The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-12-01

EXTRACTS FROM THE DIARY or =
LADY.
Across the ContInent-Paris,M Monte cs''o'
yes,vius. FIorence-scenes ana i""-
dent. Graphically Described-"hs'
Woman saw Told In = Woman's way

| yesuvius, ftOrence-seenos Nh"
dent. Graphically Described-whs'
Woman saw Told In womas's Way
lFor the rmes.1
PARIS, January 6.-Yesterday We
went for the first time to the LOUVRE
Crossing the great court past the monu
ment to Gamoetta. we found ourseise'
at the gates Of Paradise. or 80 the un
imnortant doors seemed in my eyes
Along a long corridor. filled with the
originals or bropzes of statues. long Ia
miliar through reproductions. we
reached the foot of the steps leading 20
the Galerie d'Apolloa and the Salon
Carr.
Rut here l stopped. entrapced, as
single marble statue burst upon M
ike a divine revelation. Hiii way ny
the ar md escdlier it stands. woman
tigr1e with great sweeping wings. ana
poIsed upon the prov of a vessel. be
mind the wall is colofed clear red
gold. and the presence seems Using GU.
of the sunset-a glorious promise Vi
triumphant days TO come.
"VIctoire J"
Sweeping forward as IL with mar
velous speed, sharp WIND folds the
drapery TO her perfect limbs; an anne
thyst shadow rests under the strong
wings. which fairly tremble, and an
theipfi aite suggestion of the arms. w. ich
are In fact. broken away. Ones very
soul seems 10 follow in the way OF her
speed. which must be the right way.
And this perfect thing is headless, and
vet more eloquent than thousand
tongues. stood and adored, like the
shepherds Of Bethlehem, tns star OF
mine which brought good tidass1 OF
great joy.
They hurried me through to the Salon
Cirre. and insisted that should go tifst
20 the Mona Lisa" of da Vinci. Well
| was repealed. 1t is haunting, wicked
face. the face Of siren, an unspeaka-
Div cruel face, think. Tney say that
very sweet smile is the sign OF a fierce
temper. 1t is that suggestion In hers,
for the actual lines are angelic. ! left
the mellow, colorless thing. half angry
and determined to forget 1t, but found
could see nothing else, could not eyade
those eyes.
l read somewhere that it is not know
who Mona Lisa was, or If 1t is an
ideal bead. This may be wrong; but,
however it is, | think she lived,
and that Leonard loved and hated.
sought and feared and dreaded her.
aud she drew him always, and he could
never escape and never forget. Her
face is in AL be paints, that same, cold
sweet smile. 1t is in the dropped faces
of his Virgins, and III the mockery of
S. Jean-Baptiste. ] think the last Is the
strangest picture possible. a bare
shoulder starting from the darkness, a
down.bent face laughing into yours.
and marvelously lovely hand pointing
upward. =, q.
Follow, poor fools and blind" it
seems 10 say. land see what 1t snail
profit We. Follow the mirage, the Jour
ney will seem the shorter. Follow,
and tell me what ye find"
have seen pictures of Titan and Rs
phael Perugino and Angelica .Correggio,
Murillo and Rembrandt, of Diaz and
Greuze and Remand SO many more
names which have meant go much that
was sacred and glorious. Aud now
they are Just dazzling memory, as IL
| had pseped Into jewel casket where
there was such wealth that one glimpse
| left only a confused impression Of
brightness and beauty.
The light fades. and we must go, nut
: how early l shall go to bed tonight, SO
that tomorrow will come the QUICKER
and may return!
Nice. January I've have endured
the continued rainy skies of Nice until
patience ceases to be virtue" And to-
dav. when we have decided to leave
rain or shine, the weather is perfect.
aud the brightest of skies bids US God'
speed. A landau with three horses Is
TO take the small party over the cornice
road TO Mentone. A I'll is in readiness.
and with a cracking of whips and
peal of little bells, we dash through the
mal-odorous back streets of Nice, and
begin to ascend the mountain by road
so well graded and constructed as TO
give almost no hard pulls for the
horses.
Soon the city lay below us, and
through the tangle of olive boughs we
could see the wonderful blue Of the
FaIe des Anges spaDgled With innu'
merable tiny sails. But our eyes
STAYED not in the low places. We were
held in silent awe by the beauty OF the
marvellous mountains stretching away
10 the East aud North Snow capped
Law the Col di Tenda beyond strong
wall of hills. On every side as we
wound further ioland, looking over the
rich terraced valleys, green and beau
tlful in their fruitfulness, the great. calm
mountains rise in inscrutable silence.
The French are building extensive
and very fiue forts along these hills ITO
project their Italian frontier" What
significance tlis hay n4fe, u any. I
know not. About half way We stopped
AT Iui bla: quaint village and very
old and possessing a Roman tower OF
the wear Is A d. 1t is ouly ruin. but
from It's cite view Of the sea and OF
Cap Jean, and Viliafrancs, aad Monaco,
and Mentone, and bordighera Is TO be
had for the looking.
We hurried down TO Mentone, past
hoary Roccabruno. along lie crrving
road and over bridge spanned noun
tain torrents; and. amid dusky groves
of olives, through the cool evening ar.
We are welcomed to the Hotel d ltalle,
and have rooms on the ground floor. l
can step from my gallery out ipto the
beautiful gardens; and as ! write. the
dull crash Of the breaking waves comes
up from the beach far below. Al
though | cannot see it, l know that
the moon is sIvering the water with her
magical light. And that the same
moon will shine down upon my dear
Blue Ridge-but not just now. "Longi'
tude" does not please.
To-day, the 18th, we have been to
Monte Carlo. The hours drive oyer
from Mentone is delightful, as all here
are, over these perfect roods. Nothing
could be lovlier than the gardens
about the Casino. They leave nothing
to be desired, nothing to be imagined
fulfilling every ideal in their luxuri.
ance and order and beauty. We gained
admittance with some difficulty. They
would not believe our protestation that
the Youngest member Of our party
was Of the necessary age. In some
cases youth IS disadvantage after all