West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1896-07-09
OUR EUROPEAN LETTER.
INTERESTING ITEMS FROM The
ETERNAL CITY" THAT SAT
on HER SEVEN HILLS"
The Streets and Musicians and Fun
erals, and Other Striking
Features.
Special correspondence of TnH Ansus.

ROME, ITALY, June 2, 1896.
Some French writer has said that
an Englishman listens to music;
Frenchman hears it; German
analyses it, and an Italian feels it.
However this may be, no one can
DO in the land OF Verdi and Ros.
SIM without realizing that this is
the country of music; it impresses
every visitor with the force OF an
originil observation. There is music
every afternoon in the public parks
or squares; music as the soldiers
march through the streets; music
at almost any hour in the countless
churches, aud what is most strik-
ing, the loungers and beggars lift
ur their voices, ('nd very good
VOICES they are, as a rule not IN
the hope of few extra pennies,
but just for the pleasure of singing.
TIE boys that stroll along the
stieets at night sing instead Of
Visiting, and their selections de
note more classical taste than is
possessed by their brother gamins
IN America. One hears .he Sci.
lima from Cavalleria or the solo
from Mignon, instead OF "Only
One Curl" or "Paradise Alley. >"
One is liable to be awakened at any
time between midnight and day
break by resounding duets or Choir.
uses, as citizens roam from the cafe
chantants homeward; but instead
of arresting them on the charge of
drunk and disorderly," t h e
gendarmes listen with the air of
connoisseurs, and only show an in.
clination to interfere when the
singers happen to be off the key.
AS matter of fact, they are not
drunk; they merely wish to give ex-
preston to the music with which
every Italian s soul is filled.
For change, one can hear al
most any day the lugubrious chant
of funeral PROFESSIONS. The mourn
ers go on foot, and there is always
long line Of monks, carrying
lighted candles and singing. Some
times they are accom- panied by the
Misericordia, and then it is sight
worth seeing. This is a charitable
fraternity which insists in the last
Offices OF the dead. They wear long
white robes with sort of pillow
slip 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 number
of mobiles Who belong to this fra
ternity, but they can be distin
guished from their panions only
by the elegant footgear, of which
one clutches occasional glimpses.
Some years ago at funeral OF
Prince Bartarini. who was q mem
Der of the brotherhood, the entire
MIserlcordia came barefoot, and a
lady present told ME that it was
amusing to see how gingerly some
Of them walked.
The nomenclature Of the streets
in Rome is picturesque and varied.
When one finds oneself unexpected
ly in the street Of Publication, The
Road Of Perfection. or the Lane oil
PeDitence, one half believes they
have stepped into the Pilgrim s
Progress. The streets OF the Silver
Tower, the Little Cakes, the Five
Moons, or the Iron Jaw, have 9
more secular sound. It is rather
startling, when you have lost youi
way in a forbidding part Of the
city, and are searching anxiously
for the name Of the street, TO fnC
that it is called The Broken HesG
or The Lions Mouth. But at tht
next corner you are treasured bl
finding yourself in Good Company
and your footsteps may presently
take you into the Lane Of the Hol'
Ghost or the Street Of the lively,
Apostles. The Street Of the Twen
tieth Of September, a fine broaC
avenue, leads to the gate that wa
demolished on that eventful dat,
10 Italian history, when GaTibild
entered the Eternal City and thl
temporal power Of the Pope wa