Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-04-16
ABOUT OLD SEVILLE.
Our Artist Correspondent Describes
Adventures in Spain.

/ mer Of the sunny southern Valleys W.
where Is this more enjoyable than in the
| trip from the raw cold Of Madrid to the
balmy atmosphere Of old Seville.
A more cherries region than that sur
rounding Madrid would be difficult TO find.
II is almost treeless and uninnaDited'
great. rolling barren hills, over which tho
| cutting cold blows during the winter ana
the sun bakes and scOrches in summer !.
Only the fine art OF Ceryantes cOuld
create any kind OF enjoyment here, ana
! the only claim to interest this depress-
ing waste has is that which the brave
Don Quixote and his faithful sancho
have given IT, for it was in this vicinity
that they had their romantic windmill
adventures Here and there among the
scattered settlements are still seen the
long arms of the giants; but IL is cold
and getting dark, and wind-mills. while
being very good material for romance,
are poor substitute for travelling COM
forts The cars are poorly heated. crowd
ed. and dark, and, oh. so slow ana
sleeping-cars being impossible, II Is q
very long. unhappy night.
But 70 wake up in the morning SILVER
ing, and in the growing light TO see the
vegetation changing as the train slides
down the grade into tho valley, IS a good
~ sight Soon the sun is up, and touch
ing the broad leaves Of cactus hedges in
their rough tangle with the fiat, spreading
spikes Of the palmds. Orange-trees be-
gin TO show their bright fruit blazing in
the sunlight against the background OF
| dark-green leaves the dew sparkles on
| fresh. green. growing things; the car
windows are opened to let out the cold
/ and summer has come The roses are
blooming in little plots, the contented
gardener is pottering about among his
vegetables; the deliberate oxen are draw
ing the slow wooden plow through the
fresh smelling earth Through orchards
Of olives. and such pleasant sights, comes
old Seville, shining white and compact
around the Old cathedral with the famous
Giralda towering high over all.
Seville may be taken as an ideal exam
pie of the old Southern Spanish cities,
showing remnants of the work Of the sue
ceeding races who have lived here EX-
cavations proceed constantly among tho
ruins of the Roman period, and entire eX-
amples of the early Moorish buildings are
stil in use. The life here is typical OF
all the southern region and has some very
interesting characteristics.
The first impression Of the city is
charming one Through the ornamental
iron doors which separate the vcstbule
from the inner court or palato, are seen
the sunlit fountains splashing In the CEN
tire of the marble floors; tropical plants
and rugs adorn this oTen-air parlor'
where the life Of the household centres.
The exteriors Of the houses are generally
plain. with balconies before all the win
doWs: the streets are very narrow. wheel
ed traffic is impossible on most Of them,
the little over-ladcn donkeys doing the
carrying one is az a loss 10 know what
system was followed IN laying out these
old Moorish towns When seen from the
top Of the tall GiTald, the glazing white
clusters Of houses. cut by the dark lines
Of winding streets, resemble one OF the
mazes constructed 10 entangle the pedes-
trian and IL is interesting as a puzzle TO
extricate oneself here even with the ala
Of a map. Ii looks as though one builder
followed another by the rule Of thumb.
Hardly two houses are on the same
street line. They wind in and out at all
angles. turn corners, and then change
their minds and continue meandering il
resOlutely; in some places the streets are
even fifteen or twenty feet wide, but they
suddenly close up 10 mere narrow paths,
in which the little donkeys have hard
work TO navigate their huge packs.
The great cathedral, with its accom-
pauying ceremonies, has given Seville the
name Of "the Spanish Rome" Holy week
brings crowds of visitors 20 witness the
religious ceremonies and street process
sions together with the accompanying
bull-nghts. which are most brilliant on
Easter Sunday.
There are twenty-five churches, and
each church has a clock with bells for
striking and Ginning the hours. The Ca
thedral bells are In the Giralda tower
presided over by blind bell-ringer. Here
are big and little bells for sundry church
PURPOSES. All Of these separate collec-
lions Of bells are within easy earshot OF
one another. and 10 hear the midnight
hour being clashed and Changed III Varl-
Gus tones and tunes by the twenty nFe
clocks is an experience one can never loI-
get. The gentleman who wrote that mar
monious poem called Beautiful Bells
should first have made a stay III gay %
vile. ..,.,..,,
They will soon have another variety
Of bells. for they are introducing trol-
lev line. and this evidence OF the new
lifeu of Spain has invaded the sacred pre-
cincts of the Cathedral. The gayly-
nainted iron trolley poles have been
reared on the very steps. The statues OF
saints look down from their inches on
this disturbance Of their slow centuries
with what appears to be a look OF sad
reproach. 1t is nearly five hundred years
since the present building was begun
and. ike many OF these ancient cathe-
drals IL is far from being finished yet.
The masons are erecting new doorway %
g. strange contrast 20 the crumblins early
,co,k where the weather and time have
enread the beauties of slow change over
n an softening the edges, tinting and
blending the surface with drip and damp;
moss and lichen add their touch OF form
and color 10 the old stones, and IN the
crevices Of the caves and carvings the
dust has gradually become fooIhold
for grass and little plants, which nourish
In their strange surroundings
rbe tourist is In evidence here con-
tinuallv as well as his ever present dis
turher the guide. who waylays him ana
evnlains the beauties of the place in a
nolvglot tongue, which is a bewilderng
r,ixtpre OF French, Spanish. and English.
The guides knowledge Of the place he
,ries 10 show IS confined 10 the usual
statistics and is undressing chatter,
which makes 1t impossible TO enjoy the
real beauties OF the fine old places, which
need repose and reflection. The guide
hooks are usually the visions OF the ac-
tive Imaeinations of the writers. Think
~ the confusion the visitor is thrown
into when he reads in one extract that
the cathedral OF Seville resembles an
elephant among a flock Of sheep. and In
another that 1t IS like ship In iull sall'
WILLIAM BENGOUGH.