The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-11-14


the beautiful bay of Naples before the
cityi So much has been written of this
body of water and it's environments it is
familiar to every one as If he had seen
il. How, as children, we have looked at
the queer little wood-cuts In our school
books and wished to travel in Italy. the
land of sunshine, and wondered IL fortune
would ever bring US TO the great Vesuvius,
from whose top was always rising columns
Of smoke and fire.
remember in one OF my Biographies
OF seeing the volcano, up whose smoking
sides I have climbed in a violent state OF
eruption. There was enough lava and
other material coming out of it to have
buried the entire world. The little wooden
like people, all badly drawn, were flying
nobody knew where. Some of them were
large enough in comparison TO have stood
over the crater and smothered out the fire.
1 am sure such Illustrations often make
stronger impressions on the minds of
children than when they see the actual
locality after they become men or women.
There is no denying that the bay of
Naples is very beautiful. 1 think II is the
most beautiful body of water / have ever
seen and nature lavishes her beauties about
II. The line of the shore Is a graceful
curve and from every place along II is a
line view. l am satisfied with the one we
have from the hotel we chose for our rest
ing place. From its broad, fat roof, ar
ranged as a terrace, we have the bay lying
at our feet, separated from the hotel by
Ile IaSnlOnaOle drive and promenade or
the city, the Villa MaZionale." To our
right IS Posilippo back of US rises the
windows of the first floors of the houses;
TOT, you must know, Naples is built on
hill that rolls into the water. To our left
around is the town of Tore del Greco.
then comes Castel-a-Mare and Sorrento,
while all over towers Nesuvius. with its
cloud OF vapor continually hanging over IL.
In the horizon lies the little island Of
Capri and still nearer the island Of Ischia-
There Is little 10 see within doors in
Naples. With the exception OF the museum
nearly everything IS outside and under
bright skies. 1t is delightful change
time wanderi1g tbrou~b 5 5Su 1 s4s9 y snd
churches, often so dark and damp you for
get there is any sunshine Here We stroll
about continually in the open air. Naples
was formerly the capital of the kingdom
and Is now the largest city in Italy. num-
bering more than 10000 inhabitants. II
is one of the oldest cities in the world,
Tor not far from it was founded city by
the Greeks 1856 B. c., which, growing too
large, overspread its boundaries and made
Naples a suburb. Now Naples has taken
the precedence. To me the most interest
Ing part of the city is the old quarter.
where the houses tower upward 50 high
that the daylight IS almost shut out OF
the little, narrow streets that form a net
work Of passages, leading everywhere and
all his glory and dirt. As you pass along
you do not feel surprised that the cholera
in 1884 swept through here with such fatal
results. And yet these streets are not as
dirty as 1 expected to find them. The doors
are no more varied or stronger than l
have found in many other cities With all
our boosted pride of cleanliness and the
immense amount of money spent by New
York City for its STRENGTHENING depart
ment. have been in quarters there that
were more offensive than these here In
Naples there IS an excuse that cannot be
found IN New York: Here the people live
in the open air. Their shops are in the
streets; all their little stock OF goods is
taken out in the morning and displayed
there; the families sit about their goods
the women sewing, knitting visiting and
even cooking their meals in the street. All
household duties seem NJ be brought there
to be performed; frequently the toilet is
made. In passing along and looking In
side the buildings you see little furniture;
scarcely anything more than the beds and
a chair or two. Often large family Oc-
cupies one room only. But there is invari-
ably a picture of the virgin with tiny
light before it. The children run about
with little clothing upon them and when
ii is a hot discard this little. The different
trades are centered in different streets
For example, passing down one you see
the makers of jewelry, while perhaps the
clatter of hammers and similar noises an
nounce the approach TO another, where are
the workers in brass and tin; Turning
with girls and women embrOidering in
gold threads or fancy silks. Although the
ldIlAleSS VI tllt NSdpOlildI ID pIONeIDldi L
have seen little of it, 1 have walked re
peatedly through these narrow, over
crowded streets and always found the peo-
pie busy, perhaps not putting much
vigor in their labor as do those Of north
ern climes but, nevertheless, at work.
There are not many beggars. Every
place is full of life and noise. Everybody
talks in n loud voice and with the street
cries, the noise is often deafening. But
shall always think with pleasure of the
picturesque place. The laundry work in
tereSts me greatly. As with everything
else, it Is done in the street or at the
public fountains. The clothes are taken
and hung from the windows across the
streets to dry 1t is impossible to describe
the variety of color that is thus found
reds, yellowS. blues etc.-and then with
the fruits and vegetables hanging against
the houses, the effect is marvellous, If not
in accordance with an American idea of
propriety and cleanliness. The people are
not as handsome as L expected TO find
them but now and then l meet a beauty.
The children are more beautiful, but they
soon lose their brilliant olive complexion
and become old and brown looking before
their time. Youth is indeed fleeing in all
southern countries.
All the promenades about the city are
fine, for in every direction the streets
climb up to some point overlooking the
city or the bay or the distant towns,
VesuviuS always looming up in the back
ground But as beautiful as is all this
sea and land, cannot fully understand the
force of the well known saying, 'Vedi
beautiful places in this world of ours that
would rather not die after seeing Naples,
but live to enjoy more.
CHARLES HOIMAN-RLACK.