The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-11-04
VENICE, QUEEN or THE SEA.
a snmmer,s EvenIng GondoIn. Ride.
BATHING IN THE CANALS-H0W VENETIAN
BABIES LEARN TO swIM--THE PAINTING OF
ST. Marks FOR MR.. RUsKIS's MCsECM.
New York Times.l


tempered by medieval romance which en-
velopcs ihe Queen Of the Adriatic in po-
etica halo tbat puts the mind IN CON-
plete accord with its soft, dreamy re-
pose. LuIled by the soothing splash OF the
oondoiier's oar, and his musical cry OF
warning at every sharp turn in the laby-
rinth of narrow canals. drifting and float
ing-nOw lazily, now quickly-alODg in the
cool shadows, under the carved balconies
of its famed palaces and archiDg bridges,
reclining luXuriously on the soft, dark
frinQed cushions Of the nigbt-hued Condo
Ia. life and sightseeing take an altogether
different aspect from any other point OF
view elsewhere. The feeling that cit is
GOOD 10 be here" steals over the senses
as delicously rs by mag!can's en-
cbantment. Existence becomes n never
ceasing, varying dream of disSolying and
reshaping views that come and 90 IKE
beauteous phantOms in the b0rderland OF
the material and spiritual worlds. Nature
and art ara here ever in friendly rivalry to
adorn their cherished city with their most
subtle and delicate graces, weaving them
together in web OF material fascination as
Irresistible as The girdle OF Venus, yet hint
ing without measure at still more delicious
lows unseen. Venice is-Venice; aud this
alone describes IL satisfactorily on the whole.
But ] wish to speak OF Venice OF hot
summers early eve, when the lengthening
shadows cross its network of green waters,
and, climbing fast up IFS marble tdCddeS,
give quaint gloom and suggestive mystery
10 the manv picturesque portals with their
mediaVal sculptures and inviting cOoness,
sometimes leading the eye to inviting
matches OF brilliant green in Verdant
4 NFf, int nd
halls. daIk and grim with the stains OF many
humid centuries in deep-tinted pic
turesGue decay. At this hour Venice be-
comes dOubly amphibiOus. Her canals are
alive with her male population, men and
bows. and very many little maidens, too, in
cloth fig-leayes, sporting in the waters like
so many dark-skinned PolyneSians. They
dive. tbpy gamboI, they shout, they splash,
thew make the old walls and Shiny waters
merry with their cries and laughter, while
their uude, white bodies come out against
them in shiny, dripping relief, like so many
figures OF far-away primitive world where
innocence still rules supreme. Mothers sit
knee deep in water on their house steps,
either holding their siX-mOntbs'-oid Da-
bies, while they kick and splash and GEO
dehghtedIy on their own account at find-
ing themselves thus early in life in their
native element, or else they let the older
ones loose. with ropes around their waists,
securely fastened either 10 themselves or
the d0Or-rlUgs, to be hauled quickly III, IN
ease OF an emergency. TO and them stlil
further in their nautical exploits these in
fants are supplied with brea,t-boards on
which TO float until they learn to swim,
which feat is soon accomplished. For at
this seIson Venetian parents take their ba-
bies into the canals for this purpose as sys-
tcmaticaly as the lands people theirs into
the parks TO learn TO walk. And ii is sur
prisIng and amusing to see how familiar
IT, and eagerly they take TO the tre6ch-
erous waters, which are TO them what green
sward and sidewalks are to terra; ;trmd
children, Indeed, at this time Of day 1t re-
ouires some extra skill on the part OF the
gendoler to pick his way through the
swimming, floating, plunging population,
rs thick in spots as shoals OF mackerel in
their season, screaming and hustling one
another in the brine as vigorously as II
snoring on shore. Where there is so much
rollcking nakedpess about, stalwart models
OF men as nude, saving their waist cloths,
as the classical gods, and little girls and
bows rayless, or next to II, at first blush on
encountering them in these watery streets OF
large city in broad daylight, Just rs one
does Broadway pedestrians as the lei
sure hours OF day come on, the lneXpe'
rienced eye is somewhat startled, but soon
gets accustomed to regard the sight as
very novel and amusing episode OF Nene.
tiaD life. On one occasion, having 10 enter
a palace on the Grand Canal, there were so
many bathing from its steps that The g0pdo-
lier had to pause awhile before he could ap-
prOach for them TO clear the way, and we
made a triumphal entry between the drip
ping tiles OF bathers as If 1t were the pro-
perest thing in the world 10 do, and
nobody felt ashamed on one side, i am
certain. Salt water everywhere is great
leveler of conventional ideas OF mo-
desty, we all know, but with the back
ground Of Venice ii gets an extra renais-
saut touch. Imagination can easily trans
form these warm living bodies into the
stone cupids, amOrin, satyrs, gods, and
goddesses. and all the other heathen classi-
cal population carved in the long streets OF
palaces as having Just stepped down from
their pedestals, inches, and entablatures for
moment's wash and not to lose the bath
ing season. Some OF the canals might
be sweeteF, il is true, but there is
none the les fun for that. And ii
is not always fun, either. Not sea.
son passes but some OF the children either
slip from their boards or get entangled in
their ropes and are drowned. Almost in
my sight the parents OF one boy, having
hauled him cat, went upstairs TO dinner,
leaving him ~ dress and follow. Waiting
some time, aud finding he did not appear.
they grew aDxsous, aad descended 10 search
FOR him, only 10 discover that he had pushed
of on his board on his own account, slipped
ffom II, and was drowned. But such Incl
deats no more Keep children out OF the
canals here i'm hot weather than boys out of
the ,Streets IN America because now and tiser
one Is run over and killed. Ii is certainly
SO raRy convenient 50 bathers TO be able t1
tisrebe In their own bedrooms or front en-.
tries aed take header ints salt water from
heir DWn doorways that 4 am not SUR
Drised 10 see all Venice oa sultiy day
urned !npromptu into one great bathing
gratis to all classes. The |
'ffCct Is yefg amphibious and droll and |
MY plebe,aD Venice can show It's popula- |
ion cooling OF 10 this fashion without cere-
uony in its canal streets In the arrest Of |
on.cosiumes when the dog star rsges.
~ The Lido, the beach which separates
be barbor from the Adriatc quite another
bass of bathing 10 10 be seen. Here au
establishment has grown up,
siih every facility for comfortable and
eeorous bathing Of both sexes. on hpe