The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-12-28
SPOND NOE.
Letter from Italy.
VENICE, Dec. 7th. |!

VENICE, Dec. 7th, 1881.
MeSSrs. EdtorS,-The Greek story of
Eos, or Aurora, the goddess of the morn
ing, falling in love with Tithonous has
been told by Mr.. Tennyson in one of his
stateliest poems Tithonous asked for
Immortality, and Aurora in preferring
the request to Jupiter, omitted to add
that along with Immortality there should
be given eternal youth, and so the beau
tiful dream of love and happiness was
dissipated as wrinkles and gray hairs
came on apace. Tithonous became sick
of cruel Immortality and longed that the
gift should be recalled. Men came and
titled the fields and slept beneath them.
The swan died after many summer,
while Ilthonous, no longer glorious in
his beauty, went roaming about the silent
places of the East like a shadow or
dream.
The condition of Venice approximates
to that of Tithonous The Doges cele-
brated the espousal of the city with the
Adriatic in gondolas covered with bro
cade and moved by golden oars, and
Venice was enGoyed with immortality,
but she forgot to ask for everlasting youth
haired. Her very Doges have long since
disappeared, and il they ever return in
spirit, it is to haunt the deserted marts,
and mourn for the absence of all the an
cient glory. The psarly crowns, the
robes of velvet, the gilded barges-those
lions of bronze with their eyes of dia-
monds, those crocodiles of emeralds and
rubies, those splendid banq quets immor-
talized by Paul Veronese-are all de-
parted, and the city sits desolate upon
her islets with a double crown of rushes
and sea-weed upon her brow. The mar
bic palaces remain but like brilliant ap-
parel upon hideous woman, they only
render the degradation of her citizens
more apparent. In these self-same pal
aces the stint and beggary of VOLTS crag
Is almost universally prevalent. There
are marble floors, and tables inlaid with
rich mosaics, but empty dishes The
representatives of the Merovinis, the
Falieros, the Contarinis, and many other
families whose names appear in the Libro
dOro, still live in their old family pal
aces, but their incomes are wholly drawn
IRON small estates on the mainland
Others, like the Da Mulas, who were
once SO rich that law was passed in the
days of the Republic forbidding them to
buy more houses and palaces, are next
door to paupers now. In the palace the
entire family-sons and daughters-live,
and only the eldest of the former marries
The small estate is let out to peasants on
the Metager system. From March to
June the family reside there; from June
to August they remain in Venice; then
they 60 again to the estate until the COM
mencement of the new year, and remain
In Venice until the ensuing March. This
rotation they go through year after year
with the regularity of clock-work. Their
country homes are almost unfurnished (;
In their town palaces they have one or
two rooms finely adorned where they re-
celve visitors. Their food they manage
to wiring out of their peasants. Their
main expenditure is gondolier, and he
is q man of all work when not rowing
Avarice-that old gentlemanly vice-is
their sole enjoyment No matter how
small the income-a small portion of it
is boarded. To such an extent is this
passion carried, that when they receive
their friends on their weekly reception
days, the lady Of the house rings the bell
''4St ~ NVL2 Ol0 SOuNOlieI W DIIuB III Jue
coffee. He appears with cofTee-pot and
cups. The hostess waves her hand and
says, No one Will take coffee" on which
the guests bow, for they know from their
own experience at home, that this coffee
is but complimentary myth, there be-
ing neither coffee in the pot nor sugar in
the bowl. Beyond this, the hospitality
OF Venetian Patrician never goes. If,
however, an English stranger establishes
himself in the city, and invites these
mobiles to dinner, we have been assured