The Ordway new era., 1914-08-28

u demnation. after the matter
of the Irish maid who pro-
tested she could not see why her mis-
tress wanted to study italian since
few spase 1t and them's mostly
dirty"
In our ignorance of Tuscany we
had prepared ourselves for the worst
in the matter Of accommodations, ex-
pecting to have to put up with un-
speakable discomforts In out-of-the-
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
and across the valleys. stopping at q
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 ssntincls and Wild how.
ers run riot over walls that rival
armies used to scale. Although most
OF these places were fairly inlaid and
overiaid with Treasures ofxrt, the bub-
BILE Of our pleasure was constantly be-
ing pricked by the tantalizing thought
that no matter what particular spot
we happened to be in. inst . little fur
ther down the valley or across tho
hills there was seemingly endless
chain Of equally interesting places
which beckoned us. making US real
ixe that. though our time was limited
Italy's treasures were not
OF the towns we visited. two stand
out now in memory ~ they do in real
fly. 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-
IA. 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. lust ~ 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 insthe working world
is done. and yet about whose winding
streets and crumbling palaces there
still inger beauty and . pathos like
the sfterglow Of her departed great
ness.
The whole place seems more like .
medieval mirage than q present day
reality. Nowhere else in Italy does
one get so strongly the feeling Of be-
ing transplanted bodily into the life
OF the middle ages.
Like all small Italian towns. San
Gimignano IL richer in sacred edifces
than in anything else. unless 1t be
legends and relics. The Collegiate
one OF its twelve places OF worship
contains some chhracteristic examples
OF Benaxzo Gossoli and lfrescoes by
Ghiriandaio. in which that highly aca-
demic artist for once forgets his tech
nique and loses himself in the tender
deiineation Of scenes from the life of
the child saint Of San Gimignano. San
ia ,Fina. whose patience and serenity
in suffering shed strange halo Of
sanctity over the bloody annals Of .
crafty and warlike age. Legend has
II that at her death all the bells in
San Gimignano, of their own accord.
rang out together to celebrate her re-
lease. and that unearthly flowers bios
somed about the poor little room
where for nve years she had lain on
her narrow board.
The Collegiata has Yet another
claim on our interest. Two hundred
.