Mexico weekly ledger., 1902-07-31
STRANDED N VENICE.
BY Anne Dsaard Hinae m the American Illus
trated Methodist Magazine.

Tf@ sea Is in the broad, the narrow
streets,
Ebbing and flowing; and the salt sea-
weed
Clings TO the marble OF her palaces.
No track Of men, no footstep to and
fro,
Lead to her gates. The path lies DER
the sea,
invisible; and from the land we went
As TO a floating cIt~y-steering In,
And gliding up her streets as In a
dream,
So smoothly. sIlently--by many a dome
Mosque-like, and many a stately por-
tico,
The statutes ranged along an azure
sky
What Is 1t that has always given
such a charm TO this City Of the Sea,
and makes it the most unique OF all
the cities OF the worlds No matter
what your preconceptlons may have
been, Venice is always a surprise to
every visitor. l can never forget my
approach and entrance to Venice on
the 18th day OF August, 1900. We
were a band OF Christian Endeavorers
just completing the tour OF Italy, hav-
ing entered through the Alps and
visited Milan, Genoa, Pisa, Rome,
Naples and Florence, where VI spent
two happy days. With the old
"Dnomo" pictured in our memories,
and filed with thoughts of Michael
Angelo, Dante, Calico, Savonarola
and many other great names, we
pulled out on our special Srain for fair
Venice in the sea.
A happier company had never passed
over this classic ground, or under these
fair italian skies. But all at once,
like a clap Of thunder in a cloudless
sky, came the announcement that
Crawford s. Floyd, our agents, had
failed in Paris. They had our money,
and here we were stranded, three hun
dred Americans, six thousand miles
from home. STRANDED" was not the
proper word; 1t seemed rather that we
were launched out upon the mighty
ocean, neve to see our native land
again. How well our first gondola
ride was suited to our spiritsl Silently
we took our places on the black pals
Of the gondolas, and silently we we're
borne along as in a funeral procession,
over the drowsy waters OF the Grand
Canal. Not a word was spoken, not a
sound was heard, save the monoto-
nous dip OF the car, as the white
draped gondoller swayed to and fro on
the doleful ride TO the grave Of oar
finances. And where did we find our
cemetery In the Hotel Luna.
BY appointment we were 10 meet
after supper 10 decide what was TO be
done, and TO appoint a committee Of
ways and means TO get out OF this
awful dilemma. As in mournful
silence we filed into the grand hall Of
the dining room, every face pale
with anxiety, a sllver-toned young
Marylander struck up the song,
Count Your Blessings One by One
Every voice took 1t up and as the last
tone Of those beautiful words went
ringing out over the waters Of the
Queen City Of the Adriatic, every
heart was inspired With love and
gratitude to God. What money thers
was in the party was freely loaned
every want was supplied, and we de
cided to drown oursGrrows in the dee
and go on our way rejoicing. Such !
the power Of Christian song to liRhtel
the heart, and inspire with fresh vig0
and power,
That night a wonderful miracle wa
performed. The very thing we hal
lost was showered all around US. A
II by magic the city became a mass 0
pure silrer. The streets we're foOdeI
with silver all about US The Condo
las, so black that afternoon, we're nos
lowered over with a silyery sheen an
the wooden oars became 50 weighty II
their new metal that they fell lazil
into their locks, and silver drippei
from them into the silver sea LunI
was in all her glory, and her soothinI
spirit seemed 10 pervade everyb0d.
and everything. Sweet music hoateI
about us everywhere. This is the plac
Of all the world to hear Italian musi
to perfection, for the surrounding
seem to ft superbly TO its charms. Ii
this city you should sleep all the day
then drift and dream all the night
but with your eyes wide open. Cast
} few pennies occasionally into the gon
dola that floats beside you, dispensing
concert music, and IT viii stay wit
you as long as the moon does. Modem
Venice means Venetian glass Of ever
ssape and quality, made by hvi
Thousand people; It means mirrors am
pearls, gems, silks and yelyets, lace
and embroideries, In most exquisit
profusl0n. In all its trade and traffic
professional and social visiting, not a
animal is used, nor is any wbeeleI
vehicle seen upon the streets. n
Sound is heard except that Of humai
footsteps on the narrow payements
the dipping cars in the water street
and everywhere the soft musica
Italian voice In song or animated con
versation.
But what care we for modem Ven
Ice in the daytime, when we can stans
where SAylock stood, on the old Rialt'
Bridge, spanning the Grand Canal
and read the history Of the past In IL
ancient buildingss This city, Of on
hundred and forty-six islands anC
three hundred and eighty bridges
doubly enciFcled by the inverted S o.
the Grand Canal, started with a small
hand Of fugitires from Yenetia, Iowa
citizens Of the Roman Empire, whe
fed before Attila the Hun, inthe fftf
eentnry.
Withdrawing from their formei
capital, Malamocco, in the great
lagoon, here on these islands Of the
Adriatic they founded a little floating
city, where they hoped the foot Of the
rayaging barbarian would not ven
ture.
Like the water fowl,
They built their nest among the
ocean waves.
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