The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1881-04-28
The Carnival.

| shops. hotels, and palaces. Here, as
everybody knows, is the fountain. head and
focus of the Carnival. On either side of
the street, from the lowest story to the
very roof, are innunlcrable vcrandas and bal
comics of all sizes and shapes, all trimmed
with gayest colors, bright red, bright
green, crimson and gold; decorated with
fcstoons of leaves and flowers; streamcrs
floating out in the livel,cst hues. In
front OF the churches temporary stands
| have been erected; and these, as well as
sca1loldings to new buildings, have been
| transformed into gorgeous temples, radiant
with crimson, silver, and gold. The door,
| ways of the shops, too, have been barricad-
cd and hung With curtains, ready for Of
| fcnslvc and defensive warfare. Each day,
| long before the hour the multitude assem-
| bic. Carriages, drawn by horses with gai-
| ly-comparisoned trappings, arc slowly
passing up and down the street in two
long unbroken lines, often brought to Il
standstill by tho surging crowd pressing
their way on foot III every direction. The
finer cqnpagcs are lined with white cam
brio for protection. Every cross street is
pouring in its spectators by hundreds;
while soldiers, in bright uniform and fully
armed, compel all vehicles to enter the
Corso ut one or the other extremity. AT
two O'Clock the re yclry of the Carnival be-
gins. What an animated pictured From
pavement to chimney every door, window,
vcranda, and balcony Is alive with bright
faces and active forms Woman
takes special delight in scene like this;
and, wherever you look, there her eyes
arc laughing, dancing, and sparkling like
glistcnlDg diamonds. 1t is n time OF gen
cral license, and men and women have ar
| raycd themselves under the protection OF
the mask, in every wild, droll, quaint
| stylo OF dress. One describes in the close
mass of varicgatcd brightness ludicrous
| calicaturc on every nationality, every
trade and profession; while many costumes
ore combination Of the grotcsque and RI
diculous, without any attempt At personiti-
cation. The signal given, the sportivc
warfare begins. Doors, windows, bal
comics, carriages, arc all provided with
bushels OF sugar-plIms called confetti" "
buslicts OF little bouquets, and innumcra-
bic bright paper streamers attached TO Il
marble ball. Pedestrians carry large bags
of this ammunition strapped across their
shoulders Ard everybody throws these
whito sugar-plums, which prove to be II
miserable counterfeit Of earth covered with
line, at everybody else, whether high or
|
riagcs are engaged in an ailray; there Il
two opposite windows. The crowd be-
low are necessarily pelted from above, and
they. fighting at great disadvantage,
ii.uo, io"s- -h"ndicd scoops. The Pass Of
Thcrmopylp seems to bo in font OF a large
restaurant, where u close line of comba-
tanls in the long balcony render the pas
sage desperate undertaking by hurting
down confetti in broudsides, as il the fate
of Rome depended upon their heroic rcsis-
tuncc, dcuging the crowd below until they
arc white as millers. Men and boys arc
shouting "Confcttcl" 'ConfcLl" Every
carriage IS followed by half score or more
of ragged urchins, ready to snatch any
stray bouquet that may full under the
horses feet or among the wheels. All
kinds Of languages are heard in this Babel.
There are pretty Italian girls with graceful
waists, brlght-colorcd hcatldrcsses, dark,
passionate eyes, laughing faccs, and free,
gallant, goodhumorcd figures, There arc
English and American ladies and gontlt-
men entering into tho sport as heartily rs
the nobicst Roman Of them all. but, in
tho midst of all this tumult and abandon.
mcnt, 30 contagious and irresistible in all
its flashing and Infinite variety, there Is
heard the boom Of tho cannon, and rcluc.
tanlly hostilities cease and peace is restored
Carriages Immediately turn out of the Cor
so into side streets; soldiers thrust back
the crowd on the narrow sidewalks; the
vast mullitudcs wait III eager expectation
for few minutes; when, ut either end o
the street, is heard the blast of the buglc-
the signal Tor the races. In old times
beautiful, sleek I}arbary stccds, fleet a!
the wind, sped ridcrlcss through the Corso
but now only SIX commonplace, scraggy
bony old horses, covered with jlngInl
chains, and sharp pointed stars and .lrian
giles OF gilt metal, cantcr through the vo
clfcrous crowd. That closes the sport O
the day. In the evening there arc balls
lotteries, fairs, and illuminations on tht
pazzas. Day after day Tor nearly twt
weeks lhc.c foolcrics arc repeated will
| little variation. After the fourth day con
fclti are no longer thrown, only flowers
The last day Is usually regarded as TIT
! best Of all. The fancy dresses appear il
greater variety and richer material; tht
bouquets arc larger, and many Of them o
beautiful natural flowers. But the last
, night ls the climax of this gay, wild rcvcl
ing as dark winged night begins TO draw
, her sable mantle over the Eternal City, th'
, Corso, with its dark, s,rging mass of hu
} manity, presents, In the dim light OF tn,
moon, II strange wicrd spectacle. Sud
denly little lights shine forth, millions il
. NUMBER the crowded street is all abIazc
, every window, and balcony, and street
corner is illuminated as With a universe o
, bright twinkling stars. Now comes TIT
! last gay madness of the Carnival, attain
, ing to such a light OF gllttcrng color
swarning life, and frolicksome uproar
that It's memory will never fade Every
body Is expected to carry q little candle o
, taper, and keep it lighted, while he a
earnestly endcavors to exlinguish all .h
lights around hun. AS soon us your light
expires, you arc tauntcd with tho cry
/ "ocnza moccolo scnza moccolol" (withou
d lightl) The fun wakes fast and furou
during this hours wantonncss. Men II
groups, pushing, reaching, scuflIng, t
t put out some solitry taper he'd aloft
G women stretching halfway GU
Of balconies in some eager attempt to rC
tallatc; the moment OF victory and trump
suddenly turned into defeat and lidlcul