The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-09-15

or trained his ptCcaOtU' LII VIZ ava
was he'd. chair, and WASH pasln III VIC
smaller one was table and STOOL Ihrough
| a hole in the wall the inmates daily rations
,vore tbrust that he might MUNICH them in his
lonelinass We went into the refectory, where
| weraJsnraad hare board-it would be mockery
IN call them festive boards, since the monks
could only sup together on sundays anu
feast DAYS. and even then all social inter-
course was prohibited.
One lady in our party asked the Drother IL
they never spoke a word while they were
eating their meals. He made no reply, Dut
quietly pointed to printed regulation over
the door, which enforced the strictest silehce'
We queried (as long as they lived in peace
and brotherly love- who there would be 10
confess the infringement if they did gossip
once in while.
Until this monastery was taken under the
control of the government, an inexoraDle
law forbade any member of the feminine
half of the human family to enter its gate,
and even to-day the old monks are not very
genial or cordial to their heretical sisters.
They shuttle around and answer questions
in curt and sullen manner, making one
feel that they sigh for the old times when
they were left to themselves, and were not
bothered by inquisitive women
In this monastery the monks have spe-
cialty in the manufacture of Chartreuse,
which looks very tempting, on the counter,
in three shades of color, according to its
strength, from lemon yellow, deep orange,
and grass green. What should we think of
the officers of church, or Christian college,
- OH 10
where their own fiocks or guests could re-
gale themselves with alcoholic drinks, and
those too of no mild flavor, but the kind that
biteth like a serpent.
San Marco is another interesting old mon
astery, which is now used as treasure house
of ancient literature Here are preserved
many exquisitely illuminated volumes, upon
which the monks spent years of labor. Fra
Angelica belonged to this brotherhood, and
passed his life in decorating its halls with
scriptural paintings. For many years the
monks slept in hammocks swung in an open
attic over the chapes; but afterwards the
space was divided into little cells, and Fra
Angelica embellished them, bringing diff
ferent figure of Christ into each one. In one
corner of this monastery is Sayanarola's cells
also his writing desk and Bible. A rude
painting of the terrible scene of his burning
at the stake hangs upon the wall.
Riding about the old streets of Florence,
we noticed queer rag dolls hanging over the
shop doors. One had boys face, and was
dressed in gay apparel, while on the oppo-
site side of the door was suspended squint-
eyed girl, with turned-up nose, who wore
plain penitential robes. The boy personated
King Carnival, jolly old soul, who liked to
live, while he did live, in clover but un-
luckily he is bound to his wife, Quaresima,
or Lent, a cross old patch, who never wants
anybody to have good time, and takes
malicious pleasure in stopping CarnivaPs
fun each year, and putting him through
course of fasting. In their heads would be
stuck seven feathers, which the grocer pulls
out one at time during each week of Lent.
Often Quaresima holds maccaroni, eggs and
fish, in her hand to taunts her subjects with
her imposed limitations of diet.
One evening while we were in Florence,
we entered the gates of the Ghetto, with a
crowd of visitors, who were the last who
would ever see it in its original quaintness.
1t is within the memory of many Florentines,
when even a stalwart man would not venture
unarmed or unattended by policeman, into
these dark corners, where crouched the
bloodthirSty assassin and robber. The
scenes of many terrible tragedies have been
located here. For long time the question
of its publication has been discussed, until
in the past winter, the civic authorities de-
cided upon the utter humiliation of at least
large portion, as the only means of insur-
ing health to the inhabitants. Unlike Nero,
who set fire to the homes of his poor subjects
to be rid of their unsightliness, the more
benefcent rulers of to-day removed the oc-
cupants to other quarters, that the buildings
might be demolished and better homes sub
stituted. Before the tearing down was be-
gun the artists devised the novel plan of
converting it into temporary bazaar of
Bagdad, which was kept oLen to the public
for several months. Thousands of people
who never ventured into these filthy streets,
have locked here 70 see the novels and dens
in which the poor Jews huddled together
They painted the walls in gay colors. hung
up bright draperies, and fitted up booths and
market places, where Turks were reclining
on divans and smoking hookahs, or selling
Oriental nick-nacks. Arabs, mounted on
camels, decked with Haunting trappings,
stood guard at the door. The whole place
resounded with music, and seemed realiza-
ton of Bunyan's Vanity Fair. One section
was left in its original squalor. The mean
est tenement houses.in the dark alleys of our
large cities are homelike and thrifty COM
pared to these holes. We could count nine
tiers of windows in the walls of these
H. a L.
from the middle of the walks the pinched
spaces where the stars peeped down upon us
seemed like the shafts in a coal mine. The
walks between the walls were so narrow and
crooked the sun never could have penetrated
many of the rooms. which were more fit for
vegetable bins than human habitations.
The artists are the only people in Florence
who will sigh for this old place. for they
found here an inexhaustible supply Of artis-
tic subjects in the daily life and surround
ings of the dwellers in these human caves
and dens.
As the Scotch say, it is good for sore eyes
for the antiquarian and relic scavenger to
prowl about the secondhand stores and
junk shops in Florence and ferret out the
rusty armor and weapons, which have FLASHED
III mdHy oCcii0o VI Wal VI hulSntiy cIu-
sades, and the moth-eaten baronial hangings
or ecclesiastical robes. The prices, too are
within the range of the imaginationiof sane
mind; while in London and Paris ones
hands fall paralyzed at the touch of much
absolutely worthless trash, when the dealer
confronts the purchaser with his extortion-
ate prices. Our dreams of Florence will al |
ways be pervaded with sunshine, abound in
flowers and be peopled with the pure statues
of sweet little children. M. C. PB.