The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-09-04
THE WOMEN OF ITALY
Continued From Page 8.

from Mantua, the nome of the famous lean
apothecary, was German looking, of q
weakly, fiat-chested type. She had mo-
lasses candy-colored hair and a high nose !:
and, though neat and methodical, was as
reticent and sulky as her comrade was
blithe and gay.
/ have sometimes suspected Giacinta in
their numerous bouts of talking only for
etfect-merely to enrage the other. But
have also suspected her of having heard
republican and socialistic opinions among
some wOrkngmen who were members OF
her family, and of harboring the view
which 1 give as a sign of the times for
what it is worth-that kings and queens
are no better than anybody else and a
rather useless lot, whose day is nearly
ended.
Acting upon preconceived notions-ah,
those eternal preconceiyed notions, which
it is SO hard to get rid olive naturally
expect Italian women to be extremely
brunette. But what a variety of type one
tinually runs across. / don't think ever
saw a more red-headed pair than that,
perhaps a brother and sister, or perhaps a
young clerk and his sweetheart. which
went up the long climb with me one hot
summer day. the first time l ever
mounted to the top of Milan cathedral.
The sister-or the sweetheart-wore a
head, and its meshes cleaned in burn
ished way through the black lace. Be it
observed that l say nothing to the detri-
ment of that peculiar tone of head; only
speak of it in a short way. after the man
ner of the worlds people. Shakespeare
understood all this way and was true to
local types even in his remote time. You
Verona" he makes Julia say to Sylvia, who
was Of Milan:
Her hair i. auburn: mine is perfect yellow.
Your modern playwriter, on the con-
trary, would be possessed to make his
Italian heroines dark, as dark as possible.
The lace mantilla, so pretty especially
over blonde and auburn heads, is, as in
Spanish countries too, fast being relegated
to the poor and working classes only.
Italian housekeeping is apt to be very
simple. Indeed there is often Spartan
frugality, where something like luxury
might have been expected. that is quite
surprising. 1t argues something lenient
or large-minded in the character of the
men, too, that they should be willing to
put UP with it. Or perhaps it is native
temperatures or economy. AT any rate,
owing to this cause and the lack of enter
tanning at home, the women have great
deal of time on their hands which they are
fond of employing in dress. They dress
very we'll. Nothing of the classic feelin e
of the ancient Romans, their ancestors,
descends upon them in this respect, but
they aim to appear at the cafe or on the
promenade past the music, conforming as
closely as possible to the latest fashion
plate.
The scenes at the cafes are very bright
and pretty. 1t would be hard to find any
thing gayer, for instance. than the knots
Of pretty women taking ices under the ra-
dance of the electric lights at the Cafe
Nazionale, on the Corso, in Rome, or at
Florian's in the Piazza San Marco in Ven
ice, or even along the Piazza Vittorio En-
manuele in Verona. But don't be de-
ceived; there is a good deal of hollowness
about it; it is something of a mockery.
Always the same monotonous little COM
mOnpiaces, the same post and position
without budging all the evening, and the
groups confined to the same few persons,
mainly of the family.
WILLIAM HENRY BISHOP.