Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1892-06-09
MODERN RAcHeLs AT THE WELL
The Beautiful Madonna Faced Woman
at the Fountains of Majorca.

The Beautiful Madonna Faced Woman
at the Fountains of Msjorca.
One of my iirst inthrallments here
was by the water carriers of Palma.
They are ut so naive as those of the
Azores, e. bold as those of Italian
cities, SO voluptuous as those of Lis
bon, nor SO languorous eyed and
petite as those of Grenada and Sc
vile. But 1 could not help thinking
that here an artist would find hun
dreds of perfect models for a Rachel
at the Well" Tall, 1.-THE, slender,
but shapely maidens are these, and
their dress, carriage, features and
ways constantly increase ones ad-
miration and interest.
For days found myself, against
all apparent reason, drawn to this
fountain, and that, making all man.
ner of mental excuse for what my
own Judgment scourged me with as
an accusation of impropriety, at
tempt as I might to study all other
features, become interested in the
majestic cathedral or essay tramps
into the interior, back l came to the
fountains to contemplate these fair
maidens and endeavor to rlnravel the
strange spell they had cast upon me.
In the first place, l never saw but
one woman whose unrivaled art
gave her the perfect carriage these
women unconsciously own as ma
ture's heritage That woman was
Sarah Bernhardt. Added to this was
a conscious dignity and a not coyish
but superb and stately modesty
which lent positive radiance to every
movement, gesture or look.
Their attire added a rare charm to
all else. Their tiny feet were incased
in dainty slippers. A skirt of loosely
woven dark stuff fell in close and
graceful folds about their long and
shapely limbs. Over this lay short
napkinlike apron, spotlessly white.
A dark bodice, low at the neck, dis
played exquisite shoulders and breast,
and its sleeves stopping at the elbow,
where an edging of white was seen,
showed the lower hall of beautifully
nodded arms The head is bare, COW
cred by wealth of hair coiled low
and heavily in the neck, giving in
the sunlight the blue black luster Of
the grape. The forehead is strangely
wide for the Latin type, and the eye
brows, which almost meet, have the
low, wide arch.
The eyes are large, luminous, melt
ing, sad, and never were seen eye
lashes of such length and blackness
on other women. The nose is finely
ehiseled and the nostrils are thin and
have perceptible tremor. An oval
chin, dazzling teeth, a mouth that
suggests the hot blood of the south,
chastened by endless repression, with
lips of crimson, complete a face OF
Madonnalike depth and feeling. This
face looks out of a filmy white ker-
chief drawn close beneath the chin,
with points fastened with a rose or
trifie of jewelry to the hair at either
side of the head, while it's longest
point covers the neck and breast to
the girdled waist below.
In professions of dozen to score,
vending their way to and from, or
when lettering beside the fountains,
they form groupings against the
quaint old walls beneath the lonely
palms fit for Tadema's master hand.
Their burdens are never carried upon
their heads. The bottom of the empty
or filed ever always rests upon the
right hip, the handle against the car
rier's breast, and her half barred
white arm is flung carelessly around
the vessel just below its mouth
Palma Cor Chicago News.