St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1903-08-12
Naples and Rome.
EDITOR CALIFORNIAN:

to recount, that feel reluctant to lea,
them untold, and yet must not ling,
longer. The last night spent with D
and Mrs. Selah Merrill in their rooms
j" the hotel. He has been the America
S consul in Jerusalem for many years an
told me OF the visit of Col. and Mr.,
Fairbanks, Miss Fairbanks, now Mr..
, Brooks, and Miss Tyler. now Mrs. Bucl
, ham. to him in 1898, during cold, snow
week, and it was pleasant to think c
their stay in the same hotel.
We returned to Jaffa, and crossed, il
rather high surf. to an Italian boat
sailed to Port Said and then to Alexan
dria where we spent two days and thel
came on to Naples. 1t was bright
sunny day when we came into port ant
saw the decorations on the warships ant
in the streets, for the King of England
had LETT only two hours before. We drove
to Posilipo and gazed long at the won
derful view, over to fair Capri, to Sorren
to, to Castellammare, to the lofty, putting
Vesuvius, to the lovely Neapolitan city
below us, and out upon the wonderful
blue bay. Sweet orange groves were
about us, and rarely lovely old villas
above us, and the spot and the scenes
were beautiful beyond words. Only the
poets can give any conception of the col.
oring. the delight, the emotions awak-
ened, and we will commend to all those
charming compilations, Poems of
italy," gathered by Longfellow, who
wish to recall or to enjoy these fair
Neapolitan scenes.
We visited the principal churches and
the very rich museum and drove to Pom
pei, where we spent long, full day,
wandering over the "city of the dead"
The bright, CHEEKY avenue near the por.
tails amidst lovely Towering shrubs,
flowers and trees, hardly prepares us for
the entrance hall and the forms, encased
in ashes, of those who were overwhelmed
so many centuries ago. The narrow
streets, with their carriage ruts, and
their rough paving stones are kept beau
titully neat, and the houses indicate great
love of art, of ease, of luxury, and their
Forum, their Temples, their theatres and
public buildings, an interest in politics,
religion and sports. The museum in
Naples is rich in mosaics, household uten-
sis, works OF art, pottery, glass and |
paintings taken from the various homes.
We wandered about, peopling the streets
and Forum and homes, with the denizens
OF past days, and thought of the awful |
tragedy, and found it difficult to realize
the horror of that appalling day when
from the riven mountain the devastating
stream Of fire, the rolling tide OF molten
lava, the binding ashes, the jets of steam,
overwhelmed the fair city. We came
away, over the smiling fields, with the
lovely blue water in sight, past Hercula.
neum, and through the narrow streets of I
Naples, among the macaroni workers,
back to our hotel.
1t was bright day when we reached
Rome, after night journey from Naples
and the streets were brilliant with deco
rations for the king. Never since the
days OF the Bonapartes has Rome been
SO gay. The Via Nazionale is now fes-
tooned with laurel and an immense orb
Of green and gold and various quaint
and beautiful designs adapted from old
Roman days, and like unto many a
coliseum decoration are adjoining the
streets. Brilliantly attired soldiers are
to be seen at every corner, and the air
indicates that the city is zen fete."
Crowds are waiting in the Piazza del
Popolo, watching for the king to go to
the Monte More to review the troops of
Savoy and Italy. Trans are detained
here and there on the line of progress.
The Cuirassiers are dashing by with
their Roman helmets, and the Lancieri |
are proudly marching on beside the royal
cavalcade, the Alpinish with the quill in
their CAPS, and Garibaldi's soldiers with
the green cocks plumes are loudly
cheered. On they go, the English king
drives out of Quirinal gate, accompanied
by the Queen Elena and escorted by the |
king OF Italy and others of ROYAL birth |
and the magnificent pageant pass on. |
Our way is clear. and we depart for St. |
Peters to the grand piazza, up those
magnificent steps, leaving the obelisk
and the colonnades behind, and enter
the vast cathedral. We study the mosa-
ics' we enter the exquisite chapel, we
ascend to the roof and view the CITY. we |
go up to the gallery and are dizzy with
wonderment and awe as wegaze upward
to the marvellous dome and then down
ward to the vast Interior and we feel
that years OF study and acquaintance
would not remove but intensity the first
impression of profound admiration for
the genius of the founder and the patrons
who carried out the creation of this
grand and stupendous church.
Thegeneralaspect of Rome has changed |