Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1896-07-08
EUROPEAN NEWS
Gathered by a Tribune Re
porter in His Eastern
Travels.
Interesting Scenery Depicted
Of Historic Versuvius and
Surroundings.

Frenchman hears it; German ana
lyzes it; and an Italian feels it. How
ever this may be. no one can be long
in the land of Verdi and Rossini
without realizing that this is the
country of music; it impresses every
visitor with the force of an original
observation. There is music every
afternoon in the public parks or
squares; music as the soldiers pass
through the streets, music at almost
any hour in the countless churches,
and what is almost striking, the
loungers and beggars lift up their
voices land very good voices they are,
as a rule) not in hope of few extra
pennies, but just for the pleasure of
singing. The boys that stroll along
the streets at night sing instead of
whistling, and their selection denote
a more classical taste than is pos
sessed by their brother gamins in
America. One hears the Siciliana
from Bavalleria or the solo from Mig
non, instead of ''Only one Girl or
Paradise Alley" One is liable to
be awakened at any time between
midnight and day break by resound-
ing duets and choruses, as citizens
roam from the cafe chantants home
ward; but instead of arresting them
on the charge drunk and dissorderly"
the gendames listen with the air of
connoisseurs, and only show an incli
natl n to interfere when the singers
happen to be off the key. AS mat
ter of fact, they are not drunk; they
merely wish tie give expression to the
music which every Italians soul is
filled.
For change, one can hear almost
any day the lungubrious chant of
funeral professions, The mourners
go on foot and there is always long
line of monks, carrying lighted candles
and singing. Sometimes they are
accompanied by the Misericordia, and
then it is sight worth seeing This
is charitable fraternity which assists
in the last offices of the dead. They
wear long white robes with sort of
FELLOWSHIP over the head, holes being
cut for the eyes, and they look more
like guests at a phantom party than
anything else. 1t is not soothing to
the nerves to meet them for the first
time when you happen to be in
lonely street, or towards dusk. They
glide silently past. their black eyes
watching you from behind the white
masks. There are a number of
mobiles who belong to the fraternity,
but they can be distinguished from
their companions only by the elegant
vi WHICH, Ou6 CdlCu0S OCCdSlOudl
glimpses. Some years ago at the
funeral of Prince Aarbarini, who was
a member of the brotherhood, the
entire Misericordia came barefoot, and
a lady present told me that it was
amusing to see how ginger. y some of
them walked.
The nomenclature of the streets in
Rome is picturesque and varied.
When one finds oneself unexpectedly
in the street of Publication, the Road |
of Perfection, or the Lane of Peni- |
tence, one half believes they have
stepped into the Pilgrims Progress,
The streets of the Silver Tower, the
Little Cakes, the Five Moons, or the
Iron Jaw have a more secular sound. /
1t is rather startling, when you have I.
lost your way in forbidding part of
the city, and are searching anxiously I
for the name of the street, to find |
that it is called The Broken Head or
Lions Mouth. But at the next cor
ner you are treasured by finding
in good company, and your
footsteps may presently take you
into the Lane Of the Holy Ghost or
the Street of the Twelve Apostles.
III
The Street of the Twentieth of Sep
TENDER, a fine broad avenue, leads to
the gate that was demolished on that
eventful date in Italian history, when
Garbaldl entered the Eternal City
and the temporal power Of the Pope
was oyerthrown. The street Of the
Mouth OF Truth is SO called from a
hole in the wall Of church, into
which IN olden days citizens Of Rome
put their hands when taking an oath,
perhaps a more sanitory arrangement
than our modern method Of kissing
The Bible. Then there is the street Of
-b.a Two