Daily Kennebec journal., 1897-09-11

foreign travel when the very beginnings
OF education, and general information
are deficient" when we heard the follow
ing remark made by a young woman to
her companion; she being evidently under
the delusion that gondolas-though she
knew them not as such--were untrust-
worthy as vehicles Of transportation. Il
don't want to get in one q them doges, :"
she said plaintively. eyeing suspiciously u
stafd looking gondola but If I'd knowed
she was a going I'd a'went too" Feeling
sorry for the poor girl. in various ways
we bought our small bags of corn and
turned our footsteps toward famous St.
Marks Square to feed the pigeons.
WHITE in one second we We're almost
hidden, on our heads and shoulders set
tied the cooling birds-they would alight
three or four deep ON yeach hand, strug
Cling in most undove-iike fashion for the
last kernel; the Piazza disputed with
"gondoling' for supremacy in our affee-
tions
What historic memories cling to that
old Palace of the Doges. what splendor.
what magnitcence belonged to ancient
Venice, when the faded remnant of de-
Parted glory is SO overpowering. We
climbed the golden staircase leading to
the many chambers where the solemn
council decreed life or death for the un-
happy prisoners: we saw those rooms and
looked on Tintoretto's Paradise so huge
IL covered the entire end of the great
hail: this, with hundreds Of masterpieces
adorned walls and ceilings We tried to
get impressions like Lord Byron. by
standing in the dark dungeon which he
once occupied, and then We We're taken
across the Bridge of Sighs looking
through the small grated opening for one
last glimpse of earth. and shuddercd as
we Sazed down to think what countless
crimes the Adriatic hid. The architecture
OF Nenice-its originality, its varied hues,
has it not all been told in song and story?
The SnlendDr pf III all mi teS in th..
old Church of st. Mark, the richness of
whose high altar, adorned with iaps-
lazuti, gold and all manner of precious
stones. and supported by the four alabas-
ter pillars once in Solomon's Temple. far
exceeds anything We have seen. one of
the lessons Americans learn thoroughly
while Travelling in Italy is never to sic-
cept the slightest gift from q native un-
less willing to pay many times its value.
This was impressed upon us while visit
ing st. Lazarus, the Armenian Monastery
The young priest in charge not only pos
sessed dreamy eyes. but twenty-eight diff
ierent languages, in all which he con-
Nersed fluentlyi He showed us all the. in
terror. including the museum and Byron's
room-where the poet studied many
months-then through the garden, where
we all exclaimed at the profusion of red
oleander trees in full bloom, and specially
;it the height and symmetry of a magno-
liza. The period of bloom was past, but
one bud was left which the monk volun-
tarily broke off and gracefully presented
To ii member of the party whose pride
turned to chagrin when on leaving the
monastery five lire Zone dollar) were de-
mandcd for the limp yellowed blossom
we soon learned to present Il stony pro-
ilie to all attentions proffered. clung to
our bags, and helped ourselves into. and
out, of gondolas. for the touch of a hand
meant 'centeSimi.
We found it hopeless to fix in mind the
many SAINT and Santa churches which
We're all about us which ever way we
turned, but the Byzantine dome and flor-
III pillars of Santa Maria della Salute, di-
rectly fronting our room. became Il fa-
milar object. The statues and painting
proved as we feared bcwilderment.
though the grandeur of Titians monu-
ment still impresses us, as well as the
grace and dclcacy of Canova's tomb
Wnlch delighted our sense of beauty de-
spite Ruskins harsh criticism. That
bowed and veiled figure so exquisitely
carved. standing beside the door of the
tomb revealed, to us, in every chiseiled
me, deep grief ennobled by lofty resig-
nation. While artistic culture Is some
thing most devoutly to be wished
mere mere no denying that undisciplined
taste carries with it Il compensation.
which we find most enjoyable We are
not under bonds to admire this or that.
ana Ieel at liberty to adore a Sassofara-
20 Modanna even If warned "the blue of
the mantle is too intense" Venice for
uS IN IT'S pictures will ever mean but one
Iitians Assumpton'-the life the al
most bounding effect. of the figures is in
"escripable. while the heavenly purity
anu rlpt self-abnegation of that upturnel
iace IN which we see the mingled bliss