faded woolen
jackets and brooches; peasant lasses with gaudy,
jaunty costumes bakers serving bread from donkeys
the donkey decorated in the Alhambra STYLE the hair
on his hide carved into shapes curious as the
dome in the Alcazar; singing girls with guitars. the
hair falling the shoulders and no adornment
beyond ribbon; shovel-hatted priests with
long black robes important feature of the society
There were the religious PROFESSIONS some imaged
saint virgin held aloft. with swarm of priests
and attendnnts incense bearers. canopy Bearers
priests chanting their Offices and all the world hurry
ing to its knees as 1t elbowed its way along.
MODERN LIFE IN SEVILLE.
Something of this you may still on the street
are there. but not so many of them. The beggars
have gone let us hope into better employments The
donkeys hold their place. but the decorated donkey is
not so familiar There are fewer stores in which you
can buy scapuls and rosary. The sewing machine
has come and the walls covered with placards
telling how each machine has won more medals than
the other-puzzling doubt, to the creduOus Span
ish mind The hotel has assumed Continental airs.
especially in charges for coffee in the morning and
candles The narrow streets along which you could
stroll and dream and feel the drowsy insouciance of
the place and summon up the legends and poems of
Seville-the wandering, tortuous streets in which
you went around and about, to lose
your way and never to regain il until
you found the Cathedral tower and worked your
way back as though you were working out an obser-
walton in navigaton-are given to hurried
business. people and groups talking politics. Down
by the river it pleasant to stroll and the beg
CARS loll in the sum- watching their fellow beings
pack oranges. If person really at work
over his oranges there a dozen standing by and
looking on, smoking cigarettes telling him about the
bulls that in the evening. what fun it sit
ting mp all night that that they might the bulls
and poke them with sticks idng and talking politics
Seville republican town in those days. But the
republican sentiment has chilled since il has been
discovered that even republicans must work. An iu-
sion Of this kind fatal to missionary enterprise
clergyman came to Spain and organized church
upon good Presbyterian IDEAS the people to rule the
church and the pastor be servant. The church sue
ceeded at FIRST because the socialists Joined II under
the impression that this principle of church govern
ment so unlike the absolute. imperial sway of Rome
was socialism in form. But when they found
they had to abandon the Virgin and purgatory and
the saints and the other comforts of faith and
down to the dry head of Presbytcranism, with
eternal damnation thrown in, the church vanished
The spaniard is gambler. Even in his religion he
does not want lottery in which there prizes
PROGRESS EVEN IN SPAIN
As was saying. you stroll down by the river and
ships in Seve-steamships and sailing vessels
some Of them. you note with quickening heart
throb. under the American flag. And the bridge
over which the beggars used to crouch and watch
the Guadalquiver is now stream of industry-such
as IL is-not New York stream, mad. furious.
dan hut fnr