University of South Carolina Libraries
* * * * * * * * * * * *-.* * * * *1 * WILL SEABROOK'S TRAVELS,' ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * (By W. B. Seabrook.) Rome, Italy.-Rom-e takes good care of her tourists and foreign resi dents. Here nature. the government, ever courteous, and the "man on the street'" all seem to be in league to make the visitor carry away the im pression that the City of the Seven Hills is the most charming spot in the universe. The stories carried home to Eng land and America by chronic gramb Iers about poor sewerage, dirt, fleas, fever, step stairways. no elevators, searcity of fireplaces, 'and absence of bath rooms, have been untrue, for twenty years. The old Papal city, with its mediaeval discomforts, has long since melted into a broad-street ed, well drained, electric-trammed me tropolis., where practical modern in dustry and civic improvement are striding side by side with -artistic and intellectual progress. But what's the difference if we do occasionally encounter conditions unlike those at home? Narrow stairs, built on the model of Jacob's ladder, 'have no power to frighten the would-be resi dent, when they lead to a fifth-story apartment, with a roof garden full of trellised roses, a carpet of violets, and a view of St. Peter's dome, with a sunset that makes you feel that the evening sky has never before flamed with such gorgeous colors and that no future sinking sun can ever equal the effect of this particular evening. But back comes the obliging sun next day to do the same "stunt" over again with even more glorious varia tions. I don't know of any other place on earth where the drop eurtain of the heavenly theatre works so reg ularly without a hitch as behind the Vatican hill. Here the "tourist tide" becomes a torrent. rich idlers love Rome because its fashionable hotels are unsurpass ed, students come to be nourished with the past, modern pagans, Ghris tions, archeologists, artists, eynical newspaper men, all come and all, who remain for more than a few days, find themselves in the grip of 'the magic spell. But it is* not a good place fo.r in valids. Following certain rules of hygiene, there is nothing to fear more than in otther cities, in fact less, but all things animate and inanimate seem to conspire to make one forget the rules. Since the Cloaca Maxima &ias been conducted outside the walls, the sanitary conditions, per se, are excellent. Roman fever is now usual ly an effect of overeating, over-exer tion or chills. Go into a cold church in the summer time, come out to bask ian the sun, and then plunge into an other church, and quite likely the iron will enter into your soul, or rather the chill into the marrow of your bones.; -come up from Naples poisoned with stale oyster's or something else you have taken into your system in that vilest, rottenest of cities. and then blame Rome for your illness; come here already dying from con samption, .and then exclaim with your last expiring gasp that Rome has1 caused your death. Lots of people do. But if you avoid foolish eccen tricities and treat the place sanely, it will return the compliment. Many tourists, particularly rich so ciety people, come 'here and remain for entire seasons without ever visit ing the Coliseum, the Forum and the other ruins of Iniperial Rome, and not because they are stupid or uned ucated, but simply because there are so many ot'her things to see and do. The Pope, the King, the two great bran-ches of local aristocratic society, known as the "Blacks'' and the "Whites,'' the churches, one for ev ery day in the year, in which gorgeous' spectacles are always taking place, the theat-res and Sunday concerts, the long opera season, in which Wagner takes a back seat because the Italians like their own Verdi best, the fox hunts on the Campagna, the thousand and one pleasant diversions offered the wealthy stranger, all combine to make the modern city no mean rival of the ancient. Babington 's Tea Rooms are as famous as Delmonico 's or Sherry 's, and here the touriists gather, make appointments with their friends, exc'hange the latest gossips of the wide world, dis'cuss Parisian gowns, horse races and imprpssionis tic art, and naturally forget all about the Baths of Caracalla. Just' across the 'hall is a circulating library and reading room, colloquially known as the "Orsini" 'and the "Colonna'' be cause of their locations and because they are separated by jealousies and' discords ireminiscent of the two great feudal houses. If yon are received pleasantly at one of these libraries,' you are looked on askance at the other. Books are chosen in these es tablishments with a view to making visitors forget that any world 'exists outside the Aurelian walls; they are not too deep, but are all relevant to the locality, for instance, Madame de Stacl's "Corinne,'' 1ail Caine's -The Eternal City," Marion Craw foid*s "The Heart of Rome," etc., etc. A course of suoh literature has the same effeet as lotus eating. It is insidious. The temptation is to spend one 's life curled up in one of the big leather arm chairs in the read ing room, to saturate the soul with these glowing descriptions, and let the paltry reality "go hang.' "But Shelley's description of the Tiber is so much more interesting than the Tiber!" petulantly exclaim ed a sweet young thing the other af ternoon when her mama tried to drag her away from poetry and teacups long enough for a drive by the banks of the classic stream. Up until a year or two ago, strang ers were permitted, after depositing five lire as a guarantee, to carry these hooks to their thotels, but volumes worth more than the deposited sum began to acquire a taste for travel and frequently never returned to Rome (despite the fact that the her oine in n-early all of them had taken a draught at the Trevi fountain by moonlight), and now one is compell ed, under ordinary circumstances O) read them at the library, or deposit twice their worth. I am on fairly friendly terms with the American consul, but the other day 'he refused to guarantee my honesty in order that I might borrow a number of books from one of the libraries. He used to do it, be said, but he had been "let in too many times and had once or twice been compelled to pay for expensive books, which had been car ried off, more carelessly than dishon estly," he thought. One of his own cousins, he said had caused him to pay for a big volume of Byron, and if he couldn't trust his own family, he would be if he would trust a rambling newsepaper reporter. In Paris, when you want to find a compatriot whose address you do not have, you always go to the New York Herald office, in front of the grand pera; here you go to the Orsini li br-ary. The secretary is most oblig ing and all the assistants speak good English; only once have I seen one of them at a loss for a response. A .ady had walked straight up to her, without even a ''good morning" pre ude and had asked, "Do you rent books here?'' ''Rent'' was an expression w'hich he young girl had never previously eard applied to anything smaller ~hn a villa or a piano, so she refer ed the question to the management. Rome, Italy.-T wo fisueo"nen, who.ee et 'had caught on a supposed snag in he Tiber, recently found a fine ronze female figure st'uck head lownward in the mud, with *a shape y pair of lower limbs pointed sky ard, seeming to struggle frantipally n 'the yellow -eurrent. She was res ned, poor girl, .after having remained or two thousand years in that un omfortable and indelicate posture, ad, wh-ile the grey haired areheolo ists of the National museum were gravely tearing eac'h others beards ut by the roots in the course of pole ic discussion as to whether the u fortunate young lady were a Venus r a Diana, a flippant young student from Columbia university cut the ordian knot and settled the ques tion, at least. so far as the Roman public is concerned, by glibly quot ''Took a header, And a deader, Was Ophelia!" The pasquinade was keenly relish ed, and while the statue has finally been classified and labelled as a Diana'' by the savants, it will enceforth be known in the local un written history, in gossip of the Ro man studios, as the "Ophelia.'' Apropos of this same ''find,'' a Roman archeologist has declared that the bed of the Tiber contains more treasures and works of art th'an any single museum in the worid. ar-di he leaves out of consideration the Gold en Candlestick, brought by Titus from the temple at Jerusalem, placed in the Temple of Peace, at Rome, and afterward, according to some aut>hori ties, thrown into the Tiber. It is sculptured on the Arch of Titus, which stands so proudly against the sky at the summit of the Sacred Way, near the great forum. The Jews of Rome once asked permission to drag the river-bed for the missing candle stick; the pope refused, but a relia be authority states that it was taken from 'the river by Genserie, who after ward carried it to Carthage; later it was heard of at Constantinople, and eventually melted down to be made into candelabra for the Holy Sepul chre. But the golden eaAldle stick, the ''Ophelia"' and the numerous other marvels which have been fished out o thle Tiber are as noth'ing compar ed to those which still lie beneath its waves. Napoleon and 'his engineers on-e conceived the gigantic splan of damming the stream above the city, turingii it from its course for a length of three mile and Unine bare the bed Lead V.V w~V. :~ c.naeus tlates We have the Best, Mo. you will be agree $ -5 00 Men's 15 New and upwards dresses Loi you stylishly and becomingly. Beautiful Oxfords ai FOR Men, Women, Girls a Try a pair of our "Ultra" a Slippers and Oxfords aid you v as to style, fit and wear. A ple Ankle Strap Pumps, in tan or b and girls. Come and see and try a pair pleased. COPE Lr excavation, but the all-absorbing ruggles with the allied powers left ie otime to carry the idea into ffeet, and the "noble river that 'rolls y the gates of Rome'' will -probably gard its wondrous secrets for cen tries to come, as tahe government of odern Italy 'has neitiher the eapital or the initiative necessary for the rvival of such a hercuean enter rise. And, besides, the Roman mu sems and churches are already so rich in classic r tasterpieces, that peo le th.ink "What's the use?'' The traditionary guardian and tute lry genius of all these antique treasu.r sis the wolf of Romulus, or rather one f her lineal female descendants, ept in a small cage on the Capito lne Hill; she looks cross and cramp e, like the Roman eagle which is bained to the branch of a tree close y. children love Vhe wolf, and even rown-ups often stop to gaze on the istoric animal. One of these latter oce asked a Roman friend, "Why are there no geese on the apitol?'' "O&h, there are-in the German mbassy!'' was the reply. The em assy occupies the spot where the sa red geese cackled their legendary arning and saved the citadel. The staircase, a little further down, here Rienzi once stood to harangue te populace, is now the haunt of pst card boys, who know just enough nlich to be annoying-or amusing, aceording to the hearer's humor at te moment. A lady, who recently efused to have greatness, in the sape of picture postals, thrust up oa her, was addressed by the exas erated vendor as "Rascal English oman.'' He had learned from ex erience tlhat rascal was a term of rprobation. The highest flight of conersational power was reae ied ne morn-ing by an imp, who gravely nnounced, "Very cheaap today; I'm in liquidation,'' and when 'his cards ere refused he promptly added, All right. skidoo for you.'' But the Italian 's facility for ex ression in the cold, unknown North rn tongue is naturally not to be cmpared with his vituperative elo uence in -his own musical, flowing ngo. His .profanity is .elassical. Not >r nothing is 'he a countryman of th immorta Cicero. The only per ers of recognize the becomir .. They must be more th ering for the body; the nity to the Business must give that Smari millute Appearance t College Boys, to thE wants to be IT. You will never realize m clothes until you They are des the Celebrat< SCHLOSS O' Baltimor, very line, every ( breathes that subtile E M 9 the best dressed- narr . &PC., a Schloss Baltimore Si a teousand as a partic ;t Fashionable Clothes for e bly surprised to see eow i and Young Men's Furnish Shades-Greens-Olives adon Smoke-every hue fashion dictates id Slippers Men's S We have a full a nd Boys. "Snow" and nd Krippendorf ill have the best nty of the new for Men and Y( lack for Ladies stx le that this md you 'will be $3 50, $4.00 an< pair and you wi ;LAND I son on earth, who can outeurse an Italian signore is an Italian signora. Not long ago, a woman, whose hus band was dying, went to th'e window to throw a bunch of faded flowers into the street. A beggar standing below asked alms of her, and when she refused, the mendicant eallecl up, ''May 'he be much worse than he is!'' This naturally enraged t'he perspee tive widow, and she replied, ''Brutto vilanzona! ('horrid brute) loathesome animal, may you be cov ered with shame! Depart hastily and die from accident! May you be mur dered! May seven thunderbolts strike your bloody corpse as it is be ig carried home to your wife! May your soul scorch in hell!'' The beg gar hurried mwy ter:rified, wihile a passing coaeh'man, who 'had heard the tirade, stopped to raise his hat de ferentially, and cry, ''Bravo, signora!'' As for the' fugitive, he probably dodged into the nearest ehuareh to neu tralize the vitriolie poteney of the curse, by sprinkling himself with holy water. The Italians are as a race su perstitious to a de'gree, and live in constant dread that some ill-disposed neighbor will cast a spell upon them, either by a formula of magic words or by the power of the ''evil eye," of which mention was briefly made in a former letter. Nine tenths of them keep .charms or amulets con stantly upon their bodies, and some times one sees even an Anglo-Saxon wearing a small hand of gold or sil ver on his watch chain, a fairly sure protection against the jettatura. The r::-n t.h>s miniature hand, how e e. i merely a compromise, grow ing from the belief that in the pres ence of a pettatore one must cross the fingers (the sign of the eross) or close the second and third fingers while the index and little fingers are extended in the mystic symbol of the horns: the miniature metal hand is always cast in one or the other of these p)ositions; but the most effica ious proteetion, the really sacred charm which foreigners scarcely ever see and which Italians wear secretly beneath their clothing, next the heart, is the ancient pagan amulet of coral, the Latin ''fascinum.'' the identical fr t- hat ther 'lneestorS wore. long. ien value of stylish, ig clathes. an merely serviceable cov y must add grace and dig >r Professional Man; they Chic, Snappy, Up-to-the > the Young Chap, to the Club Sports--they who rhat difference there can be lu try on one of our suits. igned and made by d Master Tailors 1ROSs &CO. e ancl r -.w York. urve, every cuff and lapel ffect so much desired by ely. distinction. Put on iit and you stand out among ular, well=dressed man. very calling in life, and loderate our prices. Ings BOYS SUITS From -Greys that $ 0 to $8.00-Knee and KnickerbockerPants hoes and Oxfords. nd exclusive line of the celebrated "rossett" Shies, and Oxfords ung men, the best for wear and country affords. Prices $3.00, 1 $5.00, in all leathers. Try a 11 always wear them..I 3ROS.I For "Fly" Time YOU'LL FIND OUR $1.0 Negligee Shirts ThyAR E BI1R DS. Thyhave that deep pointed yok%e that means strength. thfat generous cut which means com ort and are made with extrenme care from ex clusive metropolitan patterns which means long and satisfactory service. See Our Straw Hats let? I $1.00 to $2.50. Ewart=Perry Co. long, ago in prehistoric times, when Venus and the wrathful Juno were still quarreling over the safe arrival of Aeneas in Latium, when the fa;uns stil, dwelt in the forests, and t'he walls of Rome were wo,>den palisades. Today in Rome there is a well kown p)rinlce, a man prominent in the social and political life of the cap ital, who is always greeted when he appears in public by the sign, of the cross or the mystic horns. Th'e signs, of course. are made secretly, and it is possible that the poor nobleman does not know he is accredited by the pop ulace with the malevolent power of of a jettatore. What stories one hears of the Roman princes! One of them, acting on a motive that was said to ~have been in some obscu.re way rel-igious, recently had his saddle horse painted green and varnished. The poor beast died of suffocation in a few hours. but the gods were ap peased. One might almost fancy that the sun had stood still on Gibeon since Joshua's time. and that Rome is a pagan city in the t wentiet.h een tniry W this we all of Rome. d-Oa TIME TO TONE UP! Get Into Your Summer Togs. If you haven't any except those of last summer you will find- here the kind you'll find necessary to keep the tone of your, peronal ap pearance up to that of he best dressed men hereabouts. Thin Suits, Featherlige in Weight, Like Iron in Wear, Underwear, Shirts,/r Hosiery, Neckwear, etc. Look us over before buying. Ewart=PerryCo. ~0-o (D -- -% Quick ! Mr. Drugg6st-Quick!-A box of Backlen'Is Arnica SalVV_ Here'Is a quarter-For the love of Moses, -hurry! Baby'Is burned him self, terribly-Johnnie cut his foot with the axe-Mamie'Is sealde -ean't walk from piles-Billie has boils-and my corns ache. She got it and soon eured all the family. Its the greatest healer on earth. Sold, by W. E. Pelham & Son, Newberry, o e ds r $5o5 bom good Busen Ors frnom $25aov$4 Here's ah quarhaerFor the loveru f se terchangeothem cut hie yas foot boilw-ano. my corns ahe. heo i alud son cred al the fm ilyo.It rte grates hneaer oaricuarth. asod MaW.E.lhe' Mui Son, ee, cSUMIACs.C TLOuivigeaKnuc, and Rtr PianSouhr Baray.s Accoudth Souchaersno Batheeistrconen si tohangeuthen awyarus vie Ky.~ weo w'll ploints.i Ticket Wr09, lidited for rturs, easginus vile om e oha Goodntru fm ay 22Od,M1909..c vry o ound trip esfo Luincpa stions, as fromllows: s Tckt willbeild May 10. .., 12 and ..3.5 1909,ur ..~te for reur leavin L. 17.9 Blville t late tha ..dnig. of May1.4 Brnchville.. .. .. .1.0 Abhete.... .... .. .. ....1.85 Couiken .. .... .........16.90 afneyo.... .... .... .... 1.80 Greebnle.. . ..... ......1.960 Grenwood.. .... .... .. ...1.85 Lancastle.. .. ...........1.40 - BNwbey.. .... .... .. ...1.0 Chrengug.... .. .......0 Chesteri.. ...... ......15.85 Columbial.. .... .... ....16.90 Spartnburg..... .... .....14.80 Laucmter .... .... .... .... 17.05 nioner.... .... .... .... 16.30 Rockvill.. .... .... .....15.85 For tickets, detailed information,I etc., apply to Souehtrn Railway tick et agents or address, J. C. Lusk,. Division Passenger Agent, Charleston, S. C. J. L., Meek, Asst. Gen. Passenger Agt. Atlanta, Ga. A styp to-dynz. Has cured itch magically for others in Newberry and will cure for you. For sale at aes' Drug Stmr.