The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1900-10-25
IMPRESSIONS OF VENICE,
ITS BEAUTIES AND CHARMS.
A North Carolina Ladys Visit.

d ANo1sA SdTO1uS Aaoys v1SlC.
Prot. T. J. Simmons and wife, both
North Carolinians, are among the fore
most educators of Georgia. Prof. Sim
mons is president of Shorter College at
Rome, Ga. He is the son of the late
Prof. w. G. Simmons of Wake Forest
and Mrs. Simmons was Miss South
gate, of Durham.
The following concerning Mrs. Sim
mons appeared in the Atlanta Journal
a few days ago:
Mrs. 7. Simmons is hard to find
these busy days, but being surprised in
her charming boudoir, she had to be
polite.
By the way, this boudoir is most
inviting retreat. Everything in it Is
Frenchy In pale blue and royal purple
tints. The windows are draped in
rope curtains of purple the wall pap
er is blue with pansies trailing over It,,
and all the pictures and brlc-a-brac
suggest this lovely flower.
"Pansies are for thought" Do you
think when you come in here? I ask
ed as I entered.
II think you are lot of trouble"
she replied, smiling pleasantly. "What
do you want!"
II want your impressions OF Venice. I"
A sweet smile lit her face as she
gave me a chair, and I knew that I
had conquered, and for a half-hour
her recent "trip abroad was the theme
"For thousand years." she began,
"Venice has been the centre of culture
In the old world. 1t was the rendez-
vous of artistic Europe. This was the
focal point OF italian art. It is rich in
paintings, mosaics, stuccoes, sculptures
and bronzes. The great masters of the
fifteenth and sixteenth centuries gave
their energies to beautlfying this
dream city at the head of the Adriatic.
"Tintoretto, Palma Glova, and Pa
ola Veronese still present for the tour
lists delectation brilliant display OF
their pictures. I can not go into do
tail, you will haYe tq read oyer again
Ruskin's Stories OF Venice and the
descriptions in my note book of the
ceilings and carvings, then you will be
simply left hungry and eager for
glimpse of the beauty which they des-
cribe.
"Half my heart, my musical heart,
I left In Venice, for it has been for
centuries as I said, the inspiration for
culture, for music as we'll as art. It
was the Mecca OF the master minds OF
the old world. It was the lifting, tilt
ing rhythm of Venetian waters which
bore unto them first the thought OF
the 'Barcarolle.' Every aspiring COM
poser wishes to write 'Barcarolle.'
"You knew that, did you not?" she
asked.
"No, 1 did not, and I am not sure
that am thoroughly acquainted with
the 'Barcarolle' now," answered
frankly.
"The word itself means boat and
the composition is in six-eight time.
It represents the gondolier's song In
rocking movement into which there ts
always introduced suggestion OF the
bell of St. Marks. Now do you un-
derstand p and she smiled pitlngly.
won't you tell mo about st.
eyes" she answered. "W. u. How
ellis calls 1t the neart of Venice The
size of the building is Disappointing,
but Its finely colored marbles, mosaics
and columns, ceilings in gold and por-
celain make 1t most interesting.
Then there IS that bell no one could
one of all the thousands
who have listened to its low, vibrant
tone. It is impssible to describe the
sound. Even when one is right at 1t
there is never a jar. There Is some
thing of awe about the tone. One
pauses and IS transfixed.
"Do you understand me?"
"Yes. do. You mean the tone OF
the bell was spirit commanding your
soul to listen"
"Ah, yes! You have 1t. That was
it exactly. Now l must tell you
about the pigeons.
Mrs. Simmons beautiful description
of the poetic phase of Venice cannot
be melted into common print.
"Those hundreds of pigeons flying
about that ancient cathedral with
skv above as blue as turquoise, and the
Antter of their white wings In that
.oft summer air was something to re-
member when luck goes hard with
vou," she continued.
aThink, too, of the wonderful porce-
,ains. laces, Venetian glass and can
oe.. Naturally one sought these fac-