San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-07-18

| formal courtesy 10 SplenQlQ apartment
which had been prepared for her, for
she had, as she told me, many things to
do,-as, for instance, to take off her
bridal robes to study every detail of her
wOndrouS ball costume for the night,
and TO superintend her maid in the pack
ing of her trunks for the next days
| journey. The next day! smiled grimly.
|. l wondered how she would en-
| joy her trip! Then / kissed her hand
| with the most profound respect and left
| her to repose-to refresh and prepare
| herself for the brilliant festivity of the
| evening.
Our marriage customs are not as
coarse as those of some countries; a
bridegroom in Italy thinks it scarcely de-
cent to prosecute his bri de with either
his presence or his caresses as soon as
the church has made her his. On the
contrary. if ardent, he restraints his
ardour,-he forebears to intrude, he
strives to keep up the Illusion, the rose
colored light or rather mist OF love as
long as possible, and he has wise, in
stinctive dread of becoming over famil-
lar; well knowing that nothing kills TO-
nance so swiftly and surely as the bare
blunt prose of close and constant prox-
unity. And /, like other gentlemen Of
my rank and class, gave my twice
welded wife her liberty,-the last
hours of libery she would ever
know. / left her to busy her
self with the trifles she best loved
trifles Of dress and personal adornment,
for which many women barter away their
souls peace and honor, and divest them
selves of the last shred Of right and
honest principle, merely to outshine
others of their own sex, and sow broad
cast heartburnings, petty envies, mean
hatreds, and contemplate spites, where,
if they did but choose, there might be a
widely different harvest
1t is easy to understand the feelings Of
Marie Stuart, when she arrayed herself
in her best garments fer her execution;
it was simply the heroism Of supreme
vanity, the desire to fascinate if posi-
Bile the very headsman. One can
understand any beautiful woman being
as brave as she. Harder than death
itself would it have seemed to her had
she been compelled to appear on the
scaffod looking hdeous. She was re-
solved to make the most of her charms
so long as life lasted. | thought of that
sweet-lipped, luSciouss smiling queen as /
parted from my wife for a few brief
hours; royal and deeply injured lady
though she was. she merited her fate, for
she was treacherOus-there can be no
doubt of that. Yet most people reading
her history pity her. l know not
why. 1t is strange that so much of the
worlds sympathy is wasted on false
women!
strolled into ono of the broad logge
of the hotel, from whence | could see
portion of the Piazza del Popolo, and
lighting cigar, | l"Surely watched the
frolicS of the cI' wd The customary
fooling proper to the lay was going on,
and no detail of it seemed to pail on the
good-natured, eaSily-amuSed folk who
must have seen it all so often before.
Much laughter was being excited by The
remarks of Il vendor of quick medicines,
who was talking with extreme vOlublity
to a number of gaily dressed girls and
fishermen. | could not distinguish his
words, but | judged he was selling the
elixir of love-" from his absurd anna
tory geStureS-an elixir compounded, no
doubt, of little harmless eau saucree.
Flags tossed on the breeze, trumpetS
brayed, drums beat; improvisatori
twanged their guitars and mandolins
loudly to attract attention, and failing
in their efforts, swore at each other
with the utmost joviality and hearth
ness: flower girls aud lemonade sellers
made the air ring with their conflicting
cries: now and then shower of chalky
confetti flew out from adjacent windows,
busting with white powder the coats Of
the passerS by; clusters of flowers tied
with favours of gay coloured ribbon
were laviShly flung at the feet of bright
eyed peasant girls, who rejected or ac-
cepted them at pleasure, with light
words of bandihage or playful repartee;
clowns danced and tumbed, dogs
barked, church bells changed, and
through all the waving width
of colour and movement crept
the miserable shrinking forms
of diseased and Ioathly beggars whining
for soldO, and clad in rags that barely
covered their hating, withered limbs.
1t was a scene to bewilder the brain
and dazzel the eyes, and was just turn
ing away from it out of sheer fatigue,
when a sudden cessation of movement in
the swayng, whirling crowd, and
slight hush caused me to look out once
more. | perceived the cause of the mo-
menLary sUilness--a funeral cortege APP
peared, moving at slow and solemn
pace; as it passed across the square,
heads were uncovered, and women
crossed themselves devoutly. Like
black shadOwy snake it coiled through
the mass of shifting color and brilliance
another moment and it was gone. The
depressing effect Of its appearance was
soon effaced-the merry crowds resumed
their thousand and one freaks and folly,
their, shrieking, laughing and dancing,
and all was as before. Why not?
The dead are soon forgotten: none
knew that better than l! Leaning my
arms lazIly on the edge of the balcony,
E,,iShnd Snnnlrinn NV cinnr That nlim nSa