The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-07-14
ELIGHTs ~ ~ ROPE.
Itaiy.

/ prIuire for "A week or two that cOncen-
| tratlon which l. mTthered by absolute
/ quiet Where can this be obtained so
well as in Eenicsy Twenty years ago
Edgar l. Wakeman wrote that instead
oT poetry and romance in Venice he had
\ found only S,Iualor and the smell OF bilge
water. Not many years ago Pittsburg
bride wrote home from her wedding trip
, that Venice was just like Allegheny when
the Ohio River was at flood, that the
buildings were better looking. but the
water snlelled worse So il WINS In a mood
Of indeterminate RCepticism that 1 gazed
| from the windows as the train crossed
the long lagoon. There were no omni-
buses IN waiting Gondolas. Romance
scores one An entire gondola in assigned
to my traps and myself A wrinkled
old man with "A stick m his hand holds
! out his hat as I take my seat Beggars
| already! Squalor scores one. The old
| fellow insistently sticks his hat in my
face and muttsrs in Italian. shake
INV head and stand pat The agent OF
the hotel says the old man wants six
centimes before pushing on the gondola
One way To make a living! | have no
change The hotel man pays the ancient
mariner for me. He pushes the gondola
and we are Oh In but a few minutes
we pass gondolier singing in time with
the punting OF the single oar Another
score for romance. In a narrow canal
my gondolier takes the narrow space
between a boat laden with garbage and
the wall with q swift stroke that carries
W clear with not more than two inches
tn spare on either side. That scored
for romance, garbage and all. With
all due respect 60 wakeman's memory
and the Pittsburg bride. ] found myself
at utter disagreement with both long
before the close OF that half hour = sooth-
ing glide 10 the hotel. Venice is all that
the poets have said The odor 90 me was
that Of salt water saturated with seaweed.
II was in January, out Of season. A
suite Of ducal mAgnifcence was At my
disposal at the cost Of an ordinary room
with bath in a good New York hotel.
The great living room. with old Venetian
furniture and exquisite Venetian decora-
tons. frontsd the Grand Canal. From
the balcony on which the long windows
opened was the famous view. Quiet1 -Oh.
yes. absolutely quiet the host assured
The next morning upon settling down To
work heard the chug Of a small engine
and the thud Of moving stone and timber.
Worksnen in a sort 81 a caisson were re-
pairing the foundations Of the hotel be-
meath my windows. As retired thar
night there was the banging Of iron
beams that were being unloai-i ON the
quay on the other side Of the canal
Al breakfast my hos, tells me how much
better IL - To $50 Venice in the winter than
ia the summer. when the crowds are there
why. Americans come here in parties
Of six and eight. even OF fifteen or twenty.
AMI go around together Even then
had learned that To drink in the beauty
Of Nenic. oRe must drank alone The
Consul tells me he On joys the winter. that
in the summer there are 80 many Ameri-
cans that Venice IL just like Coney Island.
The Consul Is a former fellow towns
man and takes me 90 the opera They
are giving Die Walkrre In Venice
Think - H. Although the opera house
IL not thirty years old. ia decoration Is
that Of the Venice u centuries ago. The
orchestra ~ very good, the staging and
the singing fair In the audience the
Consul points out 20 me descendants
81 the old time dukes and doRes 49, we'll
az the present day vendors " marbles
and glass and laces A. we are leaving
he asks me Ia look az the dispensing audi
ence and sae II notice anything peculiar
After a minute | remark. half IN jest
DO you mean that ! am the only man
IA sight " caring "a elk hAtr' Ihad noticed
With a tribe Of surprise that although IN
evening dress he wore derby Yes.
he replies. You never see Venetian
wearing a top hat Everybody here
knoSs that you are a stranger hat they
respect your custom. In other respects,
as YOU see. the men are in evening dress
why do they omit the hat'- lie did
not know. but | hAzarded "A guess lie
II because a silk hat would certainly he a
nuisance IN getting in and out Of these
little coops IN the gondolasp- he sug-
ge-ted that the guess be allow ed To stand
From the window % a shop in 10. Marks
square looks at me a sweet face In Car
rara marble. A garland II oaken lcaves
and acorns crowns the beautiful head. and
a sheaf o. blades like those - the tiger
lily rests upon her shoulders. once
knew girl who looked like that. but she
had ideas Whatever ideas this Carrana
girl may have will forever rest beneath
the acorns. and she Is mine.
Another piece strangely familiar at
tracts my attention. II is a Mephistoph-
eles carved in wood. There IL the en-
,iclng. devilish grin. with half closed
eyes. a. he extends the jewel box. The
body " sinuous like a reptiles. and the
red cloak reaches from outstretched arm
90 the floor IL il marvel in conception
and execution. Al last ! remember and
the dealer confirms as ne tells me its his
tory IL was made by the most skilful of
italian artists in wood as 4 chef d'ruvre
for the worlds fair at Chicago. That
was where | saw Il, attracting the atten-
tion II every passerby. who could not hut
admire the Workmanship. whatever might
h. thought Of the subject AndsI re-
member that az the worlds fair It bore
a price mark of 5000 francs. How did
you happen TO get it'- a sked the dealer.
.Oh. II has passed through my hands. lts
last owner had to dispose Of everything
at forced sale and got It cheap How