Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-11-23
LETTER FROM GENEVA.
The Swiss Metropolis and its Environment
as Viewed by Miss Susie &. ballard.

The Swiss Metropolis and its Environment,
as Viewed by Miss Susie q. ssallarti.
The following extract from letter re-
ceiyed from Miss Susie c. Ballard. young
lady so well and fayorably known in
Springield-thoughn not designed for publ
cation--wiH be read with interest by her
many friends at home:
GENEVA. SwIssE. Nov. |, 1885.
Ny DEAR FRIENDS-lf America has ex-
perienced such weather as has been in
fiicted upon this section of country during
the last five weeks. / am sorry for you all.
Out of the past seventeen days fifteen have
been cold and rainy.
Were not our indoor surroundings so de-
lightful. I'm sure we should have flown
south long ago.
We had expected TO be in Nice ere this.
but hope has held us from day to dav,
aud has told us that change must
surely come, when we should be
able to become acquainted with some of the
most attractive points of this interesting
city.
Through the kindness of DIR. BlOunt and
family. We have met with some charming
families. and are beginning Ia feel so much
at home as to dread the thought of another
move.
Geneva is beautifully situated at the foot
of the lake just where the Rhone emerges.
The clear blue waters flow I'm swift stream
directly through the city, the two sides be-
! ing connected by several bridges. The
! white waters of the Arve meet the Rhone
about mile below the city, and 10 visit the
meeting of the waters" has become one of
| the duties of the tourist, and a favorite
! promenade.
| The views in each direction are beautiful,
but the one from the grand quai surpasses
all the Others. On clear day Mt. Blanc
| and the countless lesser peaks now almost
covered with SNOW. though fifty miles away.
seem To be within easy walking
distance. and tinted with the pink soft glow
of the setting sun, make as exquisite view
as one could desire. As with almost all
the continental cities there is the old and
the new Geneva. Within the old walls.
which now form one of the picturesque
points. are blocks and blocks of ancient
looking. grey. tumble-down houses. six and
seven stories high. | have been in some of
them simply from curiosity. and when one
enters the narrow paSSage-way and mounts
the dark winding stairs. and feels the chill
from the stone walls where the sun has
never been. one wonders how human beings
can exist in them. and can see how easily a
disease gets hold in such places.
There are several old interesting cathe-
drals, one where the Reformation was first
preached; another whose pulpit was occu-
pied for many years by Calvin, his
chair being still in use, and the
house in rue Calvin where he lived is
pointed out 10 strangers l have been
reading today litile pamphlet in French
written by some one who has given the rec
ords of the doings of the council and the
consistory of that epoch a careful study
aid who evidently in consequence haven't a
very exalted opinion of Calvin's method of
propagating the Reformation.
Ii seems that Calvin was Frenchman.
with a ''bilous temperament" and a strong
and determined will. which would tolerate
no opinions which differed from his own
He had great influence in the government
and through him as many as fifteen hundred
families were expelled from Geneva, while
many hundreds wefe imprisoned. All of
which severity and cruelty would seem to
have been entirely unnecessary. since
Geneva had already accepted Professionalism
two years before Calvin came within her
walls in 1910.
Rousseau was born here and handsome
monument to him ornaments the tiny island
in the river, while ''Feni," Noltaire's
chateau. four miles from the city. is to be
the object of our next excursion.
The city is remarkably healthy. and when
one learns of the precautions taken by the
city it is not so surprising. There is a CON-
mon slaughter house. where all the animals
brought to the city are examined by a city
inspector. In the markets one street is de
voted TO mushrooms. which are daily ex-
amined by an inspector before they can be
sold. The markets must be a delight to the
eyes of housekeepers. The other day
counted on one stand twenty different yege-
tables
The iewelry stores are a constant source
Of entertainment 10 feminine eyes, while
one portion of the city seems entirely de-
voted to the manufacture of music-boxeS.
The Sabbath is observed here much
more strictly than i'm AK. a city in
France famous for its baths. at which
place we were for some time before
coming here. There We bOaried
opposite the grounds of the two casinos.
and Sunday was the gala day of the week.
Then the orchestras played their most
elaborate programmes. and the most at
tractive operas or comedies were reserved
for the evening.
Since coming here l have attended the
Reformed church services. Mr.. Bowler.
very handsome. white-haired old gentle
man. who has quite a reputation as a poet
and scholar. preached this morning
beautiful sermon. There are no Sunday
schools. prayer meetings. OF missionary
societies.
So far as can learn Helen has now been
in Karlsruhe since the ninth of September.
and is making good progress in her studies.
She will be there till February, when hope
we may all be able to 90 together to Italy.