The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-05-04

solid gold. and another gigantic statue in
marble stands near the grotto on the brink
Of mighty precipice. To the figure OF
erman always turn for protection against
the dread evils Of the mighty sea.
The architecture as we'll as the dialect
of Sicily ID mixture Of Greek, Arabic, Nor
man and Spanish. Nowhere else is this
more noticeable than in Palermo, whose
streets disclose the most curious compositeof
tremely bright and interesting, If never ar
tistically wholly satisfying, while with the
people who are seen upon them there are
striking gaiety and jauntiness as universal
characteristics of the lowly, blended with as
tonishing elegance on the part Of the POS
The latter class form monstrous,. undue
proportion of the population; and, as in
the gay Cuban capital where the Spanish
saying, "Ihe father . grocer; the son .
gentleman; the grandson a beggar;" 90
tersely expresses the rapid changes Of con-
gances Of metropolitan life, the entire no.
bility and aristooraoy Of Sicily, tho rich or
beggared, seem housed within Palermo's
wallis. While tho shops and cafes are very
beautiful, the street facades above pre-
sent .grotesque comminRiing of sunk.
fronts of tho most classic severity and pro-
jecting balconies as graceful and delicate az
may anywhere be found in southern spain.
At all hours of the day the streets, which
for the most part are exceedingly narrow,
swarm with priests, officers. mobiles and
ner of the lowly city folk of the south;
while carpenters, tail0rs, coopers, cobblsrs,
locksmiths, and the various petty artisans,
unconcerned for the comfort of pedestrians,
| pursue their several vacations with delight
| full conscious importance entirely outside
l THAR chnSH. 6nOro oOoayninu vuhiak1inn and
| singing. adding much to the picturesque
confusion of the thoroughfares. Indeed in
no other part of the world have come upon
| such melodiOus activities. Everybody huns,
whistles or sings as he labors; and not infre-
quently is the passer halted and enthralled
BY the delicious abandon with which some
laborer, unconscious Of his own melodic
power. pours forth unframed but perfect
notes rising as clear and loud above the
distracting sounds of the street as the lark's
song above the chirpings about farmhouse
and meadow.
Italian provinces where women ere treated
rs persons requiring never-ending surveil-
lance, in Sicily, and particularly in Pa
! lermo, no hateful restrictions of this nature
seem to be required. Women are seen in
the streets, shops and cafes as free from
as much respect and consideration as in
America. Indeed, if there is difference,
it is in favor of the Sicilian man, whose
| courtesy and ohivalry are astounding and
endless. This gives the traveller most
gratifying opportunity for the study Of
italian women in sicily; and most IN
hesitatingly pronounce these of Palermo
more vivacious than French women; more
beautiful than the best examples of Spanish
female loneliness; and moro graceful ano
altogether sparkling and charming thar
any have elsewhere seen. My own obser
vation disclosed angular condition o.
contrasts. 1t would seem that tn
aristocrstio women of Palermo pos
sess all the beauty to be. fount
among the women of the city; tn,
females among the lowly being
sad lot Of mournful-faoed, slow-paced
idle scrags. The reverse 10 usually true, a
the painters will tell you, in Mediterranean
countries. On the other hand, the NAL
members Of the nobility and aristocracy
and even the clergy. Who as Q class are usu
most insignificant lot of swarthy skin AM
bone fellows, ''ohicken-breasted" %
bumped, with cadaverous faces, claw-hk
hands, and limbs that would discredit IN
skeleton department Of q well-ordered ana
toMical museum. A singular contrast q
these are the men among the lowiy-excep
the fishermen, who seem to b a. SKINNY
J set as the nobility-whoee forms ana Dear
ing illustrate the real ayistocracy IN whicl
nature often molds her most favored crea
! tions. They are perfect in form, ssasa =; 2
but dress and environment, seem proto
; types of the real cavaliers that romano
! and chivalry picture to M - having eAisl
ed Tin days of old, when knignts weS
: bold, and barons held their sway.
But If the sunny days in falesmo u