, 1881-03-20
FLORENCE.
The People, the Church, and the
Army and Navy.
American Artists-0pera-Houses and
Audiences-The Nisericordia
Society,
Churches-Tkc Mcdici Chapel-Art-Gal-
leries-AInbiti0us American
Mothers.

FLORENCE, Italy, Feb. GA stranger yis.
itlng Florence for the first time will be some
what disappointed at the severe character o1
the architecture of the buildings, both public
and private, especially after witnessing the
rather gaudy and prctentious style ot archi
lecture Of Paris. The buildings are exceed
ingly massive, but almost entirely devoid o1
ornamentation externally, with walls o1
great thickness and very high, window:
small and heavily barred with iron, often tt
the second story. This description apple:
universally to the ancient portion Of the city
the modern part being more beautiful
graceful, and d.cteerful-looking. The streets
are laid with broad flat stones, Kept scrupu-
lously clean. LII the old city many Of them
are very narrow; in the new part they are
wide, with stone sidewalks. The unyield-
1ng character of the pavement is very trying
10 the horses, and they soon become knee
sprung, and lame in the shoulders. if driven
fast over them. Tile interiors Of the houses
have either stone or cement floors anu WIDE
stone staircases. The rooms are lofty. and
beautifully frcscocd, with rich paneiing IN
gilt and carved workmanship.
TILE PEopLE-TnE Ci1CEcII-THE ARMY AND
NAVY
So far as have had opportunity OF 1udg-
ing. the people appear industrious, content
ed, and reasonably happy,-their wants be-
ing few and easily satisfied. Americans are
educated to look upon the Italians as an idle
~s3eopie,-ln fact, rs 4 lazy, lnaccaronl-c2t!ng
lot OF bcggar5.. Never was there greater
,u1stake. There was probably some founda-
ton for this opinion during the temporal SOW
ercignty of the popcs, when the Church de-
rived an income from licenses granted to
neggars; but, under the new order OF things
i1laugurated by Victor Emmanuel and ably
carried our by the present King uumbert, his
son, mendlcity is not permitted, and all are
compelled to work for living. One frr-
ouentIy meets with some of the relies of the
former infamous system OF legaGzing beg
gary in miserably-Lcformed dwarfs, rem
slered so BY their parents to excite the pity
ard sympathy of the generous foreigners
they encountered. 1t is true the grent ma
jority receive but a mere plttance for their
labor, but it must be borne in mind that it
requires but d. pittance in this climate to
support life
The great and oyerslladowine cloud which
tiarkens the prosperity of this otherwise
lovely and prosperous land is the immense
number Of non-producers III the shape Of
priests, monks, friars, nuns, and others con-
nected with the religious orders, and the
large amount of valuable property they pos-
sess. anu which yields no revenue to the cof-
fers of the State. One can scarcely take a
dozen steps without meeting with some ineln-
Der Of this higilly-priyiiesed class, usually
fat, lazy, and unctuous-looGlng, we'll and
comfortably dressed, while the poor people,
WHO are heavily taxed to support them, too
often present exactly the opposit appearance.
l will be a happy day for Italy when this
great body Of nol,-producers shall become
bread winners, like tho rest OF the people
Catholic France is beginning to set Italy,
and Spain, and Austria a good and whole
some lesson in this regard: and to the adj
,anciny spread of liberal thought AMI edu-
cation among the masses lnay safely be left
the final solution of this question. The bat
tit will be sharp and bitter, before the super
stition and ignorance of centuries can be up
rooted and done away with; hut God, in His
own good time and His own good way, will
open the way for the advancement Of the
glorious light of His Gospel to illuminate the
dark places of the Earth.
Another evil under which the Italians
Eroa,l, III common with all other European
nations, is her immense standing army aud
her large and expensive navy. II, instead of
supporting a regular standing army Of over
SOC, ,Oo0 mell, she would reduce it to 100000,
with large and well-drilled reserve to be
called ont at 4 moments notice. she would
add greatly to the producing and industrial
power nf the State. Her navy-owning as
she docs the largest iron-clads in tile world
Is . fearful drain upon her treasury, and a
useless exhibition OF false pride. The lavish
amount of money expended upon one of
these utterly useless and ulwieldly monsters
would build several lght-dratt fast vessels,
heavily armed which could enter and defend
most Of her harbors in case of attack, or
convoy her merchalt-1narine at sea i'll time
OF war. But, while other nations are realiz-
ing that these unwicldly iron-clatls are not to
be compared, for either attack 0r defense, to
lighter and Eeayily-arned vessels, Italy still |
tlindly insists OIL adding monster after mon- |
ster t. her navy. merely for the sake Of heing |
able, i'll her pride and selt-slory, to say, De- |
hold, we have the largest iron-cIads il the |
world!
TILE AET-sTEDIos OF SOME AMERICANS.
I had the llonor Of. I'LL invitation to visit |
the studio Of our promising young American |
sculptor, E. T. Thaxter, the o:her day, to see
l;Eai MS iast a.,ad ana greatest work # art, 1u-
DREAM 1t represents 4 beautiful young t
girl caught in the mcslles of. Cupi,'s NET,
a.shicn the young rogue has skillfully thrown
ADDnt NeT. Willie he is enjoying Ills triumph |
percllcd above her shoulders. Her form and
lace are very beautiful, and ! would be glad
it some one OF our wealthy Chicago capital-
lists would secure the statue. anticipate it |
will. as soon as it is placed in marble. be-
come as celebrated as Powers Greek |
Slave. noticed Mr.. Nackey, Of California, |
and Florence, the actor, admring it the other
day. Mr.. ThaXtcr halls from Maine, and this /
is his first large work. He has several other
lesser studies. notably. Meg Merrilies," a
bust, :. Pouting'', ",'Ihought," a bust;
little girl furnishing her cat for killing her
bird, called '-Anger,'' full size,-all evincing
great originality aud much talent.
Larkin &. Mead, the celebrated author of
the Lincoln Monument, is card at work OIL I.
bas-1elief representing Washington taking
the Inauguration oath ut New York,-ill-
tended fur the Washington Monument lie
has some beautiful things in lis studu nota-
bly, his - Fourth Of July"; ".rhe Recording
Angel" {; grand work; '.Echo,' and 1.-THE
J! Hoy.'' companion pieces; "oId
Father Mississippi.'' Il colossal riyel-god. in
tended for Genital Park. New York. Chicago
should have one nf the sanle.
William G. Turner, another promising
YOU'LL. American, has several beautiful
1hl,,ss.-anionS others, .Sabrina," from
Darei,lrr,' a lively study; " 1ncrednlity,"a
bust. 4 tine study: and a very spirited de-
Sign for heroic liGureo Of Commodore Perry.
ln1Sndcd for statue which he hopes to sell