The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-05-29
VENICE-Second Paper-By Dr.. w. E. Evans

to have been erected above the relics of
St. Mark, but one needs not this tradi-
ton to enhance his religious emotiona
now awakened by the sacred things and
scenes in the midst OF which he moves.
One has pointed out to him two columns
of translucent alabaster. which are said
to have had place in Solomon's temple, at
Jerusalem. They are, indeed, very an
cient, although they may not have been
| connected in any way with the temple on
| Mount Moriah. Statements of this kind
deeply impress some people. but they add
to my wonder and devotional tendency
not at all.
But we must turn from these scenes Of
dim religious light and from these frag-
rant clouds of incense and mists Of per-
fume, rising from aromatic oils, burning
in lamps of silver, and from these old,
old paintings and other works of art. AS
we do SO, however, we feel that we have
not seen elsewhere on earth, even in st.
Peters at Rome, such bewildering beauty
combined with suggestions of devotion.
st. Peters is loftier, statelier and over
whelming; but st. Peters never moved
me to pray. 1t simply awed me. But
San Marco swell, we all have our own
temperaments.
But have called a gondolier and have
directed him to take us to the Grand
canal, and being seated, we gently move
gondola is curious craft, which the
gondolier guides and propels with a single
oar, he standing at the stern the while.
The gondola is long, narrow. sharp and
graceful. Surmounting the PROV, which
is turned upward like the curved back OF
a swan, there flashes metallic ornament
! shaped like the fiat projection of an enor-
NOUS key.
The warning EXPLANATIONS of the gon-
dolier to others of his craft are Stall"
to the right; ''preme," to the left STAR"
stop. 1t Is most interesting to hear them
sound out these words of self-protection.
There is a musical tone in them, as, in
deed, there Is in almost everything the
Venetian says.
But we now turn into the Grand canal,
which is to Venice what the Corso is to
| Rome, or Fifth avenue to New York. 1t
winds through Venice in the shape of
| the letter IS" On both sides Of this
glorious thoroughfare there are splendid
marble palaces of Moorish architecture.
! with gracefully arched balconies. Grim
son velvet cushions are placed upon the
| window stills. and upon the balustrades
of the galleries fronting the canal. Here
the women of Venice lean and lounge for
hours and watch the world float by They
| present a picture of romantic beauty, en-
framed In white marble, the crimson
| cushions adding brilliant color to the
scene.
Many of these palaces are associated
| with historic events, and with personages
| whose names one readily recalls. Yonder
| to the right stands the house that Lord
| Byron occupied. The famous doge, "Old
| Dandalo'' lived In the palace which we
have just passed. 1t is said that Lu-
cretia Borgia was domiciled in the pal
| ace to the left though many people doubt
| 1t. I wondered where old Brabantio and
u sc Iot fo. ixro1 Ettf
there was no one who knew of them,
yet they had been such real people to me-
| l am reminded here of a funny thing
that occurred in Chester, England. 1
went to the hotel at which Hawthorne
stopped often way BACK in the f1fties,
when he was getting material for his
book. Our Old Home" 1 wanted to go
| to his room; that Is, the room in which
he wrote about 80 years ago or more.
| / asked the first servant 7 met If he
knew the room that Mr.. Hawthorne oc-
| cupied when he was here" He answered.
Il do not. sir, but likely Boots can tell
you; he's been here longer than have
"Boots?" Eyes. sir; he is the boy that
blacks the gentlemen's boots; likely
enough Boots waited on the Mr.. Cob
| thorne you speak Of why, man. the
gentleman / named was here over so
years ago" I said. "Then, sir, you'll have
to ask the young lady at the desk" I did
So She answered that they had been in
possession only few years, and no one
| by that name had ever been their guest.
I gave up in disgust and left off my hero
| worship.
In the same way are the Venetian gon-
doliers ignorant of Brabantio and Iago
And should one ask, Where did Othello
liver" the answer would likely be,
What was his other manner"
| A little while ago we passed hotel in
which one of the greatest composers In
the realm of music spent his last hours.
Driven by Ill health from one country to
another, he finally came to Venice One
| day he feebly came down the marble
stairway of the canal bank to take a
gondola There were two gondolag and
two gondoliers awaiting him; the second