Year: 1860

and much more to throw boquets at them during

 Carnival As my good landlady, who is North ern Bolognese, says, Belle Belle, nsolo Belle Belissimo."

 Their beauty is shown of to great advantage by the rich fanciful costume they adopt upon festival occasions. It consists of red bodice low in the neck and trimmed with lace, skirt often of red, if not of some brilliant silk. The

 neck and hair are adorned by gold chains, with a

 white veil thrown carelessly over back all togeth-

 CT, combining to produce most brilliant effect. At two o'clock each day troop of mounted

 police ride down through the Corso to clear the

 way for the carriage, soldiers are stationed at all

 the corners to prevent any disturbance, and the

 carriages begin to pass through in storm oi oo-

 quets and plaster of Paris sugar plums, when are

 rained down in perfect thunder showers from all

 the windows and balconies along the route' The original custom seems to have been for people to throw boquets and bon bons, but these latter being expensive and so many foreigners uniting in the ceremonies who are more rough than the Italians in their amusements, plaster of Paris was gradually substituted for sugar in order that economy and abundance might both exist together found, however, but little tempta- tion to throw plaster plums, boquets gave so much more pleasure and they were by no means expensive, they cost should think about twen- ty-fve cents bushel

 At four o'clock the streets were cleared by the police preparatory to the racing of the horses. These were led into the circle of the seats at the upper end of the street and ranged in a line at a signal being given the rope in front of them is let down and they are started down the street. They all have goads attached to them, which at every jump stimulate them to make longer one next time. It not unfrequently happens that one of the animals becomes restive as he is be- ing led into the ring, in which case the goads taking effect before the time the horse becomes perfectly manageable and after upsettng one or two of the red turbaned grooms and dashing against and over the rope they all dash pell nell down through the lines of shouting people.

 The groom invariably gets up, rubs the leg the horse stepped on or kicked for about two minutes and is as we'll as ever again.

 The last day of the Carnival is the gayest of all The golden age is drawing to close, and the morrow's sun will wake the Roman world again to the old routine of work and want, and as much must be piled into the few hours that remain before the twelve o'clock bell rings in the solemnities and the fastings of Lent as possible Besides, all those flower pedlers upon the cor ners of all the streets must sell out all their stock to-day or incur loss of the whole of their capi- tai, for depend upon it there will be no more de- mand for flowers for month to come-and the hemp seed that forms the centre of every plaster of Paris sugar plum will sprout before another years holy day. Besides, to-day after the racing of the horses comes the blowing out of the can dies. All these combine to make the last day the maddest, merriest day of all. After the rac- ing of the horses every body begins to light his candle and to blow out his neighbours: To do this latter all expedients are used. Boys and men chamber up on the backs of the carriages tied to long poles are waved from the windows above, and with one fell swoop put out the cherished fame-boquets are thrown by the urchins in the street, which strike the slender taper in the middle and the light and candle both are gone. Still there are more candles and more light can be obtained from more fortunate com panion to be repaid again by similar act of kindness under similar misfortune

 The excitement deepens with the darkness Above, on each side before and behind there is 3 blaze of torches, until it becomes prudent for all carriages with ladies to withdraw, as the game soon becomes rough, and boquets which have be- come mere Jumps of dirt are hurled without re- gard to the damage that may result. And the <1rl l,,4 4of No ping out the drippings of the candles properly closes the Carnival.

 Now, my good friends, you will get but a very imperfect idea of this festival from my descrip- ton. In fact you could not simply as specta- tor understand it. To appreciate Carnival one must take part III it. One must lay aside some of that Northern dignity which rarely conde- scends to simple amusenents, and my word for it Carnival would cease to appear nonsensical or absurd.

 Viewed merely negatively, it is as free from any objectionable features as any amusements fighting, and it would be difficult to conceive how so much enjoyment could be secured for the whole people at so little expense of money or morals. can hardly consider myself as proper judge, as l have not seen the Carnival in it's real glory. Political reasons kept large part of the Italians from participating. The forb idding of masks and the posting of soldiers upon every corner to prevent disturbance they naturally took as an insult, and in most cases refused to have any thing whatsoever to do with it in the Corso, but went out of one of the gates of the city in n9moer Of some ten thousand, and held sort of silent Carnival of their own upon several success slve days. So great had this withdrawal from

 the Corso become that the government in many

 instances sent carriages to some of the leadinS

 families expressing desire to see them in the

 procession ill the city. This wish of course had

 all the authority of command which could not

 be disobeyed and so the Carnival this year has

 been rather forced affair but enough of it was

 left to modify and in fact to entirely remove any

 harsh judgment might have formed of it before

 hand.

 The poor and the rich really mingled and met

 each other on the common ground of humanity

 No one refused to receive boquets from the hand

 of any one of the great unwashed" in the street

 nor felt it any detraction of dignity to throw one

 in return. This to me was the pleasantest fea,

 ture of the whole-to have a peasant toss bo-

 quet to gentleman in carriage with ladies

 evidently little in doubt how it would be re-

 ceived, and to sec the smile of satisfaction with

 which he received the token of acknowledgement

 It seemed to do him good it strengthened him

 up and made him feel like man. And mothers

 smiled with infinite delight as boquet was aim-