The searchlight. [volume] (Culbertson, Mont.) 1902-current, 1910-05-13

Oracle who spoke-she
who had been three whole
years in Tuscany. she
for whom every hilltop castle and
echoing convent had yielded up Its
story. she who no longer addressed
servants with the personal pronouns
specially reserved for gentlemen OF
Tor royalty.
We-four American women seated
about the Signora Soldaini's charming
table In Siena-made haste to supply
our deficiency. Our start the next
morning was In approved Italian style
with a big. comfortable carriage, red
trappings and bell-bedecked horses
and driver whose smile made up in
friendliness what 1t lacked In dental
perfection.
San Gimignano is 25 miles from
Siena. The way lies through valleys
and over hills once peopled with war.
ring Guelfs and Ghibellines. many of
whose grim gray castles still crown
the heights: and each fresh valley
opening which brought a castle into
our view was signal for a lively dis.
cussion over the fractional significance
of Its NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. the
square-turreted battlements or those
of oxhorned shape were the authentic
symbols Of Ghibelline or Guelfic lean.
fngs. Guidebooks consulted on the
spot left us In doubt. SO. according az
our sympathies lay with dim mysteri
GUS Sienna or with her gayer rival on
the Arno. we settled medieval politics
In the fancy Of the moment.
AS we bowled gaily along over the
hard white roads we gave thanks to
the ancient Romans for their construe.
ton and to the moderns for their pres.
ervation. not forgetting to praise Dame
Nature for the honeysuckle hedges. for
the bright scarlet peoples dotting the
waysides and for the picturesquely
titled fields which lay like huge check.
erboards against the hillsides. Now
and then we passed gaily colored
house with row Of false windows
q painted sham made necessary In the
days OF heavy tax on window glass.
The artist was SO realistic as to put
painted lady. leaning upon q painted
sill. We disputed the highway with
wide-horned oxen hitched to basket
carts or queer farm Implements. We
had a Pisgah view Of a tiny hilltop
city encircled with a wall whose
towers were crumbling and ivy-grown
the Montereggioni. whose sole claim
to fame rests upon Dante's visit and
Inferno" allusion GOO years ago-and
upon every side we came upon natural
landscape arrangements ready to the
hand Of the artist. scenes which must
have served as models for the dainty
backgrounds Of Pinturicchio and Sodo-
mo frescoes.
We Numbered through one city gate
and out the opposite one OF Poggi-
bonsi (the city with the good mouth
full OF name), our Gathering wheels
and swapping whip bringing cafe
loungers and basket plaiters to doors
and windows to see the noisy foreign.
ers.
More castle-crowned hills, more
winding valley roads. more red and
green checkered fields and olive
groves. when Of q sudden Q view ahead
seems to transport us to the States
for are not those slender towers the
familiar smokestack signs OF q
busting manufacturing city? But no
clouds Of smoke issue from their tops.
nothing dims the clear blue Of the
sky against which they are sill
houettsd. They are the towers Of San
Gimisnano-not symbols Of modern
progress. but relics Of medieval pride
and glory. We count them a we
draw nearer: IL now remain out Of
the 30 which once made the city IRE
sembls . cornnsld." A sharp ascent
through olive orchards and past Q row
Of vomsa washing clothing ct an an
Client public fountain. and We enter IN
old gateway. and drive up the steep.
narrow streets Of the city.
A strange feeling Of depression
seixes N. something In contrast to
the usual gay spirits 30 CONTAGIOUS in
Italy. There are few people about,
there n no visible industry. We seem
almost to be In . city Of the dead. We
leave the carriage In . small square
near the center a the city. and a. Ne
look about m thoaaH dull gray nalaAA