The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-01-12
LIFE IN ITALY.

and Saves.
 The typical Italian professional man has an income of ten thousand lire, or about four hundred pounds year, with Which to get along and bring up four children. At the outset he makes a great saving by avoiding the extrava- gances and the company of smart soci- ety With some exceptions, the Italian professional classes do not mix with the smart society, where alone enter taining on a large scale is done, and even in their own circle they hardly ever give regular dinner party or even a large reception. They occasionally ask friend or two in to a meal, the wife has an lat home" day, and on cer- tain festivals there is a large family gathering; but everything is done in the simplest manner.
 Flats are common in the Italian towns; indeed, detached and self-con- tained houses are there comparatively new. They are far more costly than flats, while the accommodation is not so good. Taxes are higher and there are many additional expenses. A flat of ten or twelve rooms, in which the hall, the kitchen and other offices are inclu- ded, will cost twelve hundred lire (for- weight pounds) a year on the third or fourth floor of a large house, or the ground floor, first or second of a small Ter one. A ground floor. fiat sometimes includes a bit of garden. The rooms are larger and airier than those of a London house costing one hundred and fifty pounds year, and far larger than those of a flat at two hundred poundsor two hundred and fisty pounds in a mod erately good situation.
 On the other hand, such apartments are usually unprovided with modern conveniences. There is no bathroom, there are no hot water taps, except in the kitchen. The stairs are badly kept and i'll lighted, and there is little at tempt at tasteful decorations, unless the house happens to be an old one with frescoed walls. Electric light is, how ever, coming into use, and electric bells are almost universal. Lifts are very rare and only found in large and eypen- sive flats. In Florence there are hardly any except in the public buildings and hotels. The rent includes water and all repairs. The amount of the latter, of course, depends good deal on the vir- tues of the landlords.
 Good Italian servants are the best in the world, for no others show so much consideration for their masters, for whom they often entertain a genuine affection. They have no high and mighty airs; they do not 'give notice" if they are requested to do some work not strictly within their province, nor do they change their situations every
 three months. One family will keep one resident servant, who cooks and at tends to most of the housework, and a mezzo servizio, or charWoman, who
 comes in for few hours every day or two or three times a day. The gene ral' receives from fifteen to twenty-five lire (twelve shillings to one pound) a month and the charwoman about ten lire (eight shillings) Then there is food and an allowance for wine-which in Italy is a necessity rather than a luxury, and not an expensive item. The total cost per annum for servants
 amounts in this case to one hundred
 and fifty lire (eighteen pounds)
 A frugality in contrast to our luxu- rious living marks the Italian board. They have sufficient, but make no dis play. Climate naturally has much to do with the character of the daily
 Breakfast is reduced to vanishing point, l and consists of a cup of coffee and milk, with or without bread and butter. Lunch at midday includes a light dish a meat course and fruit and cheese. l Dinner, at six or seven D. n., consists of soup, two courses, and cheese and fruit. Pudding is eaten at dinner once 1 or twice week, or when guests are in. vited. Wine, usually red Chanti or | Tuscany, is drunk with both meals, and black coffee follows after. Afternoon | tea is taken only in the highest families with English connections, but stray wis itors are regaled with sweet wine and | biscuits. Good wine costs from six
 pence to one shilling threepence flask containing nearly five pints. AS sugar is heavily taxed, jam, buildings and cakes are luxuries. The total thus spent on food and drink may be set down at one hundred and twelve pounds year.
 Nor have Italian husbands very much l to complain of in the way of "the grow
 ing handicap of marriage" on the score
 of feminine extravagence. The amount spent on clothes, however, does seem large. In the case in point it is not very far from one-quarter of the entire | income.
 Education, being largely under the
 state control, is fairly cheap. In the 1 primary schools there are no fees, and ] in the secondary ones they range from
 four pounds to six pounds a year. At
 the university they are comparatively
 higher, but are still remarkably low, a
 four or six years course costing from | eighteen to thirtyNfOur pounds The