The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-03-19

" lulC lNOlC lcklkp hhOsN "
and Spain, but are very perfect rs mod
els OF proportion and natura! grace.
Thor carriage ia superb. They possess
an assurance which is never boldncss,
with modesty with prudcry.
Their feet hands, and heads are very
small their faces round rather than
oval; their eyes and mouth nro largo
and expressive; and their is an upward,
conAdng and cXpCctant look in their
faces that is very winsomo-at least to
men.
CHARACTER or MALTESE WOMEN.
They arc not generally intellectual,
but, better still, they arc. contonted
home.makcrs, and are like birds OF
song in all the h5lissfdc joys. They
mate earlyrbcing mothers at fourteen
and grandmothcrs Mt thirty, when they
are still youthful and charming. Dur
ing the reign of the Knights quite an
aristocracy OF wealth and nobility for
so small an area OF population sprang
up In the islands, which continues to
this day, and the Maltese women OF
this class are types OF the greatest
beauty and elegance. As tho men OF
tho middle and lower classes arc noted
for docility, thrift, frugality and many
other excellint virtues. virtue itself is
the browning glory OF Maltese maids
and matrons and TO know this and OF
their atIect'onate, truc-heartcd and un.
assuming lives and ways is to find in
every expression Of female loyeliness an
added and lasting charm.
The shops in Valctta arc peculiar in
their character. Of late years Malta
has become such an important winter
resort for English aud continental WISH
tors, and such great numbers OF sight
seers for day arc now certain to be de-
posted by the dozen or more steamers
making daily arrivals, that the shops Of
Strada Realc and Grand Rue have grad
ually taken on tho character Of grand
bazaar of the more fragile and costly
products OF all Mediterranean and lie:
vantine countries. ~wg
Merchants from Tangier, merchants
from Fee, merchants from Algiers and
Tunis, merchants from Cairo, AleXan-
dria and Constantinople, Persian and
Arabian merchants, italian merchants
and Spanish, oven the thrifty Swiss
with their curios from tho mountains,
and the ubiquitous Japanese, all with
their most tempting genere, are here,
living together in mutual good will /; and
with tailors from London, perfumers
and modistes from Paris and. cafetiers
from Greece, furnish bewildering dis
play and variety OF costly wares and
luxuries that could DO found save by
connoisseurs in Paris, London or; New
York. ar
This not only adds greatly to the
charm and interest OF the street scenes
and displays, but tends towards luxuri-
business in habit and life on the part OF
those enjoying the winter, upon the
islands. TheSe.i olissasa rule are'drawn
from the weallEiest s:of the linglish,
Germans and French. They live sump-
tuously at the great hotels, at clubs or
in private villas III tho suburbs of
Valetta, the principal OF which is
Sliema, where the elegance and display
is not outrivalled in. the London West
End. The English governmental Malta
has provided splendid: gdriveways and
greatly improved the country roads.
Indeed in the costliness of apparel, in
tho magnilicence OF the shops, in the
throngs OF fair women OF the northern
type, and in the superb displays IN
riding and driving that in any. winter
afternoon may be seen, along upper
Strada Reals and Grandc Rue, and from
Porta Reale through Floriana around to
Sliema, and over every white driveway
leading to the interior, constantly re-
mind one OF the throngs Of Regent
streets, and the morning procession OF
stately equipages in LondoI's famous
Rotten Row. 55
CHURCH OF ST. JOHN.
Every stranger in Malta will visit the
great Church OF St. John. It stands to-
day as it lett the grand masters hands,
save in what it was deprived OF by
Bonapartc's looting. Ii not perfect in
architectural grace, its exterior, which
is surmounted by tho Maltese Cross, Is
massive and stately, while the interior
with its historic associations ever in
mine is wonderfully impressive. 1t is
gorgeous with every species OF decora-
ton. Tho high altar is respondent with
silver, gold and precious gems. 1t occu-
pies tho center OF the choir and at either
side arc low diasks beneath crimson
canopies, with solitary chair on each;
ono for tho Catholic bishop OF Malta
and the other dedicated to tho Protest
ant ruler OF England. Above the latter
are royal arms.
Not the least interesting in features
OF the Church OF st. John are the chapels
oflanguaso and the memorial vaults OF
departed knights. The nave is long and
wide, and the walls arc fretted in cur
ious devices, gift with sequin gold APP
proaching the aisles on either side the
eye rests, as though golden arches, upon
q range OF small dome-crowned chapels,
tho altar-pieces of:which are curious old
paintings. These were the chapels of
tho different languages or nations, rs OF
France, Italy, Provence, Auvergne, etc,
and these are extraordinarily rich in
noble monuments in marble and bronze.
The Virgin Chapel, hidden from the
body OF the church by the choir, pos
scsses balustradeof massive silver; and
here arc to be seen the KEYS OF three
cities OF strength, over which the
knights OF st. John once ruled-Jerusa-
lem, Acre and Rhodes Standing out
from the dark paneling ofthe choir i'm
mediately behind the altar, sculpturcd
in white marble, is a representation OF
tho Baptism OF Christ. I" It is the work
OF Maltese artists OF the seventeenth
century; and / have not seen its supe-
rlor in any OF the famous churches OF
Europe, The high bodily-arched vault.
ing OF thcroofis entirely covered with
paintings representing scenes and Incl
dents in tho life OF St. John, and the tn
pcstries that hang below, which arc