The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1885-01-15
HISTORIC CITIES.
a Bisd's-Eye View of Some of tho Cities
Famous in Story and Song.

Alexandria sits demurely by the sea,
an Oriental maiden attracted to the
sandy shore of the Meditera san to
barter her spices, silks, mats, with inf
del, concluding to remain there AID
wander no more.
Jaffa lifts up her head from rocky
cliff, and with one hand salutes the
Mediterranean, and with the other well
comes the caravans from Damascus and
Jerusalem Jerusalem is still the child
of faith, dwelling where little grows,
where there is naturally little trade, or
commerce, or manufacturing; drawing
her supplies mysteriously from the rocks
and the skies; yet different races, differ
ent religions, different civilizations be-
leve in her and huddle together about
her, awaiting something that does not
appear.
Jerusalem, sitting alone on the rocky
side of Judea, is the sublime child of
faith, coming of faith in the past, look
ing forward to the future by faith.
Damascus is the fair maid issuing
from the ALBANIA or Baroda, mysterious
" changing its musical waters into olive
groves, tropical luxuriance and teeming
population, and sitting in queenly robes,
with her feet in the sands of the desert
of the Hanron, amid mosques and min
arets, and robed men, smoking the mar
gileh on diyans, or by playing fountains
or cooling streams.
Beirut, standing proudly on PENN
sula-shaped headland on one side of a
beautiful crescent bay, is the CONNER
cial or moral mistress of Syria, sending
the currents of life up the French high
way to Damascus, as the heart sends
the blood through the artery to the
head.
SMYRNA is the mistress of two ages
and civilizations, reposing on quiet
plateau by the sea, welcoming the COM
inerce of the West, guarding the grave
of Polycarp and the manners and forms
of the East.
Constantinople at distance is the
slightest of the cities, but on approach
ing near you see she wears mask, and
behind that mask you perceive restless
ness, discomfort, perfdy and sullen wait
ing for revolutionary chaos.
Athens is the bride of the cities. She
holds in one hand 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
scepter of new springing power.
Naples, as we approach it by steamer
from the south and around the point,
| rises up out of the sea as a charming,
timid apparition shrinking away from
| Vesuvius, who Aolds a smoking brand
in one hand, shaking it over her head,
| and yet afraid to 90 in the other direc-
| ton, as he thrusts the other hand in his
subterranean pocket, touching the secret
springs that let off commissions in Isehia
and the regions beyond her.
Rome, the attractive, the interesting,
the historic, the hider and the revealer
of the secrets of her mother, the ''Mis-
tress of the World" sitting in royal
way on her seven hills-full as she is OF
art and history-is nothing else, in form,
so much as she is saint. She is the
high priestess in her tent of the cities of
the earth. Religion is scrolled upon
her buildings. outside and inside, on
her streets, on her calendar, on heI
garments, on her food and manners.
do not know how far this sainthood
strikes in, or what it is worth. l speak
only of color.
Florence, one of the Queens, reposes
half-asleep,s half-awake, in a beautiful
cradle of the Apeninnes, dreaming over
the splendors of the past, displaying
still matchless profuS;on Of art treas
ures, and beguiling those who come un
der the influence of her charms through
labyrinths of plastic and painted beauty
/ Venice, the daughter of commerce
sits with her feet in the Adriatic, snuff
ing the breezes of the sea, Drowned anC
weather-beaten and her robes soiled, a
she toyed with the gondoliers and waite
sprites so long.
Paris is the city of sentiment. Not 81
much of ideas or principles, or ever
prudence or policy, as sentiment, reigns
The inspiration of her patriotism is tn,
love of glory; of her letters and art, thu
desire to crafty artificial demands ant
tastes rather than to exalt humanity
of her efforts in dress and manners, t
create and maintain bland, imperia
goddess, Fashion, and compel others t.
worship at his shrine. Sentiment is tn
height and depth, length and breadt
of the popular feelings. 1t is curious t.
note that painters and sculptors in Pari
do not rely on the expression of soul, G
character, in their works so much as o.
intrinsic circumstances, sensational att
tudes, combinations, adjuncts. If yo
see a statue of Liberty on a column in
public square, she is represented a
standing on tip-toe on one foot, throw
ing the other far up in the air behind
leaning far forward with flaming tore
in her hand, and her wings spread. a
if eager to leave the spot and fly ava
TO the ends of the earth, while you
whole thought is absorbed in the figure
and you have no interest in the face
You see no character, no truth, no idea
You have a sensational display. Ye
Paris in her clean robes is attractive an
beautiful. AIbdny Express.
The Time to Fail.