Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-08-10
TEXAS, GIRL ABROAD
Ascension Day at Florence and a
Breakfast at the CaScine.
This Day is to the Cricket What Thanks
giving Day is to the American
Turkey-Ihe Flower Show.
Lovely FIorpneo, a Crystal IN the Rockbed OF
Italy-Muro Fntrarcing scenes Wit
messed Each Day.
BREAKFAST At THE cAscrNE.

Special CORRESPONDENCE OF the Gazette.
FLORENCE, May 24.-Ascension day |
came soon after we arrived IN tlorence'
and the evening before pretty Slgnorlna,
our landlord $ daughter, put down Inc
names of all who would go out 10 the
Gasoline to breakfast on Ascension morn
ing. The Cascine is q beautiful great
mark lust outside the city, along the
banks of the Arno, the Bojs de Boulogne
of Florence, and why the Florentines go
out there to early breakfast on Aseeu sion
morning Is to catch or buy crlckets, but
why they want the crIcketS, NOBODY
knows The custom Is so old that the
inhabitants have forgotten the meaning
of it, but the Florentines must nave
crickets on that day, live ones, too, AMI
the longer they can keep their crickets
alive, the better their luck will be tor
the year.
1t was 1880 of delicious spring morn
ing that we started out to take the train
for the Cascine. Everybody else was
starting out, too, and besides the usual
crowd of vegetable men and men shout
ing "fragolli'' (strnw berries), and
flower women setting uD their beautiful
show of roses, there were ladies ana
gentlemen aud women and children on
the streets "a most unusual slght). How
fresh and ''sonsie'' the woods were as
we rot out of the car nd entered the
long shaded promenades! And looking
back toward ths city, we saw the great
dome of the cathedral and the frettei
shaft of the clock tower, or campaulle,
and a hilly background soft with the
morning mist all framed in by near green
trees, There was music Issuing from
| cafes in the woods and much talking and
| laughing of many people, aud altogether
| 1t was so
BRIGHT AND GAY AND LOVELY,
[ felt grateful to the Florentines for
| thinking they must have crIckets. and
grateful to the crlckets for living in the
! Cascine and grateful to the Roman
| church for naming Ascension day. We
! found Dlaces in q musical cafe and, as
usual, were trying to believe that cup
of coffee and one or two feathery little
rolls made breakfast, when there came
a man along shouting ''Grilli! Grill!
He bore a large tree branch hung full OF
cages two or three inches high, Initiating
| bird cages, and in each cage there was
| cricket The man asked ten cents Tor
each Gagged cricket, but being Us our
landlord was with US We Only
paid the proper price, six cents.
And what gay time we mad
selecting criekets with three tails, the
Hgentlemen crickets, Whlch are tue
ONLY chirpers. Then with our cages on
our fingers we started out to sH p!ore the
park. Everybody in Florence who could
| snare the time was out that morning; the
long. cool drives and walks were bright
with gaiIy dressed ladies and children,
ond we peeped in the little vine-covered
summer-houses belonging TO restaurants
to see the large parties of Italians eating
and drinking with great merriment. 1t
was thoroughly Italian scene. But oh,
the moor melancholy criokets! Ascension
day is to the cricket what THANKSGIVING
day ia to the turkey. l shall never for
get how my
rHREE-TAILED CHIRPER
looked up at me through the bars OF MS
little cage. l tried to conciliate him
with salad and water; 1 hung him on q
tree. l even covered him up with dirt
and Ienyes to make him feel at home.
stu he stared at me untiinchingly, in
cousolably with his black PIN point eyes;
so | let him out on an upper terrace OF the
peusiou, and there he sings nightly
among some fiower-pots.
We saw great many hrst comlnuui i
[ cauts on the streets Ascension day; girl:
, eight or nine years old, dressed Oil IL
| white with Wllte FeliSs M" oAhSA
tecost day we meet little children VIII
bands of white ribbon around their fore
heads. That Is the day for confirmation
, when the children from fonr to six year,
old are taken to the bishops house tol
..the laying on of hands. " Part OF IN,
ceremony is the touching of the foreneac
with consecrated oil, and RIBBON 4
worn over this spot for several days al
terward.
On Thursday we went to the fiowrr
!, market, which Is held once week In
I building consisting solely of floor and
roof supported by many stone pillars
e The FIorentines were very fond of build
ing things like that, "Ioggias' they cal
a them 1t is the prettiest place imagina
:. BILE for a flower show, for then the pill
: lars are piled high with blossoms, eacl
! side of a column being occupied by
fioverman or woman with stand. II
I there the fine Florentins ladies come q
r buy, and very pretty and well dresse'
! tbey are. There are both potted flow
g ers and cut flowers. Above the tall car
. nations and roses. in pots which are Sc