Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-18
BY MARGARET B. DOWNING.

BY MARGARET b. DOWNING.
FLORENCE, August 1.-THE former
Lillian Madelyn Poll, daughter of the
vaudeville magnate. Mr.. Sylvester T.
Poll. now the Marchesa Lippo Gerini
Of Florence, will in the course of events
presiden over a stately palace on the
Arno, that of the Torlonias and one of
the handsomest villas on the heights
Of Fiesole, the most aristocratic suburb
Of the city of the Medicis. Washington
has its visible token of the way the
Immigrant Poll prospered in his adopted
country. and the story of the barely IS
years that have elapsed since he ar
rived, with no capital but hope and
energy, seems almost incredible. 1t is
whispered in Florence that Mr.. Polls
ambition to set his daughter in the
high places to which he could not
aspire took few of his millions. and
1t Is also whispered that the old no.
bility of Tuscany does not take kindly
to Marchese Lippo Gerini's choice.
However. this is frequently the case.
but when the young couple fill the
palace with guests and begin to en-
terrain opinion may be reversed.
Princess Teresa Torlonia, mother-in-
Law. of the former Miss Poll does not
often occupy her palace or her villa.
Such establishments in Florence are
oned in more liras than the ancient
mobiles have to spare.
Florence in Summer offers little to
the permanent dweller. since it is
crowded with tourists and all prices adj
vance. This has been a hot, dry sea-
son in the valley of the Arno. Even
the wooded heights of Fiesole lie under
. cloud of dust, never allayed by rain.
except at rare intervals. and utterly
impervious to the diligent efforts of
sprinkling carts.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning's memory
is wildly recalled in the old house be-
: hind the Pitt Palace. where she wrote
nearly all the poems pertaining to Italy
; and the struggle for independence.
!. Her grave in the tiny Protestant ceme-
terry has always its tribute of flowers.
> many of the offerings bearing the name
. of various Browning societies in the
: United States and in England. British
! visitors do not neglect the adjacent
> resting place of Walter Savage Lando,
= who died in Florence In 1864. Nearby
) is the modest grave of Theodore Parker.
: the eminent Unitarian divine, who
!. passed away In 1860 and who at his
> own request was inferred in the Prot
: estant cemetery. This grave also
; shows the reverence of visitors from
his homeland, in the form of memorial
: wreaths and many cards laid on the
= convenient urn. Robert Browning died
: In Venice in the exquisite Palace Req
= zonico, on the Grand Canal. in 1889. A
: tablet marks this event, but the poet
; was buried in England. Mrs. Brown
> ing remains the literary idol of Flor
: ence in the English tongue and dozen
? copies OF her poems are offered for sale
: to one of those of Robert Browning,
; whose work apparently has so much
: more an enduring character. Almost
!. 500 citizens of the Armenian republic
: living in Florence belong to the Brown
!. ing cult.
: Mrs. Bernard Baruch has been sew
eral weeks in Italy looking over the
situation as to interior decorating,
;, while Mr.. Baruch is taking the cure
!. at Carlsbad. Mrs. Simon Guggenheim,
: RADIO, crossed the Atlantic In early
> July. and after establishing her hus-
= band in Bad Nauheim, she too is
= visiting the studios of Italy. Both
~ mentioned have made visit to the
marble quarrieS of Carrara. Mrs.
] Baruch and her daughter, Miss Belle
I, Baruch, are interested only in the per-
: sonal sense of keeping their several
= homes up to the mark in the matter
z genheim and scores Of other travellers
!. from the United States are either in
: terested in commercial ventures or are
!. aiding, In the philanthropic way. many
who are seeking treasures. Indeed
. observers Of furniture appear to rival
> In number those who seek the newest
.s1n sartorial fashions. The purchasers
;, Of brass, bronze and marble objects
equal the throngs seeking the curious
NJ he ~,
. way Of drapings and curtains. Old
:: Florentine brocades were never so much
= In demand, those skillful with the
needle Transforming them into superb
:. piano covers and for tables or drapings
~over the stairway. In the old market
!. OF Florence the Tuscan peasants now
~sell much more than the fine horse
: hair hats for which they are cele-
. brated. Italian cut work, fine embroid-
reries. wonderful table covers and
: doilieS may be bought at one-third
t less than the Ponte Vecchio shops offer
: and about five times less than in the
homeland.
!. M. Eduard He-riots Life of
:. Beethoven" is in the hands of all who
= are bound from Italy to the music
y centers Of Germany. where festivals
In his honor have been arranged for
August and September. That lie fiery
French leader could spare time from his
absorbing political work. not to mention
his important agricultural and horticul-
tural labors, to write such an intimate
study Of the beloved composer staggers
the imagination. For while M. Herriot
touches the musical quality of this
" genius and explains his spiritual grasp
= upon all those near him, he devotes
: most of his study to an Interpretation