Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1884-11-28
HISTORIC CITIES.
the
Bird's-eye View OF Some of
Cities Famous I'm STORY and Song.


Cities Famous I'm STORY ard Song.
Albany Express
Alexandra sits demurely by the
sea, an Onental m ideu attracted To
the sandy shore of the Mediterranean
to barter her spices, silks, mats, with
lntidCl, concluding to remain there
and wsnder no more
Jatfa lifts up her head from a rocky
cliff, and with one hand sslutes the
Mediterranean. and with the other
welcomes the caravans from d .mas-
Gus and Jerusalem. Jerusalem is
still the child Cf faith, dwelling where
little grows, where there is naturally
little trade, or commerce., or manu-
featuring; drawing her supplies
mysterlouSly from the rocks and the
skies; yet different races, different
religions, different civilizations be.
heve in her, and huddle together
about her, awaiting something that
d "es not appear.
Jerusalem, sitting alone on the
rocky side of Jud ea, is the sublime
child of faith, coming of faith in the
past, looking forward to the future by
faith.
Damascus is the fair maid issuing
from the ALBANIA or Baroda, myster-
iouSly changing its musical waters
INTO olive groves, tropical luxurlance
aud teeming population, ana sitting
In queenly robes, with her feet IN tho
sand of the desert OF the Hanron,
amid mosques and minaretS, and
robed men, smoking the nargileh on
divans, or by playing fountains or
cooling streams.
Beirut standing proudly on a penin-
sula shaped headland on one side of
a beautiful crescent bay, is the com
mcrcial or moral mistress of Syria,
sending the currents of life up the
French highway to Damascus, as the
heart sends the blood through the
artery TO the head.
Smyrna is the mistress of two ages
and civilizations, repasing on quiet
plateau by the sea, welcoming the
commerce of the West, guarding the
grave of Polycarp and the manners
and forms of the Est
Constantlnolle at a distance is the
slightest of the cities but on approach.
ing near you see She wears mask,
and behiLd that mask yoa preceive
restlessneSS, dlScontent, pertidy aud
sullen waiting for revolutionary
chaos.
Athens is the bride of the cities. she
holds i'll one hand a broken marble
pointing to the ruins of her art in the
heroic ages-the art which has con
quered the world-and in the other
the scepler of new sprIngIng power.
Naples, as we approach it by steam
er, from the south aud from the point,
rises up out of the sea as charming,
timid apparition shrinking away from
Vesuvius, VINO holds smoking brand
in one hand, shaking ii over her head,
and yet afraid t. go III the other dlrec
ton, as he thius.s the other hand in
his subterranean packet touching the
secret SPRINGS that let of convulslons
in Ischla and the regions beyond her.
Rome, the attractive, the interest,
ing the historic, the hidcr and the
revealer of the secrets of her mother,
the Mistress of tfe World sitting
in royal way on her seven hills
full as she is of art and hlstory--is
nothing else, in form, so much as she
is a saint. She is the high prlestess
in her tent of the cities of the earth.
Religion is scrolled upon her build
ings, outside and inside, on her
streets, on the calendar, on her gar
ments, on her food and manners. | do
not know how far taIs salnthood
strikes in, or what it is worth. | speak
only of color.
Florence, one of the queens, reposes
half-aslcep, half-awake, in a beauti-
ful cradle Of the Apenlnnes, dreaming
over the splendors Of the past, dis
playing still matchless profusion Of
art treasures, and beguiling those who
came under the influence of her
charms through labyrinths of plastic
and painted beauty.
Venice, the daughter of commerce,
sits with her feet in the Adriatic,
snuffing the breezes of the sea, brown
ed and weather beaten and. .her robes
soiled, as she teyed with the Condo
liers and water sprites Sc long.
Paris is the city OF sentiment. Not
so much of ideas or principles, or even
prudence or policy, as sentiment,
reigns. The inspiration of her pat
riotlsm is the love of glory OF her let
ters and art, the desire to crafty artl
ficial demands and tastes rather than
to exalt humanity; of her efforts in
dress and manners, TO Greats and
naintain a bland, imperial goddess,
Fashion, and compel others to worship
at his shrine. Sentiment is the height
and depth, length and breadth of the
popular feelings. 1t is curious to note
that painters aud sculptor in Paris
do not rely on the expression of soul,
of character, in their WORKS SO much
as on intrinsic circumstances, sensa-
tional attitudes, combinations, ad
juncts. If you sec statue of Liberty
on column in a public square, she is
represented as standing on tip toe on
one foot, throwing the other far up in
the air behind, leaning far forward
with flaming torch Ia her hand, and
her wings spread, as if eager TO leave
the spot and fly away 10 the ends OF
the earth, while your whole thonght
j. absorbed ia the figure, and you have
no interest in the face You see no
character, no truth, no ideal You
have sens 4tional display. Yet Paris
in her clean robes is attractive and
beautiful.
Worth has large establishment In
fha Rua ia l.. PAiy where 40l vanup