The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1898-02-05
IN ANCIENT GARDENS.
THE BABYLoNIANs SUSPEND
THEIRS IN THE AIR.
We're often I1oatsd In the Air-Gild-
Ing slowly over the Waves At wnl-
Delight After = Long aud Tire
come Journey.


In Babylon, a crowded city built on
a nat plain. the queens had their gar
dens In the air-hanglng or roof gar
dens- whence they could look far away
TO the distant sky line. Here rich and
rare blossoms grew and lovely foliage
gave shade and a cooler air refreshed
the brow than that OF the heated
streets far below. The rich also had
high. terraced gardens on land. and.
sweetest Of all. floating gardens on the
lakes. These we're made on RATS, and
In the rich soil and abundant moisture
the flowers bloomed maryelOusly,
while In the waters another garden
counterpart Of the hrst-bloomed In a
fair shadow world. In such garden
as this one might have the enjoyment
Of movement. gliding slowly over The
waves or rest at will, moored to the
bank Another fairylike garden was
the desert garden In which the royal
ladies OF Persia and OF Egypt delight
ed. Surrounded by burning sands. they
yet contriyed by artificial means to Cx-
tend the waters Of some spring In m
oasis and rear beautiful shrubs and a
profusion OF flowers and tender grass.
sprinkling the air continually with
fountains that laughed and played In
the sun Think OF the delight OF en-
tering such a retreat after . toilsome
journey on camels back In the hot
glare and across the parched sands of
some desert route. In the great tanks
we're cultivated aquatic plants. the
lotus or water lily Of the Egyptian
river. with colllug stems and cool
veined leaves The Romans and the
Greeks delighted In gardens. and those
Of pompeii. the city destroyed so many
centuries ago by volcano. were very
gay. The houses were In perfect Be-.
cord with the gardens. and opened
upon them The halls almost seemed
In imitation OF a flower bed. so brill
liant were the mosaic pictures on 'hc
floors. Il Is true. the walls of the
houses within were black. but this was
only as a background 10 throw into
stronger relief the bright colored dec
orations upon them. There were
white tablets with inscriptions. and
there were pictures that told some
pleasing story pictures OF bright and
cheerful rolors In which the red Gin.
nahar predominated. The Pompcilans
loved red; they sometimes painted tho
lower part OF the columns In their
graceful perlstylcs or portlcos a bright
red. leaving the upper part untouched
You looked through the porilco across
hall and parlor and perhaps picture.
room. all open and CHEEKY. into IN,
little garden beyond. with o. trim
flower beds. its little fountain. IL,
vases on pedestals and statues In m,
shrubbery. Illusions and fancliul De-
vices were In great request The gar
den walls were tinted and painted IL
perspective. trees. temples. etc. 10 pro.
duce an appearance Of more space thar
really existed. Bronze boys with 30
YER eyes and nymphs scaiterlal
I WANMAAAH WIZ AANNAAAf VI WNAlNNl.
Everything looked ready Tor a fcasf
In Italy during the fourteenth and NJ
tsenth centuries and even later N,
greatest attention was bestowed 81
gardens. These were full OF fountain
and little lakes and winding walks an.
borders Of flowers. OF course. but thci
special feature was the resemblance
20 the old gardens OF Rome. Thief
boundaries were marked by marJl
pillars with n sculpturcd head %
Hermes; under the stately stone pine
were little temples built In clasu
style. beside the streams were grot'o
with statues Of water nymphs iu
delties. In the groves you came sui
denly upon a white marble Pan wit
his pipes or Apollo and Diana viii
their bows.