, 1881-03-20

moor -; and OH both occasions she was re
cclved with great enthusiasm by a crowde,
mouse. being frequently called before tn
another celebrated American prilna-donna
Miss Alice Urban. In "Sappho'' She has
| wonderful voice. of great power; and yO1
have q rich treat in store when either Q
| these charming. songstresses makes her frs
appearance in America.
| hayc never met such critical audiences a
tnese ltallanS; anu sure q singer wing cal
SUCCEED IN pleasing a Fturentine audience
WI be likely to pass muster anywhere; am
TINS arises from the fact TINT nearly all ltal
knowledge of the music Of all the principa
operas. No matter how great the reputation
OF the singer, If a false note is heard there !:
q very genera! and pronounced Mss all ovel
| the house, which is kept up until the corTee
ton is made; and, vice versa, where the sing
ing Is unexceptonal. the brayos and applause
are equally hearty and sincere-. The manager
seems to take little interest iii setting his
| opera oil the stage,-the scenery being poor
and dropping from the ceiling, not Sliding as
| with us; the costumes nf the chorus fearful
ly and wonderfully made, and variogated in
! all tile colors Of the rainbow. and the singers,
without exception, the homcliest mortals one
! ever set eyes upon.
| Among the fasllionables it Is usual to re-
| ceive md have parties and balls after the
opera, ami it is no unusual thing for cards to
state the hour of receiving at between II p.
! III. and Il. III. OF course, i'll such cases
there is no regular supper, ~ people are sup
pp3ed 70 nave suppeo peaoIe ntflHng, ,lI utlless
1haeea hey ao ilSe Cloc5ett M satT 1,. oa Ge',. e .
| great deal of gayety here during the winter;
and the English and American families tenn
| porarily here, and properly introduced, are
1tto i; ~ III ae pa1 ues E.seH @ ~ .ae ~
latiai l4t.'.es. tl . anu aie @ ,maG tGn u, a
Woat The eGor%ops dal inx e
mere every season. anu lnelI iavlsh oullay OF
money III art atia otller t e.. tnlngs, ne gra;SS
o MoI soU a,, e," ot, "a tiH h,5 -; rai~ te
nnd i ~ s s'y wyo ~,
,,na lraaa1 10 feallo 'e oa1s1oe "oi'a tnat r1ot-
el'ce existea' -....-.......-. .........
THE MIsER1conDIA BENEVOLENT SOCIETY.
Among the many benevolent societies of
Florence, the ''Miscricordia is perhaps the
was organized as far back as the year 1910,
and originated among a body of portcrs,-a
rough, robust, and very profane class Ut men.
One Of their number, named Picro dc l.uca
Borsi, becoming imbl,ed with deep religious
feeling, proposed to his associates TINT each
voluntarily impose small fine upon himself
every time he profaued the name of God and
the Holy Ghost, and that 4 box be placed in
their quarters for the reception of these fines.
The amount was soon found to be sufficient
to furnish six hospital-beds, one in EACH
quarter Of the city, to be used for such per-
sunsas were accidentally hurt, or had been
suddenly taken iii on tile streets. and were
homeless. Two hundred years later. the So-
ciety having become greatly enlarged and its
usefulness fuljy established. il was legally
organized. and men Of ali classes hecnme lis
active melnbers,-1nauy Of them furnishing
large sums of money and buildings to extend
its influence. Among these were numbered
Princes Grand Dukes. Marouises. Counts
Barons, and, in Short, political aid social
chiefs OF Floreutlne society. 1t nres-
cnt this society consists of seventy
two chief guards. of which thirty
are priests and forty-two laynen.
l75brorhers twcnty-fiye of Wi1om are detailed
for daily service: and about 100 volunteer
brethren. butchers. hucksters. cohblers.
and stroiling actors are excluded from its
memhnrsbin. Fach member Innst he il
wears Of are. Il Rnn,an Gatholic IF rood
moral character ond with mems ri ,ivaj-
hnn,i. The yearly cnntrii,ntion il smn1l nnd
levied according to tbeir means. '' S''''''N'
The members, when on ljuty. wear = ]onr
black cro,yn cnvpr,nr fha anfirn narson
vnifed 9th = hnot cnveri11g the f;,ce n;nrcai
WIN t,,rea ron,,' l,olcs fnr fhn nns.. mi
-whicl, ,riras tha ,vearer a rorv II, ,o,,hr;nns,
and .in;efnr nnnsor,n"a ,rh. hanat;fs ~ 44o tha
sncietr ara nnv nv1andaj in adii.;nn ~ r. o ;ts
t,rst nhiarts to en,raca aii sitE ,nanhnrs
nnJ tha ianiv the ,,ufnrtnnafa and niee' tha i,,,
t1;ea,t r. tha.a 30 aii,ttad s,,I @ ~ ,,a,- ,S AZ
o,55end;x- - I,,o;n aI ~ ~! 4leH