Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1903-12-19
MISS MARY McELRoY, OF OF.
TuMWA, STARTS ON A LoNe
JOURNEY.
Interesting Letter Dated at Venice,
November 20, Received by Her Par
ents, Rev. and Mrs. j. NJ. McElroy,
800 North Jefferson Street.

An interesting letter from Venice,
Italy, written by Miss Mary McElroy,
who is on her way to Bombay, India,
to engage in missionary work,
has been received in this city by her
parents, Rev. and Mrs. j.. NJ. McEl-
roy, $40 North Jefferson street. Miss
McElroy, who has been engaged in
the Y. w. c. a. work at Harlem, N. Y,
but who has given up her work there
to go to the missionary field, en-
barked last Wednesday at Marseilles,
for Bombay. At present she is prob
ably passing through the Suez canal
or is in the Red Sea.
A portion of the letter, which is
dated Venice. Italy, November 20, is
as follows:
This is a rainy Sunday afternoon,
else / should probably be strolling
around. Can you imagine what Ven-
ice is like-a city whose streets are
lakes, and the alleys little waterways?
/ am at the best hotel in the city, and
as 1 nave Cooks hotel coupons / pay
only 1920 a day. 1t is strange not to
understand what is said around me,
but the walters speak English, SO j
get on all right. 1 came Friday eve.
ming. Was met by a hotel porter at
the station, who put me in a little gon-
dola n on I came, gliding over the
water in the moonlight, part of the
time in a little canal with the stone
buildings on each side, and under the
little bridges which occur frequently.
Beautiful Palaces.
'There are the most beautiful pal
aces and quaintest buildings all along
what is called the Grand Canal on
which this hotel faces. I paid one
| dollar for a guide yesterday and he
took me through the queerest
| places, little narrow streets three OF
four feet wide, n the market where
picturesque Italians We're selling their
fish. and flowers, and fruit, and veg
etables; oranges at n to two cents
apiece, cabbages, two for three cents,
and a good turkey for o u francs, or
so cents.
An Italian Sermon.
tsThis morning / tried to find the
| Scotch Presbyterian church, but fail
ed, and came back to st. Marks Cath
Ollie church. There l heard some fine
music and listened to an Italian ser
mon, and looked around on. h most
beautiful church l eve saw. 1t was
built over one thousand years ago,
and has most gorgeous coloring, gild-
ing, bronze. and oriental marble of
ali colors. The ceiling and walls are
covered with wonderful pictures of
scriptural subjects by the old artists.
There are five immense domes, COW
cred all over with pictures in gorge
Gus coloring. The floor is inlaid mar
BILE or Mosaic in many beautiful de-
signs laid in the tenth OIL, eleventh CEN
fury. The front is covered with pic
lures, gliding and towers.
Thirty-two Cents For Biscuits.
"When we crossed into Italy all oul
baggage was taken rom. the train tc
the customs for inspection. On two
boxes of biscuits given me by the. New
York girls for lunch | was required tc
pay so cents.
Tomorrow l go to Florence for three
days, then on to Rome, where / an
to spend a week. The Y. w. G. A,
secretar, Deaconess Laurie, will
take care of me there and show mt
the sights which will be greatly IL
my favor.
From Milan Tower.
II saw the sight of my life from thu
highest tour of Milan cathedral, OF
Friday morning semi-circle of TIN
Alps, Mount Blanc, I'M other snow
topped mountains on the north-il
other directions. the plains of LON
hardy, one of the most beautiful re
gions on earth. Below, the tiled roof
Of palaces, churches and dwellings
sunshine everywhere, and a wonder
fully blue sky! I shall never forge
it."