The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-12-15
TALMAGE ON THE WING.
SCENES FROM SUNNY ITALY TO
HISTORIC ATHENS.


ATHENS, Nov. 20.-We arrived at Athens
yesterday after dark. and pen this letter
in the 'Hotel de la Grande Bretagne, sur la
place du Palais Royal, Athenes, Greece" l
think that covered in my last letter all
that care to say in detail about the sight
seeing in Rome. We went the usual rounds,
which have been described over and over
again. To characterize the city in general
terms l should say that it strikes it me as
being the most remarkable combination Of
the ancient, the medieval and the modern
that can be conceived. AS / walked its
dirty streets-these are not as nasty as they
used TO be, / am informed, but surely they
are bad enough yet. even worse than my
beloved New York; was impressed
strongly with this threefold character Of the
city which will ever DO imperial. Perhaps
was not fanciful in thinking that read
in the dignifed carriage Of its best citizens
their consciousness Of great future for
the kingdom of which Rome is the capital.
The Italians please as well as in
terest me beyond expression. Their phys
ique is splendid. Tho thoroughbred
look of their army strikes one. A people
capable of great physical exploit, possess
ing the orderly and practical genius OF old
Rome, and this associated by long familiar
ity and cultivation, with religious art and
devotion, fired by grand historic traditions,
and feeling the inspiration of removed
nationality-this, i think, describes the lead
ing citizens of modeFn Italy. Time will
remove apparent incohgruities and put an
end to conflicts which, in my Judgment,
are more apparent than real. The pope has
| lost his temporal power, IL Is true, but the
Italian people are still greatly influenced,
perhaps not less Oh this account, by
religious faith, which has no real conflict
with the progressive spirit of modern
civilization. Looking at the ruins of the
| splendid civilization of ancient Rome, aud
photographiug on my memory hope with
ineifaceable impression-its miracles OF
sacred art, ! still welcome the sight OF miles
of new streets of the modernest OF modern
houses, nor fear that nineteenth century
progress will impair the value of an emo
bling pride In a great history, and the soft
ening and gracious influences OF religious
art and devotion. Our stay in Rome was
all too short and busy. DIR. Talmage was
interchangeable while there, as everywhere
indeed, and that curiosity trunk OF his as
weighted with Roman specimens, is mira
Gle Of ponderosity aud godsend to exact
ing officials.
The Journey from Rome TO Naples was of
alb out six hours duration and undertaken
after only five hours sleep. must say that
my most sanguine impressions OF Italy and
matters Italian do not reconcile mo TO the
discomforts and annoyances of railroad
travel IN that sunny land. Virtue was re-
warded, however, and patient continuance
in the train did at length bring us to the
city guilty OF the proud boast, '5ee Naples
| 4. INbtla 4 onaarFttIiU raCOnniza fba
beauty Of the modern streets Of that popu-
lous town, feel obliged TO say that those
streets resemble those of the same class
everywhere else so much that, beyond mem
tioning them hing need be said about
them. 1t is in Old Naples that
one sees fundamentally tall, quantity
built houses, lava pavements, antique
churches, and shady, inconvenient
narrowness of way, this tolerable; but OF
the omnipresent dirt and the indescribable,
all-pervadlng stencil. What a gay and
motley population, and no city could have
more varied and discordant noises. The
costumes worn by the people, need not
say particularly by the women-are bright
and striking and wonderfully diverse.
cannot describe the combination OF sounds
laughter, song, stringed music, clinking
hoofs of asses and mules, gay converse
chaffering and screaming by sellers OF multi
|
niscence to me, at safe distance from it,
sights of filth and squalor, its odious odors
| and-well, one element in its teeming popu'
lation is the most hated of all forms OF life
By the good housewife.
The two full days we spent at Naples
afforded a remarkable contrast to our ex
periences in London and Rome. DR.. Tai
mage was spared calls ana recogniUlons apso
lutely So far as | know not soul in ths
hotel or out Of it know that tho Brooklyn
preacher was in town. A simple devic'
, prevented this-the writer figuring as th'
head of the party and registering as such.
, Our trip from Naples to Brindisi wa
made by rail- and lasted sixteen hours Italy
has no sleeping cars, but supplies mighty
poor substitute for them in reclining chairs
for the use of which charge OF 81 nigh
per head is exacted Even at this price thu
occupier is not left to the quiet enjoyment
of his rest. Twice night he is visited BY
an officer whose duty 1t is to change tbs
pans Of warm water, which are used in heat
| ing the compartment. Three times in TIN
night, moreover, the passenger is required T.
: exhibit the ticket which entities him TO
seat in the aforesaid reclining chair. Tn
train stops about every twenty minutes
when the conductor passes along its entir
, length. on the outside, publishing in nasa
) tone in front of each compartment tn
: name of the station. That nobody on thu
= train expects to leave it for hours makes q
5 difference to this industrious official. Gu
l experiences with him and his train bega
r at 7:30 o'clock in the evening, aud Taste
> sixteen hours. We were bored, we wer
s cold, we were wretched. Hot water is bu
a poor substitute for the much-abuse
3 American car stove, Of which | will neve
d speak unexpectedly again.
s Brindisi is good place to get out OF. |
{ consists for the greater part of novels, AM
q is the dirtiest town / ever saw, am sur
should love the Italians more If they wer
cleaner. st. Paul, / am informed, lande
at Brindia after being shipwrecked, whic
made the place especially interesting to ID
J. Talmage, who spent some time maxim
= mental photographs Of this ancient an
) interesting land dirty town. We were nc
. there long, leaving at O'Clock ia
I next morning after our arrival, bt
: finding time to seek for "a
q place which is said to have bean the brit
9 place of Virgil. Doctors differ on this sui
, iect as the learned reader knows already
! but the Brooklyn preacher aud spent wv
q hours in the streets of Brindsi TO find whef
/ the Latin poet was born. Two houses, abot
J as widely sundered as could bs, were polnte
: out as Virgil's birthplace. We paid fraI
: for each one for the Information. ~
q hotel keeper declined to commit himself
( Ian opinion for either house. He had reache
: the safe conclusion that nobody Is able
4 saw exactly where the MaDtuan poet hr
+ saw the light OF this world.
4 We were awfully tired and hungry whe
i vva sat down to dine at the he