Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-04-15
MILDRED RUSSELL'S LETTER.
STILL UNDER ITALIAN SKY.

In comparing notes with other travel
1crs | find that scarcely any one who
has not caught fever leaves Rome for
1he first time without fixed determi-
nation 10 return st the earliest possible
moment. and whilst making my prepA-
rstions for departure all kinds Of plsss
dor coming back kept running through
nv hcaa and refused TO he ignored. In
spirit drank gallons Of the water from
the beautiful fountain Of Trevi, which
report says does not fail to secure
= future visit for those who 90 ana
drink of its streams in firm iaith
Of its mysterious power. Stlll, lear
ing tho spell might be broken, ! must
confess | tried hard 10 play the ma
lineorcr and he left behind, but 1t was
no use : a ruthless fate tore me
AWAY. vet. repcntsnt Of its stcrnnesS,
has landed me in pleasant quarters.
On our way from Rome to Pisa we
passed through the Campsgna. where
the malarous water shown mp in spots
through the short grass, and IN the sun
light looked like patches Of fluffy cot
ton. Then the railway lay through the
Marcmma, stretch Of fiat, swampy,
and woody country devoted to cattle
grazing from autumn to spring, but I'M
inhabitable in summer from ItS I'M
bealthlne.s. It's unhcalthiness forces
1he people to betskc themselves TO the
hills As soon a. the warm weather sets
In.
SKETCHES BY THE WAY.
We had many glimpscS Of the sea,
so soft and still as to resemble the sky
OIL a cloudlcss day. and Just before
reaching Orbctcllo the two peaks OF
Mt. Argentario became visible. They
protrudc so far into the water that at
fist sight. hay and dim, they were like
a distant island, then becoming distinct
they lowered up close by US, looking
more imposing by contrast with the
numerous small rocky islets which
clustered at their base. Soon alter
wards we came TO CcCina, from whence
. branch line runs TO Saline for the CON
yenicncc Of the mining and salt dis
tricts. Lardcrcllo Is in this neigh
Iorhood, and is the chief station
Of the borax-works that few
generations ago laid the foundation
of the large fortunes Of the family
of the same name Of which Count
Florisson Lsrderello Is thcpresent head.
From Cccina we take leave Of the gorge
GUS sapphire sea and passed on to Pisa
through a country with few visible at
fractions. The objects Of interest to
travellers ~ Prsa are the Cathedral. the
Leaning Tower or Campanile, the Bsp-
tiStcry. and the Campo Ssnto, or an
Cicnt battle-ground, which are all stu
atcd in the Cathedral piazza, and form
a fine collection of buildings. Less
crowded together than is usually the
case here, they are the pride and boast
Of Pisa and the admiration of sight
sccrs and art-loycrs. The high crcRe-
lated city wall forms one side Of the
large open square, the Campo Santo =
second, and houses and shops the re-
manning ones.
THE LEANING TOWER.
Though not dcscr,ingth the greatest adj
miration OF the four objects of beauty
and rcnown IN Pisa. the leaning tower
absorbed our attention first. 1t leans
so much that. considering it was com
plctcd iu 1850, though begun 200 years
before. 1t is a wonder 1t Ia, not topplcd
over long ago. and 1t Is no use main
tanning that IL remains standing on
fixed scientific principles of gravity.
The most that can be said in its favor
IS that II once decided on falling fiat
and then changed It's mind suddenly.
The effect of looking upwards under
the slopiug-oNcr side IS rather UNI
pleasant. and in mounting the in
terror 1t Is something like walk
ing ON shipboard and balancing
the body first to one side and then to
another, according 10 the inclination OF
the ship. The outside is Of marble.
and is built in eight stories, adorned
with columns and hslfcolumnS. and
however much people may dispute over
the reason why the tower leans, none
viii dispute over ITS beauty.
TN CATHEDRAL.
The Cathcdral-bcautiful, too. and
surprisingly pcricct-iS of white marble
oruamcnted with the same material in
black and colors. lts facade Is formed
I'm >touc, the lower has columns and
arches which adJoin the building, and
four above have open galleries. the
whole being light and graceful as well
H. unique
In the interior are SiXty-eieht massive
Greek and Roman columns. war-spoils
of the pisan~ at the time cf their great
est supremacy. from the eleventh TO the
thirteenth centuries. and the time during
which these four buildings were erected.
These columns, seen from different
points OF view IN the church, show how
fine an effect NAV be made 10y their dis
position m the basilca style. The
Campo Santo j, of Importance IN study
irg renaissance art, as on It's walls !
ale paintings Of the early part of the /
fourteenth century. Though authorities |
disagree rs TO whose work they ere, it /
l. certain the best are by men who had /
true artlctc genius, and who allied .
themselves with those painters who had |
begun to throw or the trammels which F.
bound their predecessors to initiate the /.
productions of a former agc. They evil /
IDENTITY studied nature and aided in de /
vcloprg the representation Of the finer /
and Suhllcr qualities of humanity.
NOTED TKEsCofS.
The Campo Santo is a parallelogram
l$1 yards long. 81 wide, and Ii yards
high. and Is entered through the blank
wall bounding one side of the piazza.
The height and length Of the inside Of
the four walls II this structure afford
ample opportunity for irc,coes Of large
size. The most noted is the Tri-
mmph of Death. said by some
TO be hy Andrea Orcagna. II Is
realistic treatment of the subject. where
Death Is seizlng on victims with strict
impartiality some, absorbed IN = life Of
pleasure snd contented with II, are ter
Tiby unwilling to accompany the re-