The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-04-17

IBy Eopkinson SMITH
things are there-the same old kitchen,
the same old tables, the same every
thing, nothing changed. All the cafes
are alike in that respect. Proprietors
die, but the cafes remain nothing
changes in Venice. Really, Venice is
precisely what it was three hundred
years ago. All its buildings were COM
pleted then just as they are to-day;
San Marco is almost exactly the same
inside, the only things that are changed
are the customs and the people.
81 think that Ruskin, first, has done
more to attract the attention of Eu-
rope and America in his books to Ven
ice than anyone l know of; Mr.. How
ellis next His Venetian Days and
italian Journeys concentrated the at
tention of Americans. And now that
the North German Lloyd steamship line
is running its best steamers to Genoa
only a few hours from Venice-a
great many people are going there
many more than went heretofore.
Il should like everybody who hasn't
been there to 20, and / want those
people who have been there to keep on
going"
In reply to . question about his
Forthcoming book Mr.. Smith said that
he had been at work for some two
years on an illustrated book of Venice,
called Venice of To-Day" which will
be published in the fall. He had in
tended to bring it out in April, but
thought that by taking another trip
there he could enrich the book. In
this work he said he had made
no attempt to review the SPLEEN
dor Of the city's past, nor
to probe the many vital ques-
tons which concern her present.
Neither had he ventured to discuss the
wonders of her architecture, the value
of her literature and art, nor the wealth
of her commerce and manufactures.
He had contented himself rather with
the Venice that you see in the sunlight
of summers day; the Venice that be-
wilders with her glory when you land
ct her water gates; that delights with
her color when You idle along the
Riva; that intoxicates with her music
as you lie in your gondola adrift on
the bosom of some breathless lagoon;
the Venice of mold-stained palace,
quaint cafe and arching bridge; of
fragrant incense, cool. dim-lighted
church and noiseless priest; of strong
armed men and graceful women-the
Venice Of light and life, of sea and sky
and melody.
.'If in this book" Mr.. Smith contin-
ued, 81 have given to Venice a pre-
eminent place among the cities of the
earth, il is because in this selfish,
money-getting age, it is JOY to live,
even for day, where song is more
priced than soldi; where the poorest
pauper laughingly shares his crust;
where to be kind to a child is habit,
to be neglectful of old age a shame-a
city where the relics of her past are the
lessons of our future. where canvas,
stone and bronze bear witness to
grandeur, luxury and taste that took
thousand years of energy TO perfect,
and will take thousand years of neg
lect to destroy. To every art-loving
countryman this city should be Nee
ca, for to know Venice we'll and
thoroughly is TO know all the beauty
and romance Of Ave centuries"
Mr. Smith saw some time ago that
nobody could explain Venice with his
pen alone. that it was necessary to
bring the palette and brush in order to
give people . correct idea of how beau
tiful il is. Mere description doesn't do
ii. Even then, however. man work.
ing as clearly and exactly as Ruskin
1.-THE draughtsnan) has, or as Reco
does to-day, could not give you the
beauties of Venice; there is nothing
left By which TO convey these to you
but photography. No man, for in
stance, can give any idea of the
beauty of the entrance TO the doge's
palace except by photography; an
ordinary sketch would not give it.
No man would have the patience
to follow the delicate tracery, the
magnificent carving After you have
done everything you can do
its color, form. life. market life.
boats. people, everything that makes
il interesting, you have finally got TO
come down TO photography, for
that is the only thing that viii make
an absolutely perfect record of some
Of the most beautiful work, especially
the carving and architecture Venice
in this respect differs from CONSTANT
nople. Cons,antinople is fine in its
mass. but when you examine its detail
it disappoints you; beautiful as il IS, its
detail will now and then disappoint
You. All Of Venice is not only bearti-
full in its mass bus il IS beautiful 70 the
very m;nutest detail
This view o. the subject seems 20 do
= slight injustice to Mr. Smiths own
lovely Venetian paintings These have
been reproduced in color, folio size fer
the new work by q new process which
secures remarkable results A few Of
.he sketches are reproduced IN s.inia-
tH-s herewith.