The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-02-15
LENT TIME IN
LATIN LANDS
BY LUo1EN JULIEN WALKER.

DRY is my first view of Italy, the home Of
the Mardi Gras. had left Scotland as it
lay scattered under snow drifts that were
twelve and fourteen feet deep, and with
much difficulty made the journey from Fife
shire to London. The weather was as
cold charity; though in point of fact the
temperature In that far northern latitude
was not by many degrees as low as 1t las
been in the southern town of Birmingham
within the past forty-eight hours. Praoti-
cally, Scotland is in the same latitude as
Labrador, a land of eternal ice, but the
Gulf stream save Scotland and all The
British isles.
When reached London, flying before the
storm king, my courage almost failed me.
Even the police welcome visitors in London.
That is the most hospitabfe city of the
world-the greatest, the most enlightened,
the most charitable and altogether the best.
One is really never .alone in London"
There is always genial soul to welcome;
there is always some noble man or woman
in that vast city who thrills with the belief
that kind hearts are more than coronets and
simple faith than Norman blood
Between London and the continent there
lay the silver streak" of poetry and the
AoiHHeu CIldilliet OL IdCl-Ine most turbulent
twenty-one miles of salt water known to
man. Friends almost persuaded me to
stay within good distance of Leicester
square; they convinced me that I was
fool to attempt to cross the channel and
the continent in the teeth of a snow
storm. But 1 attempted the journey and
pursued it to the end.
The only means they have of heating rail-
road cars, that is railway carriages in
Europe is by long tin boxes filed with what
Is meant to be hot water; but which, in
truth, is generally ice water. Crossing the
channel I felt that my time had Gomez
After landing at Calais, from Dover, the
French train, in its frigid GOODNESS, con-
WINGED me that had not above two hours
of life before me; but I crossed France
in safety, passed under the Alps and
tered Italy with joy. l never comprehend
ed before the full meaning of the phrase
that beyond the Alps lies Italy!'
Our train dashed out of that seven miles
of horrible tunnel into the full glow of
Italian sunshine. / hastily cleaned my
window with a copy of a London news
paper, and looking out 1t appeared that all
Italy was spread before me. 1t seemed to
me that 1 could distinctly see cities and
villages hundreds hundreds of miles
away; and the green valleys and the slow
flowing rivers made up panorama that
was enhancing. AS looked L recalled the
wild cheer of Napoeon's army as it gazed
from the top of the pass of st. Bernard
upon the plains of rich Lombardy. There
is more of history in that cry of a lawless
army than any other human cry ever ut
tered on this paling globoi
/ entered Rome in the dawn of the car
nival. 1t was my first visit to the Eternal
City; and no experience of mine has ever
moved me deeply. Good friends, ap-
prised of my coming, had provided
overlooking the Corso through which
all the day long there moved
throng of merry makers. Rome-proud old
Rome-mistress of carnivals since carni-
walls began, then fixed upon me the spell
that shall not pass!
Confetti filed the air, and there was
shouting and laughter. Mummery ran riot
in old Rome This confetti is soft pow
derry substance, in delicate paper bags, so
nearly impalpable that 1t fills all the air.
The scene in the Cefso was dazzling; it
was bewildering in its wondrous charm
and beauty. Suddenly out of the wild
chaos there came something tangible AT
my feet fell bail of confetti which broke
into dust and in the dust lay three Parma
violets, sweet messengers from the far
city of the fair. A beautiful English
woman at my side laughed and said: "You
are summoned-go!'
L looked over the railing of the low
balcony and saw a carriage with but one
occupant-a masked woman. She inclined
her head as If to summon me- and discard
ing discretion i descended and approached.
She motioned to me to join her. AS 1 did
what she wished 1 saw at glance that
she was some person of high degree Her
armorial bearings the livery of her COACH
man and footmen all proclaimed her to be
of high rank.
''Signor," she observed in perfect scholar
ly English, this is my little day of joy We
do not know each other. We shall not
know each other except for this little space
of time, which we both of us shall have
forgotten by the morrow"
She gave a command in Italian to the
coachman, and he drove away rapidly He
took the nearest route to the Quirnal, ard
1 was silent with amazement Arrived at
the palace, entered the great doorway be-
hind her, following I knew not whom and
going knew not whittier. Suddenly it oc-
CURED to me that the woman was mad and
was making the daring attempt to approach
the royal presense. The thought was APP
palling but couldn't escape. There was
one ray OF light in 1t all. had read that
no person could approach the king masked.
Something must occur. The ushers received
her nose obsequiousiy and she spoke
words for me- She came from the dressing
room unmasked. I knew her. The king
kissed her.
The beginning of the Lenten season today
recalls to me those glad days in Rome in
the yester-year. 1t Is time for charity,
for sweetness and light; for introspecton.
1t Is time for sounding the deeps of our
own hearts and in some measure coming to
know ourselves. 1t is time for self-denial,
ealf -b,,p To- fha