Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-10-23

scene is one of never failing interest. Here
may be seen the prince in his splendid
euuipage and the peasant in his picturesque
| rags :; the rich banker and the poor clerk
the foreign ambassador and the young
artist the priest and the minister of state
all mingling together, and enjoying the
| moving panorama and the music by the
royal band, which plays three times q
week The grounds are handsomely laid
out and embellished with fountains and
statuary, while in every direction may be
seen the busts of eminent Italians, from
| the earliest period down to the present
time In strolling about the fashionable
promenades of Rome / was much struck
| by the want of politeness shown ladies on
the street. Young Italians dressed in the
| latest style stand on the corners with sticks
under their arms and stare out of counte-
nance every fair young lady that passes
along, and never move to allow them the
right of way on the street. Consequently
as the most public thoroughfares, the Corso,
| the Via Bambino, etc, are very narrow, 1t
! is common sight to see ladies walking in
the street. while fashionable young men
occupy the sidewalks. :.
| The traveller who expects to find Rome
city of tombs and ruins will be surprised to
| find it one of the gayest cities in Europe,
with five or six theaters and the opera
every night during the season some of its
streets as bright as the boulevards of Paris,
| its shops the most beautiful in the world,
and its drives crowded with the beauty and
| fashion of two continents. The Rome OF
| too day is very different from the Rome OF
| former days. The population has doubled
since it became the capital of Italy, and
Rome is now one of the most brilliant OF
cities-a second Paris, but less superficial,
and possessing in its picturesque ruins a
| charm which is wanting in the gay capital
of France. New Rome has wide streets,
fresh buildings, horse-cars, gas and royal
court.
The ignorance of well-educated Italians
about American geography is astonishing
and at the same time amusing. Not one in
| hundred knows that Washington and not
| New York. is the capital of the United
| States. They have some vague idea that
| New York and San Francisco are about as
| far apart as Rome and Naples-130 miles
| they think that the majority of people in
this country live in tents and subsist on
| the flesh of wild beasts slain with the bow
and arrow. They are surprised at the fair
complexion of the Americans, expecting as
| they do to find our countrymen either
black as negroes or red as Indians. An
Italian nobleman asked one of my friends
whether it was not dangerous to venture any
distance out Of New York on account OF
the Indians. The Italians do not seem to
think that the great American Republic,
which surpasses Rome iH all the polished
arts in civilized life, is worthy of their con-
sideration.
did not visit the fountain of Trevi the
evening before | left Rome and drop a
penny into its sparkling waters, as they say
all must do who wish to revisit the Eternal
City; but l should be very sorry to think
that l was never again to muse amid the
ruins of the Coliseum, or walk through the
Roman Forum, or stroll through the beau
tiful avenues of the Pincian Hill, or wander
amid the lovely groves of the Villa Bor-
ghese, or to linger before the sacred shrines
of st. Peters, or 10 enjoy the rich and va
ried panorama which enchants the eye
when standing upon the grand fight OF
stairs which leads to the Plaza della Trim
| tia del Mont, or to view again the glorious
| treasures of ancient and modern painting
and sculpture which make Rome the art
capital of the world. Rome, once seen, be-
comes forever pilgrim shrine, the Mecca
of the mind.-Eugene Didier IN Christian
| Union.