The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-10-06


Triumph, lime, Fame, Art, Science,
Industry. Progress, Commerce and
Youth. We would have the trltone,
dolphins, aud water spriiea forever
sporting Mt her feet, the mad sea-
horses pIungiRg in wild fury through
the waters before her, and the dazzling
search lights ever GROWING her with
celestial purity and grandeur. But It
NAV not be, 80 here, "A Ia belle etoile,'
we will say "adleu," while sadly we
bow our heads and think, 80 goes the
world" "Auiourd hui rol domain rein.
Some hidden impulse after this I'M
pressive study causes US TO glance IN
the direction Of the "Obeli8k." The
charm is broken. We recoil in horror
at sight OF the tall, ghostly pyramid so
suggestive of ruin and vanished glory.
We look about US uneasiiy to see II we
are sitting where it casts its long, BLACK
shadow. Lonely, silent, gloomy, and
uncourted, it towers amid the splendors
OF the magic circle. 1t stands a monu-.
ment to the art, science, and labor oil
all nations, and should command re-
spect. But no one cares to visit 1t. No
friendly light shedsfadiancc upon 1t;
No soit-voiced lovers exchange eternal
VOWS Of consistency in the wake oil Its
weird, uneartbly shadows. II seems an
iii.omened messenger in Il land OF poetry
and dreams. We are seized with sud
den desire after this to move.
or THE WATER
The spirit OF unrest seems to have
taken possession OF us, SO we saunter in
half-dazod way down to the waters
edge, nav our 50 cents and step into a
real Venetian Eondola, just such one
as We have dreamed OF in childhood.
There are the many Colored lanterns
hanging in picturesque lines and clus-
ters, forming sort OF giitteriug cam
opy, exactly as our fancy painted them.
We lean over the edge OF the boat and
watch the reflections dancing in soft
ethereal beauty upon the surface OF the
dark waters. There stands the very
blacli-eyed. swarthy gondolier, clad IN
his picturesque garb oil red and white,
with the blue sash knotted at his side,
that figured ever in our dreams. No
sound save the dip, dip, dip OF his oar
in the water breaks the enchanting still
meas. Gayly illuminated gondolas are
gliding noiseessly like bright-plum-
aged birds higher and thither all
about us. How easy It's to close
our eyes and imagine ourselves in the
midst OF Venetian carnival floating by
the weather-stained palaces, famed IN
poetry, song and history. Our mind
revels in romance; our soul is inloxi.
Gated with the delicious aroma waited
fresh from the wine OF the gods.
Hank! Soft as the trill OF a night
bird the clear notes OF an old Italian
love song break through the air. tbs
the dark-oyed gondoller. How sweetLy
his voice echoes and re-eChoes up and
down the lagoons, dying softly away
over the unseen waters OF the night
buried lake. dm0rOsa, we murmur,
for there was sound as OF unshed
tears in his voice that made us sigh in
sympathy. An! Ho was singing to
his love in far-away, sunny ha,id. 1t IS
complete. We have visited the poetic
queen Of tho Adratic and rIided
through her Grand canal on carnival
night. We have seen our gondolier
and listened to his song, or ut least, -
non zero ban trOUat1. So now we will
say, A Ciue dcrci
At this instant our ear catches faint
gurging sound like the signing OF DIS
turbed waters. simultaneously with 1t
twoburstso OF pure white mystical vapory
beauty leap high into the air before our
astonished eyes. IT'S the long dreamed
of electric fountains. Venice, in all her
historic beauty, is forgotten, while iii
her stead innumerable fairies, water
sprites and maids OF the mist, clad like
Undine only in garments OF spray, dash,
twirl, swim, dance aud float narmoni-
ously about through the clouds OF gush-
ing water. In their midst, on the crest
of foamy billow, rises a figure like
unto Aphrodite, her long hair sparkling
with crystal drops that shine like dia-
monds in the shimmery, uncertain
light. In the far distance we hear
strains of celestial music and imagine
it to be Apollo lulling the Muses. to
sleep on Mount Olympus.
The illusion is perfect. This vision
is seraphic, but it fades all too soon,
while from the depths great troubled
streams OF glowing purple leap. dash
and gurgle in wild fury through the air.
Imagination takes stronger hold upon
our mentality. lhe streams grow
darker and leap higher and higher.
From the rocky purple cave rises Pluto
and his fiery steeds. He reaches out
his great, brawny, muscular arms in
triumph, and lifts the fair Persephone
from the light above into the cur beside
him and sinks through the purple
shades quickly to the rocks.
"Oh, light, light, light She cries farewell,
The ConlbOck horses carry me.
Oh shade OF shades where must dwell,
Demeter, mother, fur irom thec,'
She is gone, gone to rule queen OF
Philo's domain.
All! shimmerinG, glinting grotto Of
emerald green, Neptune, clad in his
robes OF shining scales, Il jeweled scep-
ter in his hand, sits monarch on his
crested throne. AlIabout him through
the transparent waters tloa. sea
nymphs, tritons, mermaids and mer-
men, while long rows OF green.haired
naiads, adorned with flashing dia-
monds, are seen climbing up the mys-
tic, foamy stair. Some are lounging at
his feet; others nre twiuing his neck
and crown with bejeweed garlanda. 20
our deluded eyes the scene is realistic !
it is beautiful in the extreme, this in
habited glittering rrotto Overlooking