Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-11-15

You buy your material for a cotton
waist. paying rather more than in
America for a poorer article; or the
silk for a gown. paying at least as
much as in America; and then comes in
the pathetic sarta and makes you up
the one for 3 francs, instead of So, and
the other for 10 or 12 francs instead of
us to $25. And after growing rich once
by this means, you grow rich a second
time by virtue of the fact that in Italy
it is not your clothes that assert your
| rank, but you who make any clothes
respectable by wearing them.
This applies also to your dwelling,
| and explains why so many Americans
| can economize in Italy, by living in
''ultimo pianos," who could not be got
| to climb above second story in-BOs-
ton. They will tell you over there that
they take extravagant rooms ION
1 account of their friends This is
strictly true; it is on account of their
| friends! In Italy it is quaint" or "ro-
| mantle" to live in garrets; in America
it might east suspicion on your bank
| account. This is one reason why it is
not popular in America to live up
ninety EIGHT steep steps with no lift"
Let me make the socially timid the pre-
sent of another and more producible
one; if one had all the courage of the
well-born and bred, and so surmounted
those ninety EIGHT steps, one must
needs go down them and up again
whenever it was a question of bread,
butter, or a box of matches-and this
is reasonable deterrent to all but the
young and gymnastic! In Italy legs
exist only to run your errands Certain
legs of certain servitOrs), hands but to
save your own from Understanding
labor. And this luxury of service.
possible in America only to the very
rich, becomes in Italy the riches of the
poor student and worker, leaving him
intact his capital of time and strength.
Other luXuries there are, too of a time
saving nature, such as cabs which for
1G cents here will render you the serv-
ice of an American dollar "kerridge";
but one soon learns to look on these as
extravagant, and trusts instead to the
bus" which for two or three cents
carries you round the earth and back
| again.
, True. there exist little foxes in the
shape of fees and festas. 1t does not
: seem Of any moment the first time you
4 hand your cabman or waiter two or
p | three cents, or the boy who brings the
r package, or the woman with the wash
, ing, but though there are five parts of
= a cent. there are after all but twenty
n cents in a franc. The wiset way Is to
forget ones fees, since by no possibility
can one escape them.
= l defy. however. anyone to forget the
!, festas. Setting out gayly for pleasure
= or hurriedly for business. you are
brought up short by the closed doors
and shattered windows.
1T appears to be a festa?' you re-
mark to Ginevra.
p Securely" she replies, with an all
a of mild establishment, as one who sees
. a heather for the first time. 1.-THE
feast of the Madonna"
"Oh. indeed" say you, meekly.
A few days later you again find your
Il liberty of action restrained in the
n matter of purchasing paper.
ut appears to be another festa," you
J, say severely. still to Ginevra.
:, Naturally, the feast of the Madon-
Ina" she answers.
But we have Just had it,"
1.-THE assumption" explains Ginevra
y patiently. But this Is the feast OF tht
Nativity Of the Madonna"
And now." you cry Indignantly.
- when yet a few days have passed
= here is another feast"
e "Of the Madonna? Truly, yes; the
- feast of the Name of Mary"
Eight days more:
: what do you call this feast, Gin
:, evra." :,
of the Most Holy Name Of Mary.
eve have had it, triumphantly.
8 1.-The feast but this Is the octave o
"a the Most Holy Name of Mary
q How is a poor, and protestant foreign
- or to keep track of all these Sundays J,
. week? Nevertheless, we trned anu ~"
our own, we let the typewriter rest o.
n sunday with such beautiful possiDiii
:. ty calling out from Its ,, Keys 81 tne r rs,
81 taurant, and went to hear yespers a. e.. %
h Peters, which seemed somehow not UP
:. the mark. Having done az TINS ~ , was
l. ling, after a hard forenoon worh, an an
20 find shops closed and a general air OF un
~ mistakabIe fiesta abroad: "a ,hera an,
ID neople were busy buying tickets.
..This is a little too much" said We we
w t"Religious festivals one can pVt up VIII
hut IL they shut up the capital OF th
ne kingdom for a tombola 1t passes endnr
70 .sWhy are all the shops closed? "
:. asked the nearest tombola-man: WIN IN
% severity the occasion wa'ra an rass;o
re "E.h. il is a festa!" his expression
w showed some wonder "a
or $50 1t appears: we think tnere ar s,,; 70
e. many: why should they shut everyth'"
Is upT' ele-....1.., nare nm festas."
And what fiesta is IT ,,r, ~
We wanted to hear him say Inc ""
&C donnas. axness,op deem
~ aH Ia looked at us as II we were curl
Eh: the fiesta of sunday" he said
h. We turned away speechiess.
of All these. however, were IeS.as Wnlc
"A ,,sra,v impoyished italy. There ar
Nv those which Impoverished the co s11hnse
y within her gates-such as ,,s T,,a saa
re som and the other in mid.Angust on tina tina
" may feel conscientisou INV un but your con
Isc MsS viii not help you In the matte