The evening times., 1899-08-01
ROME UNDER SUMMER SUNS.
Habits of Her People When Tourists
Shun the CITY
Correspondence to the London Globe. }

| Correspondence TO the London Globe)
Those who only visits Rome in winter,
or in April, have not realized the full
| charms of the city, for in those seasons it
owes Its appearances of life chiefly to the
! 'forestieri." The people themselves have
not yet issued from their shells, their
| houses are still their refuge where they
NOPE or laZe, shrunken with cold or else
aching with 'scirocco.' which does not, as
a rule, affect the foreigner until he has re-
sided here for some time
But now that the tourists have vanished
| back to their various fashionable centres
Rome asserts herself. The '.joie de vivre"
testifes itself all through her streets The
air blows fresh and sweet from the flow
ering campagna" under the morning sun.
Faces look happy, the step seems lighter
| than usual, eyes are brighter, and cool
| colored costumes predominant.
The middle hours of the day are, of
! course, too hot, and they are passed in
doors, over the family meal the siesta,
| etc. After o'clock the streets have de-
| veloped a shady side to some purpose.
and they therefore become populous once
| more, this time rather with fashionable
| than industrial folk. and one pauses a mo-
| ment perhaps TO reflect how much beauty.
male and female, has frequented this
"Corso" since the days of Hannibal, for It
"aS Tue v la or,
| rather, it still is such, although. owing to
the vandalism, not of the real Vandals and
Goths and Normans, but of the Popes and
| their 'nephews,' it has lost the trium-
phal arches which formerly spanned il and
| divided it into living measured paragraphs.
| For yonder, where that young officer in
blue and silver is twisting his mustachios.
while group of black and white nuns
passes him, stood, until 1852, the arch Of
| Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Yerus, de-
| stroyed then by Alexander VII CfChigi)
merely because ii interfered with his
horse races at Eastertide
| Various, indeed, are the figures one sees
during a wander through the delightful
network of these streets. In the morning
| there is less crowding. SO that they stand
| out more vividly. At the corners here and
there stand picturesque country women,
| with white, folded headcloths, selling wild
Strawberries which scent the fresh air,
or weighing out cherries in old-fashioned
scales. and chattering to their customers
all the time. Presently various other in
teresting figures pass by-a black and
white monk, wearing red cross upon his
habit, going about the business of his con-
vent; vender of lemon water. the favor
| lite drink of the lower classes of Rome in
| summer, with painted wagon and all the
| necessary paraphernalia, glasses, taps,
| squeezers, etc., calling Cool drinks, cool
drinks!" And. stepping up into another
level and another street, one passes by
| dark doorways which frame the usual dark
woman busy knitting and at the same
| time experimenting huge baskets of eggs
for sale, or green cucumbers and tomatoes
| daling red.
But enough of people! Peep into this
court of my lords palazzo; it is veritable
| nne per!stylium, as Of old, with large
white marble fountain in its centre whose
singing waters drop from three twisted
dolphins. and overflow glittering into a ca
pacious basin, from which spring up lus-
cious clumps Of Towering arum. All around
1t wind neat formal gravel paths, which
lead round palms and deodaras and ole
anders. Upon everything the sun is row
| blazing while up above in the blue air the
swallows and swifts are whirling in wild,
happy flights. How cool and fragrant 1t
will be when evening comes.