Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-10-05

1890.
launch on the Grand Canal bound for their
daily dip at the Lido. Yesterday friend
of mine was out sketching in sandola "a
species of Venetian craf) in the lagoons
when the two Princesses came by in gon-
doIa. One of them was learning to row
gondolier fashion, that is, standing up, and
several times she came near going over
board.
.+*
Love Letters Dangerous.
From an incident which recently came
under my potice here would warn Amer1-
can girls in Europe to be careful in commit
ting love letters to the tender mercies of
italian dandles who have not a very good
command of the English tongue A few
days ago an American artist friend of mine
was seated a. cafe in st. Marks square.
Next to him sat well dressed Italian who
was anxious to make his acquaintance. He
knew lftle English and with great pains
my friend understood him. Perhaps Sig.
nor was an American. Yes? He wasn't
from B.?
No he was from New York. Perhaps the
Signor could tell him how many days it
took letter to 60 from Venice to B.
After much parrying OF this sort the Ital-
ian pulled out letter saying he received it
from a countrywoman of the Signor and ii
the Signor would explain certain passages
in it he would be very much obliged.
Well, the letter was couched in the most
loving terms and would create much amuse-
ment in breach of promise case 1t spoke
OF the delicious or delirious (this word was
a little blotted as if tear had fallen on it)
moonlight nights on the Grand Canal, seated
by darling in a smoothly gliding gondola,
and wondered if these heavenly times would
ever recur again. 1t wound up in hoping
the Count would come to America soon. If
not she would try to return to Venice next
summer. cannot vouch if he was real
live Count. but as they are so plentiful here
on their native heath, there is no telling.
-
Two Novelty . owing Americans.
Two American art students, Mr.. Towns
ley, son of Editor Townsley. of the Great
Bend Tribune. Kansas, and Mr.. Sellac, of
Norwalk, Conn.,, recently arrived in Venice,
having walked all the way from Paris.
They said they met with the most dense
ignorance in the villages and country dis
4 v.
They were only arrested half dozen times
in France on suspicion of being German
spies. In one village where they were ar
rested nobody would believe their statement
that they were Americans.
"Whv" said they, call Americans are
rich and do not travel around in bad clothes
without baggage and on foot also."
They could not understand the fun of
anybody travelling on foot when they could
more easily travel in railway carriages
At one village and while standing in the
doorway ofthe hostelrv the Mayor of the vii
lage passed by them at least dozen times,
eyeing them suspiciously before he made
up his mind to arrest them. They both car
ried revolvers of the latest Amer
lean patent and on being asked
what use they had for them replied
they intended to walk through Italy and
expected to use them against possible
brigands As the Mayor, the police and
the natives never saw such new tangled
weapons before the arrest was forgotten, and
they gathered round to see the workings of
the self-cockers.
They say the French children are brought
up on their mothers milk to have the Ger
mans. and very often the epithet, "Sale
Prussien (dirty Prussian), was hurled at
them by the Juvenile population. They ad-
wise anybody taking a pedestrian tour
through Europe to wear bad clothes, let
their beard grow, and, in fact, look as much
like the genus tramp as possible in order to
get everything cheap.
~
Sketching in Venice.
Two prominent American artists, Frank
Meyer Boggs and Jules Stewart, have been
in Venice for the, past few months sketch
ing. Mr.. Boggs is an artist of great talent,
several of his pictures having been bought
by the French Government for presentation
to various museums, one of the pictures Sc
lected being the "Place de la Bastile,
Paris" 1t will surprise Mr.. Boggs' friends
to learn his selecting Venice as hitherto he
has always painted quiet gray subjects, but
he is now successfully graphing with the
bright sunshine and azure skies of this city.
Mr.. Stewart is one of the few artists favored
by fortune, his father being a many times
millionaire resident in Paris, and possess
ing one of the finest private picture collec-
tions there. 1t is specially rich in the works
of the Spanish school. Mr.. Stewart has his
yacht here with him, and in spite of his
wealth is also a painter of talent. His
"Hunt Ball" and "Five O'Clock Tea"
which were awarded medals at the Univer-
sal Exposition, were among the most OBJ
served of the pictures in the American Sec
tion. D. w. SCANLAN