Putnam patriot., 1926-04-23

laEe Haa nu the HeFF tUrma8t FuUE pf seats of the old amphitheatre Here turn to the four points of the compass North lies the Straits of Messina and # y9u are there at sunset. the benin suiar of Calabria will be all pink and blue and gold iu the distance. To the enzt stretches the Mediterranean with here and there a fishefmaus sail re- lieFing the blue distance. In the im- mediate foreground there k the great sweep Of the hay, many hundred of feet below. and then as ones eye climbs up the terraced heights with their villas and gardens. it finally rests upon Ta0rmina itself the most pietur- esque of towns, resting upon 4 shelf of the hilI and following roughly the crooked line of it's main street or Corse Then to the west rising to q really dizzyiuR height, arc the two protective cliffs that guard the town. On tho very top af ane of them is the ruin of the old Castello. with q bloody history of attacks and reBulses, of oc= equations bg Roman legidus and sar- acen warriors To the right rise an other greut rock. n rugged tilted val canic affair that might be- the iPment of q child's nightmare of geography. This is the A9la and on the tiny table that forms ifs top little town elngs desperately about q tiny church spire One reserves the full south view for the last for it embraces in one great 4weep the glory and the tyrant of Sicily the great snow-erewned peak of majestic Etna.
 In the Face of Beauty
 We have always cnvied the man who could give full expression to any beau ty of nature For ourselves. we are too frequently struck dumb in the face of sheer beauty II would be folly Co attempt to give ink to the magniieepee of this marvellous panorama that makes of Taormina q point of world pilgrimage One can only sIt on the grass covered seats of the old theatre and marvel at that genius of the Greeks that made them use for the backdrup of their stage this stretch 0f sen and mountain and the majestic old volcano smoking beyond II Eou visit TaBrmna Enu will ge to the tbs atre often You will sce thp view .H the fHll sunlight af morning in tHe pastel Beht ef afteHuaeH Hs lIPht af aulIFht. constantly aH 5H- epHafiaa.
 B8t th ejew aat lhs snle charm af TaHWHua Ihe fas-a aHIsh f#Hs fram ane aaj If tha=tewH t the=ofH.f.
 a faet =iaa of delight Fh h1u rre eHf fH, hf=I fhaf SIe3ls Ha ta#at- faE and fheesl.s and hntal gatbe+ tH tbm.eler varied and mapalif9r EIetar=
 T0a travellers. who arrived ust be faee Christmas having visited the Greek Theatre and heeaWp worship uer- af#thr foot df Etna td0k last ] view from thr terrace uf their rooms in fhe Time1 and went to bed exhaust. ed and eanteated At theee o'clock in 2 thc morning they Were awakened by what seemed f0 bf lhr distant boomne 3 of cannon. followed hy :he ringing of . an the bells of the town u-end Thor . mina hus a host of bella They hur- ? ried again to the terrace Below. the town apparently slept peacefully 1ei the bells continued their elamar and Q the distant booming went on Could s it he au eruption of Etuuf Perhaps 9 But apparently Taormina slept re q gurdlr@s The two travellers returned wearily ia bed tn the morning th, explanation was that this was only ths | Sicilian way af saving that Ghriztma' was coming Thence onward r. th. day itself Christmas m Sicily worket h up to a beautiful and memorable eli
 max
 Mir Robert Ihebeus u his uoGl e "The Gall of the Blood has provide, e for our times what Is probably th, s best description of Sieilian lfp uu, character ltjs Mir uIebcu Whu h r given Ward fn deserin,lan eaf th
 sPastorale th@ lovely GNfHH q music of che SitiI'm festival of fa
 Nativity For many daE hfar Y thHtma the hrp'r5 players aH
 ihe ahepherd with thclr flfas eaH
 down into the=taWu and one nuF HH. q them ir thr lttle piazlae af an
 fragment uf au ald siatfVnE Hla1
 the aBasturale. for an audieHee af #. a lighted children
 And what adIHerent Christians tha. k for the dwell,r ln toldrf climate. q who suddenly finds himself in Sitlly
 A. home hally. mistletoe snow aud ! cold brisk weather In Sicily sun | shine and warmth. orange groves n a fruit and blossom flowers tumbiinp 2 over garden walls. green verdur5 | climbing to the very snow line of the { old mountain where the smoke and ? steam from the crater take on ram bow colors