The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1914-09-19

OF the Irish maid who pro-
tested she could not see why her mis-
tress wanted to study Italian since
few spake 1t and them's mostly
dirty"
In our ignorance of Tuscany We
had prepared ourselves for the worst
in the matter of accommodations, eX-
pectiug to have to put up with un-
speakable discomforts in out-ofthe-
way places on our route, not yet real
izing that no matter into what remote
corner of Tuscany one may penetrate
he can always be sure OF courteous
treatment, and good clean bed and
wholesome, well-cooked food.
In the course Of several weeks we
took our leisurely way over the hills
and across the valleys, stopping at
number of Tuscan towns, which. after
their tempestuous youth have settled
down to such green old age that In
their ruined Watch-towers trees have
sprung up for sentinels and wild flow
ers run riot over walls that rival
armies used to scale. Although most
OF these places were fairly inlaid and
overlaid with treasures of art. the bub-
BILE Of our pleasure was constantly be-
ing prfcked~by the tantalizing thought
that no matter what particular spot
we happened to be in. just little fur
Their down the valley or across the
hills there was seemingly endless
chain OF equally interesting places
which beckoned us, making us real
ize that. though our time was limited
ltaly's treasures were not.
OF the towns we visited, two stand
cut now in memory as they do in real
ity. higher, older and rarer than any
OF the others: San Gimignano, with
her musical name and her memories
that reach back to Dante, and Volter-
ra. whose somber bricks and stones !
softened by Times subtle touch. glow
with colors that only the centuries
give-cities set on hill. yet hid from
the world. shrouded in mystery and
oblivion.
Our entrance into San Gimignano
late one afternoon. just as the sun was
setting and the cathedral chimes were
tolling the death Of another day. SEEM
ed in keeping with the spirit Of the
place, whose day in the working world
10 done, and yet about whose winding
streets and crumbling palaces there
still linger a beauty and pathos like
the afterglow Of her departed great
ness
The whole place seems more like q
medieval mirage than present day
reality. Nowhere else in Italy does
one get 20 strongly the feeling of be-
ing transplanted bodily into the life
Of the middle ages
Like all small italian towns. San
0imignano Is richer In sacred ediflces
than In anything else. unless 1t be
legends and relics The Collegiate
one OF its twelve places Of worship
contains some characteristic examples
OF Benaxxo GoxzoM and frescoes by
Ghirlandaio. in which that highly AGA
demic artist for once forgets his tech
niQue and loses himself in the tender
delineation of scenes from the life Of
the child saint Of San Qimignano, San
"a Fna. whose patience and serenity |
in suffering shed q strange halo Of
sanctity over the bloody annals of q |
crafty and warlike age. Legend has
It that at her death all the bells In |
San Gimignano. Of their own accord.
rang ont together to celebrate her re-
lease. and that unesrthly flowers bios
somsd about the poor little room |
where for iye years she had lain on |
her narrow board.
The COilesiata has yet. another |
slain on our intsrsst Two hundrod |