The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1897-05-29
FLORENCE.
A City Praised For Its Good Manners aad
Harmonious SURROUNDINGS.

SHy fFafsed FOR 9s Good Manners and
Harmonious surroundings.
If I wished to teach an awkward
child, youth or girl good manners by
example, | should send him or her to
Florence, says a writer to Truth lion
dom. There may he i'll hammered per
sons there, but l rever saw cEe. Poor
people behave with the sravc dignity
which used il England to stamp the
lady or gentleman. Most persons are
bralny, but cleverness is not eager to
shine. 1t is very subdued and more oilv
than corrosive. The charm Of Florence
steals Oh like the wit Of its clever
inhabitants. The senses arc soo,hed in
all directions BY harmonious manners
and objects. Architects understood Chi
aroscuro notl less than the great painters
and scnlptcrs. One never wearics of tie
streets and public buildings. Their as
poets constantly and strongly vary, nc.
cordlng to the course Of the sun. Lights
and shades at 10 in the forenoon are
wholly different from what they will
be at i III the afternoon. The Floren-
tine women have interesting though not
beautiful faces. But one has onlv %
walk II the market to see country
girls who would have done for models
for Raphael's Virgin mothers. One is
struck III the galleries with the nice
Judgment with which the pictures are
hung. What mere lofty in sentiment
than the tomb Of Lorenzo de- Medici?
Loftlness is a. attribute of F~lorentine
architecture, palatial or domestic. The
doors OF private houses might pass in
England fer portals. One feels them to
be great facts in their way.
Talking of harmonious things re-
minds me Of the Boboli gardens. Is
there a spot in England, the land Of
stately and lovely seats. that at all ap-
proaches them? In situation and tran
quill, generous loneliness l can only
think Of one-the Duke of Northumber-
lands terraced gardens at his place in
Surrey. The Boboli Eden, where the
Prince and Princess of Naples still court
seclusion, has the advantage over the
Surrey paradise Of being under a reveal
ing sky. Every shade Of greenery, every
floral hue, is we'll brought out. One sees
the faultless texture Of statues and
mellowed by time. In SO
strong a light a we'll ordered design is
required, and one has it. The marbles
are the climax. They are to the horti-
cultural beauties as brilliants to the
lace and satin of q fine woman's dress.
Florence is not what it was in the
grand ducal days. Still, it retains the
air Of a capital with a long and illus.
trious history. The ladies' dresses are
only provincial when measured by the
Paris standard, to which Italian wom-
above the peasant class generally
submlt-more's the pity. Paris fashions
only suit Frenchwomen, unless applied
by French halrdressers and femmes de
chambre. An English or Il German face
under a Paris hat CT bonnet Is at a
dreadful disadvantage if the hair has
not been first dressed Ly a French ant
lste capillaire. He places the hat,
through the medium OF the hair. in
relation with the face.
faEcy these French coiiTcurs arc hot
much employed BY Italian ladies.
Nevada
Nevada is the victim Of circnm-
Rich III the pctentialities Of
greatness, ard therefore strol..
the capacity to support a social struc-
fure, she presents the battling paradox
o1 a decllr'ng population i'll a western