Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-11-20
lMAG|NES SELF
IN ROME OF OLD
Sister of Former American
Envoy Still Lives In Chill, Old
Palace of the AntiCi.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
ROME, November 2Q.-The Rome Of
Richard Bagot, of Marion Crawford,
of Prince Won Bulow and SO many others
is gone. Among the few who still sur
vive, and not the least, is Mrs Tower
Wurts of Philadelphia, sister OF a
former American Ambassador, who in
her rooms in the old palace OF the
Antici. which is approached by few
narrow streets still paved with cobble-
stones, continues to imagine herself In
the Rome of bygone days.
She made a present to Italy two
years ago of her great and beautiful
villa on the Janiculufn, but persists in
living with her sedate lady companion
and affectionate poodles In the chill
old palace, with enormous rusty iron
gfatings on every window through which
noble youths and curious young maidens
gaZed at the narrow street In the six
tenth century
Mrs. Wurts never takes an elevator
and climbs slowly up the vast old marble
staircase held by the arm every day
after her morning and evening walks.
It is no use for her any more to 60 to
the Corso, through which she once drove
with a chariot and four behind the
Csr-iage of Queen Margherita. Rome
h-a changed and become different and
modern.
Keep PTetense Of the Past.
In only one thing does Rome keep
UP some show of the past and 1t is in
the habit of its less fortunate people
deceiving each other in the month of
September. They have all been at the
seaside or In the mountains and en-
joyed the hospitality Of other noble
friends in some castle or other without
ever leaving Rome. Quite a good many
OF these traditions have survived. The
custom was to appear In public not
earlier than the 14th Of Eeptern-
Der, the Feast of the Exaltation Of the
Holy Cross, when the Pope used to go
in state to the function in st. Peters.
From that date the poorer of the
patrician Romans were allowed to be
seen In society again or to frequent the
CorSo. Their daily routine was resumed.
All showed themselves and told of how
they had enjoyed country life or the
seaside, where they had never been; as
to the tan, that was obtained by sitting
in the sun on the fiat roof or on a
balcony In Rome.
Signal for the Daily Walk.
The daily routine was for the men
to dress in long wide trousers, flow
ing tail coat and felt hat slightly turned
up on one side and go to the Corso, and
from the Church of San Carlo to the
Piazza Venezla. Every Roman who be-
1onged to society was bound to do so.
The women were more enthusiastic
about it than the men.
Everybody knew everybody else, and
nod or q smile was obligatory as they
went along. When the end of the walk
was reached and the time not yet UP,
they turned on their heels and walked
back again TO the place of starting
There are old men ana women who
now look back .witlr something like
terror at what they went through in
The signal for the beginning Of the
daily walk was the appearance from
Marguerite, the Marchesa di Villafna-
rina Her appearance in the royal
coach was Immediately signaled by the
soldier On service ut the barracks of
Magnanapclt by his calling to the corr
poral 10 march but With the company
Of honor. ready ,tospresent arms as the
Queen peeEed o. toward Piazza Verezia.
As soon IS she entered the Corso, all
the Other carriages and coaches fol-
lowed in line and the great thing was
TO be as near behind the royal car
rage Is possible.
All this has passed with the advent
of motor cars and woinens short
dresses and cinema pictures and Facist
blackshirts, and it Is no wonder that
old people who were once In daily pro-
cession behind the carriage of Queen
Rome has changed in more ways than
one and will be still more changed when
the delegates of all the worlds govern
rnents come to Rome and see what
MussoliFi has to show them
Copyright, 1891