Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1894-01-03
VENICE AS IT NON IS
DRESS NOW AND 2OoyEAas AGO
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hoa sAess u ola' paintings - plays
"a hlseorts.
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ssiwnes1al sslve, have ehanee1 esum the
eosrsiy esrnsnts a he Mossntues and
- roscari sadly for The wogse. Thsrs
wss : usw play he othss sisht - ths
nonudni. clsvsr dramatic $500 q ~
psriod q fhs Let % ~ degu. BY
Cosnt z1es.a. local eushcr - plsy-
wright. Il We tlsysd ~ ~ Ysnstsan
eoneay company of Eco 60 ryivsta.
Will Known Ia Italy. re ooatuming
~ extraordinarily God 1oe I>aly. good
fux sny countvy. The detetje wsrs his-
tnr3csiiy accurate, many eo1ncfloss'
eoresous gowns and ladia' sobes bsins
actually family relisA Ths insvitabls
af,.rpises OF Italian thsa>ss wsu
faros comedy Of today. Tie sazbs sectors
md actrsnsss appeared = modern
: "pauts' and dresses, according 10 the
latest faahiou Of Milan. The contrast
IVES painfully striking.
So much for clothes. For types and
characters In Venice today you have
only 70 read Goldoni of nearly 500
years ago, or even earlier writers Of
comedy, to know them well. The dia-
lsct itself Is but little changed. Col
doni' q comedies are being played nightly
in the peoples theaters Of Venice. a.
though the author were alive and
writing satires upon tho present gen
Grafton Of venetians.
In the narrow streets. the dark little
shops, which hog each other closely.
side by side. are the same queer, open
air sort Of bazaars and boutiQues Of
hand worksrs, unchanged since the first
days OF the republic. Checseinongers.
cobblers. iron workers at their forge.
silversmiths. beaters Of brass and cop
per, money changers and surgeon bar
bsn arc all plying their different trades
In their windowles shops. almost e
though they were in the street itself.
Intsrmingled fruit, flower and veg
stabls stalls give gorgeous hits Of color
30 the somber background Of the narrow
caile, and there 10 always strip of
heavenly blue, with perhaps . piece Of
Q white cloud. up there between the
roofs, to help "compose" the picture,
like Paul veroness's joyous csnvases.
There IL constant fete going ON In the
streets all day long. The sound Of hu-
man voices, scraps Of song. the clicking
OF wooden pattens and the musical
tapping Of metals furnish > perpetual
accompaniment 10 all Of your business
and bargaining. The cheeseman dis
cussss politics with the iron worker
across the street, all the while he il
serving you, and uses his knife to &C.
contuate the gestures Of his argument.
The price Of Q .capon Induces quar-
Tor Of IN hours discussion, which
includes family news. the latest gossip
Of the parish, much good humored ban
tering and Q final compromise on the
fowl.
Babies and cats play in the middle
Of the street and look ut you with
wondering eyes when you step over
them. Pretty women pas you, with
black shawls over their heads and red
stockings beneath their short skirts,
and show you graceful heals and insteps
at every lift Of the foot from their
loose patterns. They have q word and
laugh, as they pass, for every shop
keeper and worker. Chandeliers swing
by, their hands in their pockets. their
hats tilted TO one side their coats
thrown gracefully over one shoulder
and q rose or cigarette stuck behind
the ear. They cannot help their uncon-
scious grace any more than the dirty
brown sails Of fshing boat their pic
turesque beauty. Every one Il laugh
ing. joking. bantering and bargaining.
Life 10 sad enough, and has trouble
enough. sod knows. Most are poor,
and many are suffering. But that Is
only q greater reason why they should
make all the pleasure they can out Of L..
The small details Of everyday life In
Venice rstain al their charm Of color
and romantic association. after you
have ceased being tourist and become
Q partially settled resident. Your first
impressions do not seem TO fade. OF
become spoiled. through familiarity.
The most commonplace things Jon do
are tinged with an element Of the pic
turesque and the poetical. The man
from whom buy small wood and Goals
has n shup which would delight the
heart Of Dutch master Tor . subject.
He himself. init, with his blouse. red
wsistbsnd. faded brown Trousers and
his silver white hair. accompanied BY
his big yellow Syrian eat, would fur
nish the bcst figures Tor the picture
without choosing. And his garruions
talk over a bargain IL - full a wit -
Dialogue In play.
do not mean that yoa live In con-
slant ecststic state Of poetry and ro-
nance. A cook. whose name 10 Anse-
lima. viii sometimes make IN omslet
too hard even In an old nftcenfh Gen.