The sun., 1908-04-26

indlasoluble community Of floral and geo
metric designs.
AL through the months Of February and
March woke 10 the bell that woke the
brothers 10 their prayers before daybreak
and burst the beauty sleep Of the hotel
dwellerS, who have 90 far outnumberSd
the monks since the obliteratiOn Of the
onos neighboring villa. This was, Of
course, hardship. and one thought things
Of that bell which the monks we're too good
10 say; but being awake. and while one
vas reading ones seli 10 sleep again, one
could hear the beginning Of that bird sing
Ing In the modern garden in the rear which
followed upon the bell ringing. | do not
know what mako or manner Of bird II was
that mostly sang among the palms and
laurels and statues, but II had q note Of
liquid gold, which II poured till q certain
hageolettlst, whom ! never saw, came 10
the corner under the villa wall and blew
his soul into one end Of bis instrument
and out of the other In despondent breath
ings Of most melancholy music. Then,
having attained the spirits Of his involun-
tary listeners TO q penSive sympathy, he
closed with that international hymn which
does not rightly know whether II is My
Country. 'Tis OF Thee or God Save the
King but serves equally for the patriotism
Of any English or Americans In hearing
do not know why this harmless hymn,
which the hagsolettist gave extremely well,
should always have seemed 10 provoke the
derision Of the donkey which apparently
dwelt in harmony With the birds In that
villa garden, but the hageolettlst had no
sooner ended than the donkey burst into a
bray, loud, long and full Of mookery. with a
close Of lronlcal whistling and most insolent
Kissing; you would think that some arch
enemy OF the Anglo-SaXon race was laugh
ing the new felt unity Of the English and
Americans to scorn. Later but still before
daylight came the wild cry Of boy, some
where out Of perdition. following the deep
bass invitation Of his father 10 buy his
wares, whatever they we're. We never
know, but We liked that despsiring wall
and would not have missed 1t for ever 80
much extra slumbsr. When all hope Of
any moro sleep was past there was no
question Of the deslrablity OF the boy
who visibly arranged his store Of oranges
on the cirbstone under the villa wall and
seemed 10 think that they had peculiar
attraction from being offered for sale in
pairs. Hh cry hlled the rest Of the fore
noon.
The Italian spring comes on slowly every
where with successive snubs in its early
ardor from the SHOWS on the mountains
which regulate the climate from north TO
south. We could not SO that it made
more speed behind the sheltering walls OF
the Capuchln convent garden than in other
places The old gardener whom We saw
pottenng about in 1t seemed 10 potter no
more actively at the end Of March than at
the beginning Of February; on the first
days Of April heap Of old leaves and stalks
was sending up the ruddy fame and pleas
ant smell that the ike burning heaps do
with US at the like hour Of spring. In fact
vegetation had much more reason TO be
cheerful throughout February than at any
time In March. Those February days were
really Incompatible. They had not the
melting heat Of the warm spells that some
times come in our Februaries; but their suns
we're golden and their skies unutterably
blue and their airs mild, yet fresh. You
always wanted a heavy coat for driving
or for the shade In walking; Bat otherwise
the temperature was that Of New England
April which was resolved to begin az II could
carry out. But March came with cold rains
OF whole days and with suns that might
overhead but could not be trusted 10 warm
YOU. The last Sunday OF January found
ice in the Colosseum, but that was the only
time | saw ioe anywhere In Rome. In
March, however, In q moment OF great e1-
asperahon from the mountains, 1t almost
showed, Yea that month would In our oil
mate have been remembered for its beauty
and for a prevailing kindness OF tempera-
ture. The worst you could say Of 1t was
that it left the spring in the Capuchin gar
den where il found it, But possibly since
the papal government the seasons are neg
lectful and Indifferent. Certainly man
seems 90 in the case Of the Capuohn con-
vent. Great stretches Of the poor old plain
edlfice seem vacant. and the high wall
which encloses it is plastered and painted
with colossal advertisements Of clothiers
and hotels and drugpsh and announce
ments Of races and other events out Of
keeping with its character and tradition.
The sentimentahsts who overrun Rome
from all the northern lands will tell you
that this is Of a piece with all the Newer
Rome which has sprung into existence
since the Italian occupation. Their piefs
with the thing that Is are loud and they
are long, but /, who am a sentmentahst
too though Of another make. do not share
them. No doubt the Newer Rome has made
mistakes, but without defending her indis-
criminately am Newer Roman to the
core perhaps because / knew the Older
Rome and what II was like; and not all my
brother and sister sentimentalists can say
as much At the end Of my column can
not enter upon my justification, but hope
another Sunday to do 30.
". D. HowRLLs.