Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-03-18
MILDRED RussELL's LETTER,
HKicRr or IRE cARNIrAL.

HEiGRT OF TIRE. ClRNJrAL.
RNssrus sass she spirit % u-The Rsssi
psx~ seme sf the Cars-The Americas
Cku,sh.
Uspecia, correspondence OF the Dispatch.
ROME, February ~. 1885.
Rome has been showing herre in one
81 her numerous and distinctive charac-
tiers. and has been laying aside all
thoughts OF amajestic past or a phoenix
HE future, or even Of the frantic efforts
shc Is making TO modcrnize herself and
bring herself TO the level OF her bran
new compcers. She has been simply
and solely bent on enjoying the carni-
val with AZ much zest as IL she were
tho most fiippant OF cities. Even the
old siarers among her guests who have
been here year after year. and declare
the carnival no longer interests them,
are yet to be found when tho time
Cor the professions come IN the best
places in the bes, balconies, which they
have discovered by long experience.
And they talk of nothing else between
the principal events, aud recall the ex-
act years when the carnival was most
brilliant. and the time when Rome was
more poetical and less hackneyed by
troops Of sightseers from every quar-
Ger Of the globe. But the RETROSPECT
ton, mournful as they make it, has not
prevented them putting their whole
souls into the amusements Of the last
few days quite as earnestly, though
not more so than the novices
who are unaffected with "reminiscences.
Thursday dawned cold and threatening,
but changed at noon into the very day
for the fsfe. and became warm, but not
hot. fleecy, silvery clouds iloated in
the clear, blue sky, unnoticed, how
ever, except by those who looked up at
them to help them TO decide il it was
really worth while to succumb TO the
sudden rise in the price Of balconies.
And the result was that every seat was
occupied and the Corso crammcd with
the populace.. In preference TO viewing
The scenes from the balconies, many
persons drive up and down in the pro-
cession, which is principally formed by
the ornamental cars contributed by the
different cities TO compete for prizes.
THEY FOUND 1T GREAT FUN.
A party Of four of us went in car
rage and found it great fun, and though
this was our first carnival, we ilatter
ourselves we came off quite creditably.
Provided with about fifty bouquets, and
entering behind the Golden Shell from
Naples. we received our first shots in
the Battle of Flowers on our right
hand. We returned them languldly,
and were just losing sight of these OPP
ponents when others attacked us from
the left. Then balcony opened fire
and we began TO be warmed up, and
before VIC moved many steps farther
We had not single bouquet left.
either Of our own or Of those thrown
to Us. No matter. Basketfuls were
to be bought at every moment
from flower-sellers close at hand, so we
could allow ourselves to become enthu-
siastic and give the parting shots as we
passed on. At first we might have
been taken for English people from our
GOODNESS and reserved manners, but soon
the idea came to us that if others begun
to throw at us, why should not we al
low ourselves the same qualification and
single out any one we chose. So meek
and mild as we might look, with the
courage that comes by fighting we
tossed our flowers to the fairest and the
less fair. who. must own, were not
far behind MS in spirit.
THE ROYAL BON.
We came to the royal box. but alas
at the moment there was not bouquet
in the carriage fit to lie at the feet of
royalty when it comes in the shape Of
beauty, and three of us glared at the
fourth, who had been so lavish over the
last set OF girls. a handful of yiOlets
was all we could send up. and they
were too light to be thrown very high,
and so long before they reached Queen
Margaret they turned back and fell on
us in shower and mingled with the
pink and white comiits that were scat
tered oil US. Our good humor was I'M
mediately restored by this pretty sight
and by two fower-sellers coming up at
the same moment, and soon after we com
pleted the turn up and down the Corso.
Then we declared we would rest and
throw no more bouquets unless, of
course, some one challenged us. So
We made the circuit nj the Piazza
venezia in dignified repose, supplying
ourselves with more flowers, however,
in case OF emergency. and bitterly re-
GREETING not having all sorts of bon
bons and fayors and the pretty orna-
mental things such a. other people had
pclted at us. But we were quite igfO-
rant Of what was customary. and. be-
sides. had been told that the Roman
carnival was extinct, and so had given
no heed TO preparations for it. No
sooner had we started again after re-
solving TO have no more Of the battle
than we discovered we were remember
ed and that parties were lying in wait
for us in this our second turn. The
flowers rained down on Us, so we were
compelled TO join in more enthu-
siastically than ever till the procession
ended. and we went reluctantly to din
Her.
NOT NALLONED HAPPINESS.
But even ones first day at the ear
nival is not unalloycd happiness. for
more than half Of the missiles fall short
Of the mark aimed at. and are igno-
clu,ched at by the populacc
who crowd the Corso, or are even inter-
cepted by them aud thus prevented
from reaching their destination. To
obviate these disappointments one
gentleman had An ingenious in
strnmcn,, made Of crossed Stats
of wood, which could be extended
i've or six yards. On the end Of it he
placed the gifts he wish TO present to
sny special person, and every one ad-
mircd his ingenuity. The great draw
back to his instrument was that it did
not work we'll more than once in six or
since ...I h. cs.a.. 49,. A.