St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-01-08
THE CHARMS OF ROME.
Evidences of Christian History
Zone Meets in the Eternal City.

Evidences of Christian History
zone Meets In the Eternal City.
From One of Max Eliott's Letters.
Rome is the one spot on all this earth
where a nOn-believer in Christianity
would find his views baked by what
seem unsurmOuntable evidence of the
truth that has been handed down from
generation to generation. In the city
and outside of its walls there are struc-
lures and monuments. and ruins that
are pointed out as having existed or
been founded since such date as b. c.,
or some other date A. d. A humorist,
and OF course an American, whom l
once ran across in Italy, with that apti-
tnde INDUCED in by his kind for noting
the ridiculous in the most sublime OBJ
Ject or fact. said that Rome reminded
him of the South of to-day. Everything
in the grand old city of the pOpeS dated
from before or after the coming of
Christ, while in the new South events
dated from before or since the war of
the rebellion. 1t is true, nevertheless,
that what seemed in another world
half legendary and mysterious. in this
Old world assumes form of reality and
truth, such as always surrounds events
connected with localities.
A born and bred Roman never en-
tirely fOrSakes his birthplace, no matter
what part of the world fate may lead
him. Sooner or later they return to its
decayed grandeur and dolce far niente.
l once knew a little Roman maiden
whose father had been an English artist
OF some note and excellent family. He
had married his model, who died in Civ
ing birth to this daughter. A portrait
painted of the mother year or two be-
fore her death was shown to me by an
artist friend of mine, who told me the
strong or robust, seemed to grieve so in
cessantly for his pretty Italian wife
that it was thought by his brother art
lists he would not long Outlive her. His
only pleasure was in their child, and he
seemed to drag along barely holding on
to the thread of life, until she was verg-
ing into wOmanhood; then, as if having
fulfilled his duty, he passively slipped
away one spring morning. and the
girl, dainty, delicate creature, with
her mothers wonderful southern
eyes and her fathers fair hair, was
left alone in the world. That is, COM
pal ativeIy alone, for there was an aunt,
a sister of the mother, in the respectable
but lower walks of life, living in Rome,
while in farOtf England there was a
fine old family who had never forgiven
the handsome son and pride of the
household for marrying his beautiful
Italian model. Death. however, softens
the hardest hearts, and soon after the
painters death letter came from the
,ariStocratic and prominent old English
family, with an invitation from them to
the girl to come at once to England, land
they would provide for her, as her sta
ton in life required she should live.
he hn rir CIV lrI
the wishes of her Italian aunt to pro-
coed to England. Naturally the woman,
at heart really good soul, saw the
advantages to be derived from
such course and the disadvan-
tageS that would accrue to her
niece if she remained in Italy. At last
some friends of the girls English rela-
ton, in passing through Rome, came
for her and carried her with them to
that colder and more gloomy northern
climate. The last night before going
away the girl persuaded her aunt to 20
to the founta in Rome, where, it is
said, if one throws a penny into it's
waters they will surely some day re-
turn. The aunt scOffed at the idea, but
humOred her niece'S whim and went
with her to the fountain of Treva just
as night was creeping over the city.
That was four years ago, and but few
months since the girl had her wish full
filled and returned to her beloved Rome.
1t was only for few brief weeks. how
ever, as the frail and delicate constitu-
ton inherited from her father and the
constant longing for her Italian home
while in England, developed dread
disease, which took her away from her
sorrows in the very flush of young
womanhood. On the slab above her
grave in an English church-yard is the
line, aged nineteen"