Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1880-07-29
ROBIN" ABROAD.
Going Wild Over Venice The
Women Water Carriers OF the
Floating city - Happy-go-Lucky
Reggary-The Marvellous beauty

Going Wild Over Venice The
Women Water Carriers OF the
Floating city Happy-go-Lucly
fseggary-The Marvellous Beauty
of 81. Marks.
Special Correspondence OF State journal.
GRAND HOTEL, VENICE, ITALY, July 6,
18S0.-After putting such glorious date
at the top of this sheet OF paper, how can
l look backwards to tell you where we
have been since | wrote last zee. think,
feel, hear, realize Venice and only Venice.
The beautiful, fascinating city of the sea
surely she has won place in my heart
which must ever be first am, false even
to my own dear New England birthplace
yet not so for my love for Boston is that
of child for its mother, while Venice is
TO me what his beautiful mistress is to n
true-hearted lover.
Don't accuse your usually somewhat
prosaic correspondent of sentimentalisui
unless you have been here aud have your
self experienced the subtle, indefinahle
charm that takes complete hold upon one,
calls forth every particle of ones enthu-
siasm, however dormant il may have lain
for years. Especially is Venice delight
fully restfu to him whose head and heart
is weary an well as his physical form for
the perfect quiet calm that broods over
the entire city is broken only by the melo-
dious hum of Italian voices, or by the clear
tones of the many church bells that
80 often call to prayer. There is
not q cart or beast
of burden in the city-except / must in
truth say, the women who go about with
poles balanced over their right shoulders
suspended from each end of which il a
heavy copper kettle of ancient appear
ance, in which they carry milk or water
| wondered little where the water came
from till yesterday, when, as we happy
lourjeans were landing from our gondolAs,
and passing through kind of open
square to visit certain famous church,
saw IA group of women, each with her
brace OF pals, clustered around massive
stone well, which was raised above the
ground by three or four steps. 10 the
most primitive fashion they were draw.
| ing up the water by main strength and an
iron chain. On the well was an inscrip-
| ton, OF which could only make out the
date, MDLVII.
1t was from round about this we'll, by
the way, and out of the canal near by,
where the little ragamuf1ins had been
bathing when we arrived, and whence they
quickly emerged and unblushingly clad
| their sunburned little bodies in unmended
shirt and trousers, that dozen or 20 of
the most comical young Venetions con-
tributed greatly to our amusement by turn
ing the most ridiculous somersaults on the
steps of the church, risklng their craniums
with utter delight, and tumolng over each
other like so many puppies after coppers
flung by some of our wealthy party. Such
fighting and scrambling and humping of
heads you cannot imagine. A copper
gained, vert straightwsy into the cheek
OF the fortunate young Spectator, giving
their faces very plump expression aud
suggesting canker. Growing holder as
they saw our good bumor we were wait
ing for the key-bearer to the sights
of which we were in search-ihey
crowded round us with caps in hand, and
such ludicrous expressions of happy go.
lucky begRary on their faces, that many a
penny was forthcoming; in every which
instance there ensued general knocking
of heads among the rival claimants. One
very bright youn9ster bestowed such {
slap upon the face OF less brilliant
brother in the cause that the sense Of
| lcthllhtioh wac ipurtNl III lut DEtu6l Vi
certain young lady from Milwaukee, who
seems to have constituted herself chic
counsel, magistrate and executioner to tn,
entire party, as well as to the public n
large, and who acted forthwith il he
latter capacity by soundly boxing the ear
of the young culprit. You should hav
seen the mixture of expressions on tina
dark young face as he formed big, bu
voiceless "Oh!" with his mouth, clsppe,
his hand to the punished spot, and then
' with mischief dancing in mis- eyes, Blu
r with very solemn air, wet his foretinge
n in his mouth aud rubbed his head who
must have ruug with the blows admins
D tered by the hand of justice. But a
Q instant later, seeing that he had rouse
\ our merriment by his drollery he mad
A capital of his misfortune by presentin
his cap in an utterly irresistible manner
J. and with satisfactory results, ! shoul
:, judge by the subsequent extension of b
l. cheeks.
- How can tell you about our sigh
seeing here. 1t is an impossibiliiy, and
y would only tantalize you, too. IL is on
lie by coming and seeing for yourself til
az you can really understand in the least, Il
. wonderful beauty of st, Marks, which
" one gorgeous mass of exquisite Mosai
ID inside and out, but which is so rapid
re falling to decay that the beautiful floor
e. a trap for the unwary foot, being sunkt
4 and uneven to a degree you cannot belle
without either having or witnessing Il
re experience of a young English girl, vi
III was walking sedately in the church Ia
Sunday, but, CHANGING to glance up
our assembled multitude, stepped on
=, inclined plane of CLASSY stone, slipp
~ and fell her whole length on the Ia
no pavement. Her attendant raised
r. quickly aud she left the church on
n arm, but it is impossible she should Il
have been badly bruised by such fall.
Gu To tell you OF the Doges Palace, OF t
m Bridge of Signs, aud the fearful dungeon
eel of the lofty Oampanile with its endless
nt clined plane up which Napolean rode
horseback and which-as says our q
a' ductor-tne most delicate lady may asce
m on foot, with its lovely view of the city
a reward; of the many churches W
mn their art treasures, and the palaces
70 royalty to attempt description of tn,
as things IL far beyond my pen or ambitio
a but | do wish | could translate you il
ut st. Marks Square on one of thess low
-, evenings when the military Land is pill
ing choice music, the shops making III
brilliant display of all their tempt
wares and the people, native and foreil
10 walking about OF sitting at the multitu
y, nous lutte tables eating Venetian crea
~ ne and slipping iced wines. l wish l col
ite take you with me in one Of
nd softly. cushioned, gracefully-shaped a
he dellciously- gliding gondolas, on
it'll cleaning, quiv.ring waters, that the y
ow doliers, are most romantic, intert
l,is ing fellows, whatever Marx Twain or III
body else may say to the contrary
who can neither understand your &c
IA English nor your bad French, ind W
fiji whom you can converse only by reckless
Inc asserting Isl 81 81" to all their kin
explanations of passing wonders iu
of way of palaces, &c, might row us
an, hours through this dreamland of peri
ecstacy, like which there lis nothing els.
the world, and beside whose charm e'
Iio that of the mighty waters of the or
ION Atlantic fairly pales have told }
ert how l love the ocean, but Venice Is Ii
ION far dearer to me.
| fall into gu4h here, as naturally
,tic Wegg did, OF old, into poetry, but
col reluctantly change the subject, [ will
you that we didn't forget Independei
Day The principal object of life "
III the ladies' Of this first section of
u Tourjee Gaze party of 1850, during
ISL day spent at Trieste, before taking b
The across the Adriatic Sea for Venice, WAS
Ole. procuring of red, white and blue ribbo
cx- and on Sunday morning We patrioticl
md appeared with colors flying. AT Ia
H. d'hote that afternoon, a venerable Am