The sun., 1890-06-01
ADORATION AND GLORY.
IMMoRTALITY OF FAME

FLoRENcE. May 1a.-There are certain name,
shat seem to hold good for all time and eternity
and one OF tbeae Ia undoubtedly that OF Dante
the great Italian singer Of heaven and hell. tn,
",divine poet who found his insulratior
in the love OF woman. to whom 1t would
appear he never spoke In tho flesh, and
who remained to him ever more dream
an ideal 1t Is six hundred years this
June since tho most noble spirit" oi
Beatrice del Portinari, for that was tile full
nRmo Of Dantes love. departed from out this
world to lenve her lover disconsolate and to
become after to his enthusiastic vision the type
ana personitcation Of Theology. tho knowl-
edge concerning God who, for him. 80 grew and
glowed in the Divine Light that certain ever
denying spirits OF the present day. who love
not light. have presumed to deny altogether
the fact OF her human and tangible exist
once. These doubts have OF late been laid to
eternal rest by the discovery. during the ran
sackinR OF old things that has been going on in
Florence. OF n book which was the properly Of
Beatrice del Portnari. Stlll even the laying Of
this doubt scarcely seems reason enough TO
Justify that n centennial celebration should be
held to commemorate the death OF this lady,
81 whom after all even now We know nothing,
and who has done nothing so far as we
know to deserve other Immortality besides that
which she has found In her lovers pages
Lovers we know, nre blind. 1t does not
follow that Beatrice was all that Dante
painted her and in any case tho idea OF
celebrating the sixth centenary Of Beatrices
death by holding a Womans Labor Exhibition
dangerously skirted upon the ludicrous. No
wonder. therefore. that the proposal met with
slight support throughout the Italian penin-
sula. The great Bologna poet, Giosue Car
ducci. certainly expressed the opinion OF the
majority In derrecating tho project.
Tho celebration OF centennals may be called
On epidemic Of our age and rs the infuenza
proved you cannot escape epidemcs. and on
the European Continent this centenary disease
now RACES. Consequently Count A. do Guber-
natis. the promoter OF the idea. and the Indies
whom he fired with bis enthusiasm we're not to
be daunted. Tho contemplated exhibition has
become q reality and on May Day was COM
menced series OF festivals that are to last
over tho whole month and until far into June.
The fundamental notion ofholding Woman's
Labor Exhibition in order that the women OF
Italy might show to the world how they. too.
had progressed since the RiSOrgmrniO. was
excellent and laudable. italian women in
many respects are still in 30 backward a
state OF culture. are so hamrered BY legal
and social letters. that anything that could
give them assurance, self-confidence and de- |
sire to upraise their standard could but be well
coined. But can this be achieved byan eXhibi-
tion OF needework. by Il display OF schoolgirls |
themes and drawings. by n collection Of books |
written by women since 1860. by seres OF lee |
lures held BY ladies'. mauy of them admirable. |
but all dealing with the achievements OF wo- /
men in past centuries. not one touching upon !
her present needs. her present requirements? !
Still whether 1t will do good or whether 1t |
will. as we greatly fear. but hinder the cause
Of womans development In Italy. the Exhibi-
tlon Is there. and 1t behoovcs US to describe
II. The first impression Is hardly favorable.
Apart from the fact that. like all exhibitions.
It was opened before 1t was ready neither
skill nor taste has been displayed in the
arrangement OF the exhibits. The needlowork,
of which there is profusion. indeed 1t forms
by far the most considerable bulk of the ex-
libits is so pied one pieco on top OF the other
hat II Is hardly possible to appreciate either
he design or execution: the lecture rooml is
lark. low, and stufry; the narrow corridor
devoted to the fine arts not calculated to
Ihow the pictures and sculptures. such rs
hey are. to best advantage The inauguration
vas simple. 1t was held in the large Theatre
" the Poiteama. converted for tho nonce
nto the Exhibition building and decor ated
lfter scene. painting fashion in imitation OF
thirteenth century Florence.
After the national hymn was played Prof
10 Guberna,is made n short address, in which
70 spoke OF the aims and objects OF
he Exhibition, retorted upon the crit
,s adverse to the enterprise. and pointed
nth pride to the display upon the walls in
efutatlon OF such cavillers. He wns followed
y Signora AIinda Brinamonti q poet who ,
ave an eloquent. learned. and happy
iscourte on Beatrice. discourse marred only
y its excessive length. which wearied out the
atience of tho most sympathetic listeners. I
he spoke OF beatrice as at once 4 woman
nd an idea" aud some OF her phrases were so
erfect as to call forth irrepressibe and merted
pplause. she also had u good word to say for
emma Douatl tho much-abused wife of the
oct who ia beginning 10 be lifted =
ut OF the unmerited neglect. not TO r
ny opprObrum, to which Boccaccio
ondemned her: and certainly when we :
'urn. rs we have learned lately. that the couple
ad seven daughters. one Is not obliged to ac- +
ount for the separation Of Dante from Gemma
any con jrctirr@ as 10 domestic unhRppneSs ,
low couli iii" hnnshed man wander up and J
own Other peoples stairs with such II train as I
lat ioUoTing nlter hlM
Ndtn,,s With the iMys iy lecture the mornings
cid ali Imitation OF the Calendi Mag I
10. or ,innugulntion ,, OF the May, com ,
Sn Sneant T NV. Wos % the m roruar but e Very Stne
enth century ervlc of music, were both ihe {
orks OF men. modern Florentlues. This !
,
seu charged with the task, and w,uld cer- '
,nly have acquitted herself as well. if not
'tter. The Spectacular eject wa-. how !
'ar, very prc,ty. he theatre had been Z
'Tned for IT." occasion inlo an old 9
uRrc' .oI florence. | shy tho theatre and 3
Il tho s'ulc. for the decOlau WAS y
ntinuel inIo The lodv OF the house. !
lere thhc boN.I- wel" made up in imitation OF ! !
OpS When t!tt curtain rose. groups OF young v
On aud - aidcrs We're soon walking to ana u
, the anciuul srpets. singing ut each other ;
'ophas ANA hliQihes III praise OF May and n
'e. The see, q 0i tfSse yong men and maid. y
y singing dittie- l." M suave god, who mean
ne OutslGe was nnytpnR but suAye. peltng =
VIII upon the sk, l,ghS with such force that q
almost nroNned M w0Sshipners yoices.was p
dueS,ionahly prctiy. Spl. the whole Thing u
Is pro ab,y ~ unlike anything that could e
we beeu hcard or -een iR Dantes Florence u
can possibly hc cUnruiNth. g
This WA i"liOwed hy q series Of what pro- W
'sed to be the national pea aRt dances. tut 1t u
Dyed q hyb id conceru. The u6Xtormers we're I!
oiessiOnalS instead OF teinA real peas l.
ts. ana ,h"il dresses were only u modi- T.
q form oi the "Hual dress 4I nGardDt. n
lis rart If tho programme WAS alto FL
ther scratch concern. A lrOceAsion ZEN III
renting n Wedding festival uf tho olden IN
no pa be"u rarn"d bul no lady RouId be
una TO imur"soua'o the bride. it\ being GI
emed unu',y. and m llnpsdiment Ito nj III
mate mlr'ia%e. 1 his little TRAIT uUcon- o'
hn rls,,,,n nd &