Urn VrgSjmirf
B. P. BCHWEIER,
THE OONSTITUTION-THli UNION-ANT) THE ENFOHGEMENT OF THE IJVWS.
Editor and ProprWtor.
MIFFLINT0W1N, JUNIATA COUNTY. PENNA.. WEDNESDAY. AUGUST 12. 1891.
NO. 34.
C5 III 1 al Scl
A HELPER (True).
BY AMOS R. WILLS.
"Dear ir.e:" walled all ttie household
A Moii'lay morning chorus
"How nn e ever fliilh
The work th:it Has before us 7"
But niMway In the walllnK
our KroaiiH to laughter shifted.
For Hiuie was In the corner,
li In hands devoutly lifted.
Whv, Hibel This Isn't bedtlmel"
W ciy hen we discover.
1 f..nlit I d thay my r wavers
And act Just that much over."
2"i Housewife.
TheVenus De' Medici's Marriage.
A Stury of a Connoisseur' Craze.
BY OKOHUE AUGUSTl'S 8ALA.
If I Htu to be doomed to solitary
juut'tuemeut for life,' once cried an en
ibiwastio French art-critic I forgot
n hetlii-r it was XI. Louis Viardot or XI.
Ilieopbile Gautier 'let the place of
oiy imprisonment l the Tribune at
Florence. With the Veuns de' Medici
(or a companion T shall not complain.'
I apree with the French art-critio.
Dot from tho point of view of enthusi
isru, but of that of predilection based
jO calm reflection; and 1 even go be
foDd Inui, und would us lief be locked
Dp with a picture as with a statue. I
lot tint of the same mind with the
jiierulons antiquary who complained
thi.t t he Spbiux was in her dotage, and
that her indistinct mumblings and mut
tering, when questioned, led him to
the conelnsiou that she had forgotten
how old she was. The true captive of
intiqmty and bond-servant of beauty
loes not require the Sphinx, nor any
painted . uor sculptured nor graven
thinr. to say audit. Their looks are
articulate. Jn tlieirdumbness they are
more eloquent thnn Demosthenes.
Do you want Gnido's 1 '.eat rice to
shatter in that dark palaoe room at
Home yonder? Is it necessary that the
I'rntiken Fauu shou'd tell you that he
has taken a glass too much? In the
Diere snapping of his plastic fingers
there is a whole, library of arguments
fur or against the Permissive Hill, as
yon, iu your Lawsonianhim, or other
wise, may clooso to construe Ihont.
Have you not mot with statues without
inns which could gesticulate grace
fully; statues without legs that could
3aer nimbly; statues without heads
even that c nld talk as volubly as Mr.
Gladstone, talks 'like a book,' and a
great di al better than the majority of
books printed nowaday o? In the court
yard of the museum of the Capitol I
remember spen?,Iy, amoug the scatter
ed fragments of some colossal statue of
the Imperial period of which Goths
and YauduU ages ago made ducks and
drnkes, but which have been mounted
here ou several pedestals, a gigantio
Toe. "Pis a great toe, physically speak
ing, as b q suy as, and somewhat of the
shape of, a 'Woolwich Infant' gun
vhich has cracked in the casting; a id
titli a toe-nail broad, smooth, and vast
inouRh to be put on the tame ele
gant's back at the Zoological Gardens,
for the children to ride astride npou t.w
holiday time. Now. dear sir, were I
to contemplate your toe even nutd
yon grew angry, and burned to kick
me with the boot in which it was en
cased I don't think I conld learn
much from the inspection. Nor, dear
madam, were I to pas-t hours iu rapt
consideration of your great toe do
you remember the waxen cast of Mad
ame Vestris's foot? No, you are far
too young; no matter; 'twas not so fair
a foot as yours what would the sitihs
pro tit me save to engender a maxi clo
ture to kiss the adored phalanges, and
to incur the risk of prosecntion under
the Aggravated Assaults Act? But with
that huge marble toe iu the cortde of
the C'aoijiidoglio the case is vastly dif
ferent. There, indeed, we can say
er pe.de Jlerculem. Art as well as
palieontology should have its Professor
Owens; and from a toe, a thumb, the
lobe of an ear, the nipple of a breast,
who that is in the vein, or has the skill
to strike the vein with his fancy's
lancet, may not build np strange his
tories of pride and passion, of love and
hatred, of fierce beasts subdued, fair
women won, and mighty multitudes
overawed? This jagged block of disin
tegrating stone, this boulder from
which the last traces of the sculptor's
chisel are blunting away year after
year under the attraction of ages un
der the lashes of the whips of Time,
which are wind and rain was made in
the image of the Xlighty Man. What
has become of the Mighty XIan? 'The
steps of his strength nave been strait
ened, and his own connsel has cast him
down'; 'yet the earth has not been for
saken, and the rocks have not been re
moved from their places.' It doesn't
matter twopence-halfpenny now what
Las become of the Xlighty Man. He
was but John a' Nokes; and the world
be eraBped now belongs to John a'
Btyles. The Mighty Man perchance
was Ozymandias.
1 met a traveller fiom an antique land,
ho said, 1 wo vast and trunkless leiss ot
stone
Btand In the desert : near them on the sand,
Ualf auiiK, a shatter U visage lies, whose
frown
And wrinkled lip and sneer of coM command
1 ell that Its sculptor well those (aslons
re.id
Which vet survive, stamp'd on these lifeless
things.
The h;oiii that niook'd them and the heart
that fed.
And on the pedestal these words appear:
-My mime u O'mamtia. knf? "t k itifjs;
Lonir on mn ieort-. ye mfgh'v. find desilir."
Nothma beside remains, lioiind the decay
Of tint coli.isal wreck, boundless and bare.
The lone and level sands stretch far awav.'
Pondering over the obsenro but
niaeuibcent lines of Shelley which 1
have just quoted, 1 took up gentle
onn riaxmnn s J.cctures. and tnere 1
read that Praxiteles was unsurpassed
in representing the highest graces of
youth ani beauty. He is said to have
excelled, not only all other sculptors
but himself, by his marble statues in
the (Jeramicus at Athens; but his Venus
was preferable to all others in the
world; and many sailed to C'nidos for
the purpose of seeing it. 'This sculp
tor having made two statues of Venus,
one with drapery, the other without,
the Coons' (they were always a prudish
race, these Coons) 'preferred the cloth
ed figure, ou aceo int of its severe mod
esty: the same price being set upon
each.' The citizens of C'nidos took the
rejected statue, and afterwards refused
to part with it to King Nicomedes,
who would have forgiven them an im
mense debt in return; bnt they were
resolved to Buffer anything bo long as
this slatue by Praxiteles ennobled
Cnidos. The temple wa entirely open
n which it was placed; because every
riew of the master-work was equally
admirable. The figure is known by
the descriptions of Lycian and Cedre
nus; and it is represented on a medal
f Caracalla and Plantilla, This Venns
as still in C'nidos during the reign of
the Emperor Arcadins, about a, d. 400;
"id it seem to have offered the first
idea for the Venns de Xledief. which Is
iiaeiy to tie a repetition of another
enus, also the work of this artist,
mentioned Pliny.
There; you will hear no more from
me abont the origin of the immortally
leantifnl marble creatnre who en-
tuauui me woria in the paliery at
Florence, i. bat she is unapproachable
and divine so far as sublunary things
can be we all know. In the "Greater
flippiaa Socrates is made to say, that
as a beantif ul vase is inferior to a beau
tiful horse, and as a beautiful horse is
not to be compared with a beantif til
virgin, in the same manner a beautiful
virgin is inferior in beauty to the im
mortal gods. 'For,' says he, 'there
is a beauty incorruptible, ever the
same.' And it is remarkable that
immediately afterwards he observes:
Phidias is skilful in beauty.' If Phid
ias was so skilled, the claim of
Praxiteles must be as readily admitted.
The syllogism is complete. Perfect
beauty is divine; the Venns de Xledici
is perfectly beautiful; therefore the
enns de' Xledioi is a divin
ity. Is anything more required? Not
so, i avow, to convince me; bnt I am
bound to own that the first time I ever
went to Florence and gazed upon Ijr
Venns de' Medici, 1 was accompanied
by a lady who, being very good-looking
herself, I have always deemed a
competent judge of female comeliness
in statues and pictures at least: for
one ca i Fcarcely le jealous of marble
or canvas. What do you think was my
companion's opinion of the statue
which enchants the world? Hhe com
menced by stigmatising as 'affected
rubbish' the simple act of reverence I
had performed in lifting my hat wuen
1 entered the Trilmne and stood be
fore the Queen of Love. Then she
went on thus: A little, simpering,
stunted, narrow-chested thing, with
large hands, and a stoop, and who
doesn't know how to stand properly;
with a head too small nnd a wait too
large; and, in short, with nothing in
her: that can see, at least,' my com
panion concluded, tosaing her head,
and dismissing the Venus de' Medici
with a flout of her parasol, for ever.
The criticism cut me to the heart. It
was crueller to rue than even the stri
dent remark of Mrs. Melancthon T.
Communipaw Hipkins of Vermont, U.
S. A., to tier husband, the well-known
Colonel ami Congressman, that 'a gal
who'd shin around like that with narrer
a hoop-skirt on her was fitter to be a
mermaid than a statue in a Christian
gallery;' adding that none of her gals
should see snch goings-on if she could
help it. I met the three Xliss Colu
mn nipaw Hipkinses the next day in the
Uftizij ; aod I am sure, by their gig
gling, that they had seen the Venus.
In presence ot tne verdict ot my
companion (whose tempor was apt to
be violent), I thenceforth determined
to be silent as to the esthetic qualities
of the statue which enchants the world.
Life is so very short, that about the
very worst use to which you can turn
tho brief spau alotted to yon is to em
ploy any portion of it in quarrelling.
Other subjects of interest rose to the
surface; and for a length of time I
ceased even to think of the Venus de'
Xledici. Judge of my astonishment
and delight to hear one day that she wns
married
Yes; married, pour de ban, as the
French say, when they come back
from tho church and the mairio. For
there are marriages and marriages in
France, ami many of the mutriif.onial
alliances of our neighbors are not, I
am afraid, pour tie ton. There were
two whole columns of marriages the
other day in the Times; but it was not
in that superabounding calendar that I
'f.vcovered the announcement of my
divinity's wedding. It was in a faded,
dog's-eared odd number of an Italian
periodical of the last century, called
the (liornae iUicii loptxtico; and the
interesting event was set down as hav
ing occurred at Florence during the
reign of Cosmo I forgot how many
Grand Duke of Tuscany. That mag
nanimous sovereign himself designed
to be present at tne Xlediceau nuotials,
and it was to an illustrious British
nobleman of immense wealth, the
Right Honorable the Earl of G ,
indeed, that the Venus was married. It
need scarcely be added that the in
telligence suffused rnv breast with a
sober rapture. Had I read that all the
stories about Nell Gwyn were fibs, and
that Mistress Eleanor was the demnres
of quakereases and one of the original
foundresses of Sunday schools, or that
Ninon de l'Enclos used to teach de
portment at the school of St Cyr
and assisted the virtuous Fenelon in
the composition of Ttlenaue, I
conld not have been more gratified.
To think of the Venus deMedici having
been made an honest woman at last,
and after so many centuries of dis
paragement among the Jilles de marbre
of the demi-momle It was too charm
ing. It was the most poetical of poet
ical justice. What became of the scandal
mongers and the leaeing-makers now ?
Where were the mnuvaises lanque
that whispered those deplorable calum
nies about poor dear Apnroaite in con
nection with her first hnsband I ad
mit a nrior alliance old Xlr. Vulcan,
plethorically rich iron-master of Mer
thyr Tvdvll, and Lieutenant-Colonel
XIars of the Olympian Guards? How
about that disgraceful piece of gossip to
the effect that young tuupiaon or tne
Foreign OtKce was hereon, on ne savait
de Quel naval W no win venture to
ilenv now that he was only her nephew,
and that it was through pnre charity
he being a destitute orphan that she
sent him to Eton, and made a man of
him? The young rogue behaved very
ungratefully iu the end to his kind pa
troness, and ran away with a Miss
Sikey. Hut all these malignant ru
mors, these tossings of a good name
noon tongues, must fade into utter
nothingness in the face -of the fact
vouched for by the uironaie j-.netctn-lM-dieo
of 17 . that in the reisru of
Oosmo, Grand Pnke of Tuscany, La
Signora Aphrodite, Urania, r.rycina,
Calva, Etazia, Kasiloa, Xlyrtea call
her what you will Vents in fine, be
came the Right Honorable the ConuLess
of O .
But her costume, I hear it nred
her costume; o.- rather her want of any
costume at all. That, I can only say,
is no business of mine. Did not the
female correspondent of the Spectator
remind Mr. Addison, somewhat tartly,
that petticoats were no affair of his? I
daresay that when King Cophetua
married the beggar's daughter, the
trousseau of the bride was not very ex
tensive; and I have heard that the
XIaidtVall Forlorn who married the
XIan all Tattered nd Torn, quite hor
rified the officiating clergyman (who
was shaven and shorn for the occasion)
by the scantiness of her attire. To cnt
the ground from nnder the feet of all
objectors, I should like to know whether
the bridal dress of Eve was composed
of a white glace silk, with seventeen
flounces of Garryowen lace, and a
Cbantilly veil and a wreath of orange
blossoms, or whether, like Hans Breit-
mann's heroine, she had 'nodingson' at
all?
There is, so far as I know, only one
peninsula in Europe, bordered on one
side by the Mediterrean and on the
other Dy the Adriatio Sea, and the
shape of which is like unro a human
leg, fringed ronnd the thigh with a
fimbriation, termed by geographers the
Alps. There is but one country in Eu
rope of which the capital is theEttrnal
city of Rome. To him, nevertheless,
who loves this country very dearly, and
has striven to learn it by heart its his
tory, its language, its superstitions and
idolatries, its arts and laws, and its
wonderful people there are a great
many Italies even of modern date, and
n n i t e. nntittinor . ... ratarnn u
HUJ uuiju fcv UU
Alban Fathers, the Tarquina and
ajsara, the Ooths and Vandals, the
lAflTnh.rHa ami tha VA.m.na T1.-
random the Italj of Montaigne, fall of
duels, intriguea, poisonings, scoret
stubbing, guy festirals, sumptuous
rtora 1th ia. Quite apart from this is
the Italy of Jaqnes Callot and Howe),
our inmitable letter-writer.
PART II.
My Italy the Italy I treat of in this
place at least, the Italy of the Earl of
O , differs in its social aspect
tofo culo from those at which I have
glanced. His lordship (he was a friend
of Lord Chesterfield and Lord March
and Horatio Walpole, Esq., and ia his
youth bad knowu Mr. Pope and Dr.
Young and the TrappUt Duke of
Wharton very well) arrived at Leghorn,
bent on spending six months in the
peninsula, early iu the spring of 17 .
His lordship's own yacht, a trim-built
schooner, which in war time had done
very (rood service as a privateer, and
had gobbled np many Frenoh and
Spanish merchantmen, conveyed hiiu
to lhe;Jtalian peaport I have nomeO.
The South Sea was the fanciful name
of the Earl's yacht. He had embarked
largely iu tie S nth-Sa Bubble, but
being one of the luckiest men in liis
time, had contrived to clear a hundred
thousand pounds before the crises of
the mania; and then prudently repudi
ated the delusion altogether. It was
with equauimous curiosity that he
watched the Lad ship Hubble go down
with all hands on board. He subse
quently joined with much energy in
the prosecution of the directors: and
'twas but an act of common gratitude
in him to christen his pleasure-licit
after the swindle from whioh he hod
been fortnuate enough to emerge with
the cleanest of hands. The South Sea
brought no less than three carriages! to
the Leghorn for his lordship's private
use: his great family coach plurrtered
all over with carving, gilding, and al
legorical paintings, and lined with
amber-colored velvet, bnilt for him by
Moses, Noah, Shem, Japhot, nd Son
of Great XtaUosany street, Lincoln's-inn-fields;
a heavy traveling Carriage,
especially adapted for rough roads,
aud with ample neeorumodi tion for
baggage on the roof and a blttcri r
cuisine in the rumble; an'- a light
landau for town nso. Puggthops, his
lordship's sergeant footman a giant in
stature who had been in thl Horse
Guards, anil had beaten XI FiKg the
xiadiator in a bout at siglestiok and
dacksword accompanied by Wattles
Mid Shuttles, attendant Ihcqueya, were
all passengers by the South Sea, and
had been fearfully sea iuk ever since
the yacht nlenrsd out of Falmouth
'Bnra my best body,' Mr. Pngpchops
he was a gentleman, and swore like one
would exclaim ruefully every time
the vessel lurched, 'why did I refuse
'is 'Ighness's hoffer to go a philander
ing in furrin parts; let alone they're
lieing papishers?' it was a fact that
his Royal highuess the lIiie of Cum
berland, of Oulloden fame, and some
times known as the 'Butchet," struck by
the nnn-ivtt proportions of Xlr. Pugg
chops, as towered above his brtth
ern of the shoulder-knot in the lobby
of Drury-lane playhouse, had caused
overtures of a tempting nature to be
made to the Grand XIan, add on his re
spectfully declining theiut had cursed
him for a d d impudent dog, and or
dered his own sergeant footman G lap
pin to cane the scoundrel the next tkne
there was a fight among footmen at
Ranelagb. Bnt Glappiu, wise in
his generation, shrank from trying
qucrcal conclusions with a footman of
Mr. Pnggchops' inohes, and so gaw
him a wide birth whenever he met hinr
in those polite circles in which they
mutually moved.
Nor did Lord O 's suite come to
an end with his lacqueys. Two French
gentlemen, the politest, the kdroitest,
the most lantern-jawed, the most pro
ficient in lying and thieving of their
sprightly nation, were in his train.
These were, first, MonsieurFessemath
ieu, his valet, hairdresser, and private
secretary. His lordship had formerly
kept a joung fellow from the Univer
sity, a poet or play-wright, or some
thing low of that ki to do his scriv
ening for him; bnt rascal, waxing
fat and kicking upon meat every day,
grew insolent and insubordinate, be
cause, forsooth, be was expected to in
clude in his secretarial duties the com
position of letters in the Frenoh lan
guage to XIademoiselle Bobbichon, a
a daucer of the King's" Theatre. So
the poet was turned out of doors after
the delivery of a message from his
lordship, oonveyed to rum tnrongn me
intermediary of a bamboo walking
stick, of which the upper end was held
in Mr. Pnggchops' potent fist, aud Lis
place was adequately filled by his lord
ship's barber and liody-servatat. 'It's
cursed hard. the lisrely peer would re
mark, if the rascal who shaves yon
can't write your letters into tne liar
gain.' It is true that Xlonsieur Fesse
mathieu was uuable to spell with cor
rectness in any languape; but the in
firmity was one he shared with his
notile patron; and for the rest, who
could spell in the eighteenth century?
The monarch who sat on the throne,
and the foolish fat Bcullion who
scrubbed the sauoepans in the kitchen,
were often about on a par as regards
orthography; aud mentioD of the culi
nary regions reminds me that M. Fes
semathieu had yet another office as sec
retary, one which was to draw up the
daily bills of fare for Monsieur Rog
non, his compatriot and fellow voyager,
who, although one of the most accom
plished concoctors of bisques and sal
mis extant, was unable either to read
or write.
All these fine folks, with mountains
of luggage and innumerable dozens of
wine, and a monkey, a macaw, and a
couple of Dutch pugs, and last, not
least, the Right Hon , the Earl of O
himself, were all bound to Florence,
and to the court of the Grand Duke
Cosmo, there to be received with great
honor, ceremony, and hospitality. For
Ciarles John James, Earl of O . a
peer of the United Kingaom, was a
great prince in his own land, and had
an unencumbered rent-roll of thirty
thousand a j?fear, and carried couple
of uncut boroughs in his diamond
mounted snuff-box. He was so rich
that, years before. Sir Rnliert Walpole
had been fain to give uv ia despair
the truth of the Walpolian doctrine
that 'every man has his price.' The
Earl of O had his; bat it was a ter
ribly long one, and not within the
Walopian power to grant. Do you
know that exquisitely pretty story
which Rascal Casanova tells about Lord
Stair and the mistress be loved so pas
sionately? 'lhey were walking in a
garden at Paris one very balmy starlit
night; and the young woman, as women
will do when tuey leel sentimental
the fit does not lust long; they speedily
become as hard as nails, and lietiiu to
prate about the butcher's bill was
pointing out one particular star to her
lover, and expatiating, in charming
chat, on its soft brilliancy. 'How
cruel, how wickedly cruel "you are!'
quoth my lord with a sigh. 'Why
fancy that star? You know I cannot
give it to you.' Lord O 's desire
was nearly as untransferable by earthly
donor as 'high Aldeboran' or 'shiny
Cassiopeia's chair. Mundane stars
and garters, gold sticks and silver
sticks, he could have them all for the
asking; but not that. That Sir Robert
couldn't; that the Queen couldn't;
Lady Suffolk, King George himself, I).
G. R. B., couldn't. Nobody ou earth
bnt the Grand Duke Cosmo of Tuscany
could; and the Grand Duke Cosmo
wouldn't. Lord O longed to bo the
possessor of the Venus de' Medici.
She was his Star, she was Irs price,
but a pearl, alas beyond it.
The Eur I of O was fifty years of
age, bel humme, well versed iu letters,
uot unversed lu arts, a man of tast ,
wit, aud when his rage of Aphrodite
was not iu the way of judgment, lie
was unmarried, and a gallant without
boiug a profligate. His manner of life
was sumptuous; he waa lavish with his
money, and gave it away to the poor,
or paid it to painters and sculptors, or
lost it at play with equal affability. Ho
was quite the rage at the court of tho
Grand Duke Cosmo; and when became
abroad ou the Lung' Arno in the grand
family coach and six horses, with Mr.
1'nggohopg nnd Watiles and Shuttles iu
their state liveries banging on behind,
the Florentines wonld fling np their
hands, anil cry: 'A'cco it 2obil I'omo.
JCceo il I'rincite Britannicn. l'.cco
il Oran Milordo Jtufese.' Carlo
XIaratti painted his portrait. Toperani
carved his bust. There was a rage for
dilettante aoademies in Italy junt then ;
and Lord O was elected an hon
orary member cf the AhanUoniiti
Confusi of Bologna; the Indoinit i and
'tjrlini of Genoa; and the A;tiit,
the Alteruti, the L'midi, the Somioliti
ti, the Furfit rati, the In focati. anil the
great DSUt Crusca itself of Florence.
I will spare yon the enumeration of the
rest, for there were a hundred and fifty
academies in all in the Italy of that
time; and I think the 'Gran Xlilordo
Inglese' must have beeen affiliated to
above three-fourths of the entire num
ber. A monstrously queer Italy it
was. Real art was dying, Ileal poetry
was dead. Prose bablded of frreen
fcuize gaining-tahles. Skulking trnth
had tied to her old caveru, mountains
of easuistry hea;ied o'er her head.
Philosophy bad shrunk to her Second
Cause. Morality had unawares ex-
fired. Liberty was choking iu the
hroes of acute bronchitis, and the oc
currence of the catastrophe fore
shadowed in the f)nn:itU seemed
imminent. Vet it was the same Italy
which had produced Dauto aud
Petrarch, and Raff.iele aud Michael
Angolo. Beeearia was a'lve; Alfieri
was alive; aud Volta and Gnlvani and
C'auova were on the eve of beiug born.
Nay, in a certain island, hard by Sar
dinia, there was speedily to see the
light a man-child of old Italiau stock
the child of Curio Buonaparte aud
T titia Ramolini, aud to lie named
Niqxileone. Meanwhile, ere tho cur
tain drew np for the Grand Historic
Melodrama, the tiddlers ami the mimes
aud the mummers the nun who beat
gong aud the wench in span , 'I o I
trousers who siood on her head .ere
having it all their own way. From
Calabria to Piedmont all seemed one
great masqnerade. Rouge, plaster,
wigs, masks, fa'se noses, penny
trumpets, end tho squeak of Punch
were everywhere. Tbu Pope played
at cards with the Dean of the Sacred
College, and didu't mind cheating a
little; and his Holiness read the Hopha
of Crebilloh JIU instead of hia breviary.
Half the Senators of Venice were pawn
brokers, and other half were panders.
The Reverend laurenoe Sterne was at
Radioofani making s-nirnl joke, and
leering, a satyr in a cauitiower wig aud
black-silk small clothes, at the waiting
maids and the contadine; and the
Young Pretender, grown old and f t,
was getting drunk aud beating his wife.
Amidst all this tohu bohu of corrup
tion, debauchery, lying, swindling,
danoing, and going to the play and the
adenoe, in this land of Uz there was
seemingly one J ust XIan, and that was
Qie Grand Duke Cosmo ot Tuscany,
who obstinately refused to sell the
Venue de' Xledici to the crazy connois
seur who longed for her.
Lord O was oij the most intimate
terms with his Serene Highness, and
was aware that the graud-ducal nuanc
es were in anything but a flourishing
condition. Still the embarrassed pos
sessor of so many art-treasures conld
not be persuaded to part with his
Venus. When I ay that Lord O
offered one hundred thousand pounds
for the statue, the pnoe, viewed in re
lation to the sums which are cheerfully
given nowadays by Euglish, Russian,
and especially by American amateurs
for works of art, may not appear a very
evtravagant one. Still, a hundred
thousand pounds, especially when
translated into Tuscan scudi, did seem a
prodigious 'lot' of iuouey. And Lord
O was ready to pay the amount
down on the nail. She grand-ducal
treasnrer was sorely distressed at the
inflexibility of his master. One might
do, he pointed out, so many useful
things with a hundred thousand pounds.
The Pitti was tumbling to pieces for
lack of repairs; the Boboli gardens
were degenerating into a wilderness;
aud Count Beeearia, the Joha Howard
of Tuscany, was clamoring for assis
tance wherewith to build a new jail on
improved principles. (I wonder if
therobe any truth in the wicked story
that whilo this illustrious humanitar
ian was engaged in the composition of
his work against capital punishment,
he prosecuted witUi the most merciless
severity a servant who had stolen his
watoh, and did his utmost to get the
poor devil - hanged. Why not? Anti
population Maltn.ua was, they say, pas
sionately fond of children.) But the
Grand Duke bide the treasurer mind
his own business, aud the treasnrer im
mediately began to mind it by putting
more taxes on the exp' "'s of salad oil
and straw bonnets. iv a luckless
little farmer or straw-piaiter's children
went hinger-bitten that winter because
his serene highness declined to sell the
Venus de' Medici. As for the grand
ducal favorite, a snub-nosed little Aus
trian grisette, who bad been turol out
oi Vieunaby the immaculate Mara The- ,
ersa with a hundredttorins and a sound '
preliminary whipping at the Spins '
Hans to speed her on her journey, sh
was furious at what f-Le called her ill us- j
trions protecto-'s stupid sentimental
ity. She wanted more diamonds, more i
loint lace, more horses, more black I
loys to bring her chocolate; and 1 1
fancy even that tho Contessa van Uien
schlagt she had been a milliner's girl i
iu the Gral en was in the pay of Lord
O , aud secretly advocating bis
cause. I know that Monaienr Fessema
thieu and La Ciccarina, the Contessa 'a
maid, were on extremely friendly
terms, and that La Ciccarina made her
appearance one festa day in a bi and
new flame-colored taffety sack, and a
necklace and earrings of garnets en
suite; while Lord O 's pet monkey,
one of his Dutch pugs, and I am afraid
several rouleaux of gold ducats, had
somehow found their way to the Con
tessa von Beinschlagt's apartments iu
the Villa Fagotina. The Contessa had
no patieuce with his Serene Highness
for refusing the money. She told him
plainly, and to his wig, that he was an
ss. 'Have you no Italian astuteness?'
she inquired bitterly. 'Did your
Marhiuvelii write for nothing? Are
here no bravi left in Tuscany? AVhat
is easier than to sell the btatue to this
lord of beef and brandy, and then have
him quietly stablied as he journeys to
wards Leghorn with his purchase' Of
course you will have a clause iu&mted
in the contract, that in case of my
lord's death the btatne reverts to you.'
Capital advice; and this is the way in
which we are generally served when
we bribe people to 'advocate our inter
ests.' The Grand Duke, however, was
an honorable potentate, and would
have stooped to no such black business
as that suggested by the uuscruplons
little Beinschlugr. She went to Eng
land subsequently, aud ruined Sir Sam-
soin Aminudib, tho great Hebrew
stock-jobber.
Stranue to relate, while the trand
Duke Cosmo was thus stubbornly re
fusing to lend his ear to the charmers,
charmed they never so wisely, he was
himself the victim of an art-craze in de
gree as violent as that from which Lord
O wai sntfering. That noble
man was accnstouied to wear an
onxy-cameo nug, a pietra aura
most exquisitely incised with a figure
of Cupid; and this ring the sovereign
of Tnscauv coveted almost as violently
as tho English nobleman longed for
thocuiisdo Medici. One morning
the Duke, Lord O , aud tho Mar-
chese Mulespiua, high chamberlain of
tho court were in the gallery of tue
Pitti together; and the conversation,
ns usual, ran on the Venus a id Xlilor
do's unacceptable offer for it. Sudden-
j lv Lord O seemed, by the expres
sion of Lis countenance, to have ar
rived at some decisive resolution. He
folded his tirtns, drew back a step,
made a deep revorence to the Grand
Duke, and said:
'Highness, 1 see your determination
is unshakable. I ion vanquished, I
abnn 'on the game; but I will not retire
from the field without houor. I pledge
you my word that 1 will never again
pledge" my mercenary proposals ou you
if your highness will grant me one
favor.'
'It is granted beTore it is asked, my
lord. You have but to mention it to
obtain it,'
'I do not,' Lord O pnrsued with
deliberation, 'wish to rob your High
ness of your chf-f-d'wiivre; nay. as I
leave Florence to-morrow morning it,
is probable that I elmll never see her
again. That which I solicit is the per
mission to marry the Venus do' Xle
diei. Marry her!' the Grand Duke re
peated, with a look of blank astonish
ment. '.Marry her!' ejaculated theXIarehese
Xbdcs; iiia, thinkiug that the Mdordo
Inpdese was going mad.
'Av, marry her,' reiterated tho Earl
of O" .
'Well,' returned the Grand Duke,
langhinsr, 'you cau if she will let you;
but unless there is any truth in the
fable of Pygmalion, 1 don't see how
matrimony with a marble statue, under
the circumstances, is practicable."
'I can assure your highness', went
on Lord O , 'that the act is perfect
ly feasible, if yon will allow me to per
form it in the manner customary to my
own countrv.'
'Assuredly,' the Grand Duke re
p'le I, quite convinced by this time that
the (Iran Xlilordo had taken leave of
his senses.
Tho Earl of O looked fixedly at
the prince, stepped forward, drew from
his tinker the famous onyx ring with
tho cameo of Cnp'd, and bending low
before the statue, cried in a voice
trembling with affection:
'With this body I thee worship, with
this ring 1 thee wed;' and as he pro
nounced the Inst word he placed the
ring on thethiid finger of thegoddesa's
left hand. Then, with a look of bound
less love for the statue, and another
profound mclinaMoQ towards the
Grand Duke Cofido, he quitted the
presence.
'J he 'enus d-' Medici was mar
ried. The Uioenul I'm ielopedieo goes
on to suy, that it is well known that
one of the ringers on the left hand of
the Venue do' Medici has been sup
plied by a modern artist, and accounts
for this circniiistiiuce by the staterrent,
that after the departure of the Earl of
O (ho left Florence ou the day
follow iug his marriage, and never re
turned , the ring was so firmly jammed
on Aphrodite's finger that it was im
possible t remove it. The Giornale
farther asserts that the ringed finger
remained intact until the eve of the re
moval of the Venus de' Medici to PariH,
ty order of Napoleon, after therevolu
tionnry wars: when some enthusiastic
Florentine managed to slip in to the
Tribune jealously iru.uded as it was
by French troops, nnd to break off the
gemmed digit: thus it was in au un
married coudition, so far a outward
symbolism went, that the Venns ar
rived lit the Loavre. A new fiDger
was found for her; but what became of
the one carved by Praxiteles was never
Knowu. As regards the ring, a gem
auBwering to its description, and ap
pended to a tiny gold chain, is still to
bo seeu in the ( iabioetto di Cristallo in
the 1'itti; but none of these accounts
tally, first, with the ascertained fact
that both hands of the Venns are
modern, or at least of a date long pos
terior to the time of Praxiteles.
The street ra 1 ways of Paris are under
the Government control and the ru'es
fur their guidance are very strict.
On y four passengers are aliowed to
stand ou the back p'atform, and they
must pay t! e same We as the first
class pas;ngers insi.le, viz.. six cents,
while those ou the roof of the car ride
at tin'f fates.
T period of "a generation" has
beeti lengthened; it used to ha thirty
years, and later increased to thirty tour,
now a scientist rays, the average term
of human life has increased in the last
fifty years to forty-two vears.
Flowery Summer, golden Summer, Summi
of our Northern clime,
Spring may be a joyoiu aeaaou, but you bei
il every time.
Season of delightful evening, charming
mornings, sultry uoous,
I'urple daw ulnars, criumou gunaets, plaotl
starlight, tender mount.
Flowery Summer, golden Summer, Suiniuel
of our Northern clime,
Life is sweet and worth the living wheu v
.e vou tn your prime.
FIX. j-
Sitting Bear The small boy after
his swim. BurlinytoH free Press.
The rain which comes in sheets is
not much of a comfort. 2'erre Haut
Kxpress.
"You advertised for a nurse,
madam!"
'I did. AVhat experience have yoi
had with dogs." Puck.
Auctioneer How much for this
racket?
Judge Gufl'y (ubsent niindedly)
Ten dollars or ten days. Puck.
A widow who owns a stock rangu
in Colorado is uo longer called a "cat
tle queen." She is a '-grass widow. '
Han Francisco Alia.
It is industry more than birth that
lifts a boy up iu the world. A boot
black may shine in society if he will
stoop to conquer. Sew Orleans Pica
yune. "Wives should never conceal aim
thing from their husbands," says a
writer. If this advice was carried out
it would create a revolution in femi
nine pockets. llurlinytoii Free Press.
Visitor I don't sec Signor Sanioou,
the modern Hercules, here to-day.
Attendant No, he tried to carry up
a scuttle of coal for his wife last night
and overexerted himself. Doctor suy
he'll be out in a week, though. Time.
There was a death in the house. A
neighboring undertaker calling to oiler
his services was told that another hail
already been engaged. "Pardons,"
said the disappointed man, bowing
himself out, "I hope I shall be happier
another time." French Fun.
Prince Charming drove up with his
milk-white steeds the other day, to take
Xliss Goldilocks out driving.
Heady ?" said he.
That's "all.
Prince Charming now says that Xliss
Goldilocks has too fiery a disposition,
anyhow. Puck.
Prudent Lover I have a vital secret
to confide in you which you must
promise to forever hold sacred.
Kind Parent What is your secret?
Prudent Lover I want your daugh
ter's hand in marriage.
Kind Parent I shall never give it
away.. ihnuhu World.
He Had Not Fixed the Exact Year.
Husband of Popular Actress Xfy
wife has decided to retire from the
stage. Friend Indeed! At once?
Husband N-no, not exactly at once.
We have not yet decided upon the ex
act year, but she will begiu her first
farewell tour next season. Boston
'ourirr.
Stranger You are not booming
your stale very much at the present
time, are you?
Kansas Cilieii Xo; we are not ad
vertising at all now ; but wait till the
cyclone period arrives aud you'll see
the name of our glorious common
wealth in every paper you pick up.
Omaha H'oiid.
"So you're interested iu bugology,
ch?"
"es, I have made it a study foi
years."
Who has the largest and most varied
assortment of specimens iu this coun
try ?"
"I would not like to say. There are
many hotels in the country that I have
never visited." Judge.
"What's the matter?" asked a trav
elling man of the landlord one Sun
day; "the saloons are all open."
"Yes; that's quite usual."
"But I thought there was a law clos
ing them on Sundays."
"So there was."
" What's become of it?"
"Well, it's got brokeu." Merchant
Traveler.
Caller (to friend) It is such a pleas
ure to be out again. I don't know
when 1 have enjoyed a day more. I've
been so busy this opring.
Friend You have engaged an extra
girl, then, and are enjoying your leis
ure?" Caller Why, no, not exactly. The
girl we had went home to her mother
today, and 1 am enjoying her absence
Judye.
"George, dear, I am making a bid
for immortality. I have written a one
act play for three hours' duration."
"Excuse me, Virgie, but 1 fear it
will never become popular."
"Oh, yes, it will, too, for I am going
to have a theatre built to suit it. The
bucks of the stats are to be excrescent
with refreshment boxes, and you drop
a nickel in the slot and get a clove or
anything else you want."
"XIamuia," said the little boy,
thoughtfully, "will people eat beans in
heaven ?'
"It is not likely, Ticklowell," re
sponded the mother, "that we shall
know le'9 of the laws that govern our
intellectual growth in the great here
after than we know here in Boston.
Leguminous foods will be used to a
large extent undoubtedly, my son."
Alas I how little we know of the
causes that make or mar the future of
mankind. That boy went forth from
the presence of his mother an avowed
Buddihst. Chicago Tribune.
Too Little Sun.
The shade tree9 about our dwellings
have done much to make our wives
and daughters pale, feeble and neural
gic. Trees ought never to stand near
enough to our dwellings to cast a shade
upon them ; and if the blinds were re
moved, and nothing but a curtain with
in left to lessen on the hottest days the
intensity of the heat, it would add
greatly to the tone of our nerves and
our general vigor. The piazzas which
project over the lower story always
make that less healthy than the upper
story, especially for sleeping purposes.
The Laundries In Ruth land, Vt, arc
now run by electiic power.
How the Piano Grew,
The piano, as we see it to-day, is th
growth of centuries of invention. luj
its iufancy it was a harp w ith two orj
three strings. From time to time niorej
strings were added, and after awhile
the citlna was bom. The citliara was in
the shape of the letter P, and had teu
6t rings. It took many centuries for
musicians to get the idea of stretching
the strings across ail open box, but
somewhere about the year 1200 this
was thought of and the dulcimer made
its appearance, the strings being struck
with hammers. For another hundred
years these hammers were held in the
lliauds of the players, and then a genius
invented a key-board, which, being
struck by the fingers moved the
hammers. This instrument was
called a clavicytherium, or keyed
citliara. This underwent some
modifications aud improvements from
time to time. lu Queen Elizabeth's
time it was called a virginal. Then it
was called a spine, because the ham
mers were covered with spines of quills,
which struck or caught the strings of
wires and produced the sound. From
1700 to leoO it was much enlarged and
improved, aud called a harpsichord,
aud this was the iustruiuent Lady
Washington, Mis. Hamilton, and the
fine ladies of our icvolutionary times
played on. Iu 17 10 llai tolomeo t'rist
ofoli, an Italian, invented a key or key
board, such us i e have uow subtantially,
which caused hammers to strike the
wires from above, and thus developed
the piano. In the past 100 years there
is no musical instrument which has so
completely absorbed the inventive fac
ulty of man us the piano. At the pres
ent day the upright piano has the field
almost entirely to itself, aud has reach
ed such a high grade of perfection in
shape, tone and appearance that there
would appear to be uo possibility oi
further improvement.
A Rich Child's Room.
Here is a description of the suite of
rooms occupied by a girl of nine.
Her name 1 will not give, for it would
bo unkind to pillory a child for the
sins of her very foolish parents. She
has a beautiful little sitting-room in
white and gold. The walls are hung
in rose tinted silks, aud special pieces
of furniture, diminutive iu size, and
including a small secretary iu ormolu
with Sevres plaque that she may carry
iui her little correspondence. Her?
are her toys, the elegant gifts she re
ceives, and here she entertains her
friends. Adjoining this room is her
hedioom iu satin wood, her brass bed
hung with blue silk curtains. A
iressing-rootn attaches, and in this is
U" culmination of luxury. The
ili-essiiig-room is quite large. The
marble bath is set against the wall.
I hii low marble basin is supplied with
icit'ume soaps. Sponges of all
sorts and sizes hang in racks.
Perfumed waters iu cut-glass bottles,
cold creums, delicate lotions all find a
place. Ou her bureau are Jaid out
expensive brushes and combs in
repousse silver, aud exquisite toilet
bottles and manicure cases iu pearl.
Iu one corner is placed a long cheval
glass that she may contemplate her
skirts and dainty footgear. The im
propriety of calling the child's atten
tion so specifically to the care of her
body is already manifest, and one cau
only wonder what there can be Mi
reserve for her when she is grown.
How Ftcliings Are Made.
An etching is a species of engraving
from a copper plate on which the
artist has sketched or drawn his
design. The process of etching is
different essentially from engraving,
where the picture is cut into the
copper plate by the tool of the
engraver. In etching, the plate, which
may be either copper or zinc, is first
covered with a coating of wax and
some other ingredients, and the picture
is drawn by the artist on this coat with
an etching needle. Each line drawn
(with the needle uncovers the waxy
foating. When the drawing is finished
he plate is immersed in aquafortis,
and this acid eats into ihe lines of the
plate where it is not protected by the
coating of wax, and then the engraving
of the plate is accomplished. Often
the artist desires to make some lines
ntronger than others. He covers the
lines intended to be faint after the first
immersion, aud immerses the plate a
second time in order to allow the acid
to eat out deeply these liues. When
jthe plate is iuked the black parts of
the etching correspond to the lines
bitten iu the plate and the white places
f o the space protected from the acid by
the waxy coat.
Au Irish (ieiitlemau.
The seats were full, but one wa
occupied by a rough-looking Irishman.
At one of the stations a couple of
well-bred and intelligent looking
young ladies came in to procure seats,
Lut seeing no vacant ones were about
to go into a back car, when Patrick
rose and offered them his seat with
evident pleasure. "But you'll have
no seat for yourself," said one of the
ladies, with a smile and with truest
politeness hesitating to accept it.
"Never ye moind that," said tba
Hibernian, "ycr welcome to it. I'd
ride upon the cow-ketcher any time
from here till New York for a moile
from such gintlcmanly ladies," and
retreated into the next car amid the
applause of those who witnessed the
incident.
A Hat of Human Hair.
A hat composed of the wearer's own
hair has been produced by a Viennese
' artiste. A very thick head of hair, of
! conrse, is required for the purpose.
Ihe modus operandi is as follows:
The hair as it lies naturally is fastened
on the crown of the head with a band,
then a slight wire frame is fitted ou
tne part of the crown included by the
baud, and the hanging hair is parted
in the middle. One half Is combed
over the frame so as to cover it com
pletly and form the brim, anl is fast
ened into the baud: the other half
forms the trimming, being separated
again in two parts, one in braids and
coils on the outside, with flowers,
feathers, or ribbons to finish the coif
fure, and the other inside the brim
forms a ro 1 next the face.
Electrical smelting is anaouooed.
I The effort of to-day should be to rec
oncile the faith of yesterday with the
truth of to-morrow,
NEWS IX BRIi
-Marmorelne hardens p'aster.
Electricity is to revolutionize min
ing. The Gulf of Mexico has rUen otsc
a foot since 1852.
A fl h with two tails is the chief
curiosity at Xldiscu, l'enn.
Compress d coal-dust la coming In
to extensive lbs hi France.
Brass bands are not allowed to play
iu the streets of Nashville, Tenu,
Ten days per annum Is the average
amount of sickness in htimau life.
There are about fourteen hundred
places : f worship in London, England.
An electrician prediots ttiat elec
trical lirewoi n.s will soon supersede those
now used.
Many of the big paper-mills have
turned out paper belts said t j be super
ior to leather.
A wool of good quality is said to
tiave been made from the fibre ot the fir
Dy the aid of electricity.
The maximum safe velocity ot cast
ran fly-wheels should uot exceed the
rim speed of eighty feet per second.
Of 305 weather forecasts Issued in
South Australia in IrtOO, 250 were veri
3od aud forty were partially verified.
Ti.e juice of a half lemon In a tea
:up of strong black coffee, without sug
ar, will often cure sick headache.
The very art of life, as far as I have
been able to observe, consists lu forti
tude and perseverance.
Francois Coppee, the Fretch auth
or, is fond of cats that surround bis
leak and uibble at his peu when ha
writes.
It Is stated that coffee Is a geruil
:ide, the bacilli of cholera aud typhus
havlim been destroyed by the Infusion
9f coffee.
The skiu of a boiled egg is the best
remedy for a boll. Carefully peel It,
wet, and apply to the boil; It draws out
Ihe matter aud relieves the soreness.
Wh. u your face aud ears burn so
terribly bathe them lu very hot water
is hot as ycu can bear it. This will be
more apt to cool them thau any cold ap
plication. An attempt to produce ai t ide la
rain Is to be made In Kaus.u. Balloons
ailed with hydrogen and oxygen gas will
be sent op and be exploded by elect i iol
ity. Thunder storms are aradua'ly de
creasing m numlier in the larger towns
f Natal, South Africa, accordlnc to
the Superintendent of the Natal Obser
vatory. The King of Ashantee Is allowed
3333 wives. Many of them are the
laughters of the chief of tributary tribes
over which the King has jurisdiction,
aud are sent to blm as hostage?.
A Parisian earner 1st has devised
method of taking panoramic views by
causing the camera to revolve on au ail
to that, tho sensitive paper may "take
In" the horizon.
The compounding of licomotlves
f111 soon be gone into on a large seals,
and triple expansion engines will soou
be adopted in the larger mauufacturlug
establishments.
The breaking weight of a bar of
Iron oue foot long aud one Inch square
Is 07s I pounds. A piece of seasoned
hickory of the same dimensions would
break at 270 pounds.
The chimney Is a modern affati,
bciuii not yet seven centuries old. Ia
the I'i'rteeuth century chlmueys were
allowed ou redgtous houses, manor
houses and noblemen's castles.
A tailor of Koanigsberg, Germany,
demonstrated an enormous muscular
power before the class of students. With
oue baud he lifted a heavy chair, ou
which satn2o0-pound student, from the
floor to the table.
A youug lawyer of Savannah, Ga.,
iwaui across the Savannah River five
limes one day last week for a wager of
150. The river at that point Is 200
yards wide and twelve feet deep. Fully
5000 people watched the performance.
A Philadelphia company recently
made a fly-wheel which weighs ltW.000
tons. It is twenty-five feet in diameter
eighteen inches thick, aud twenty-eight
inches wide. It will be operated by a
S0O0 horse power.
A lobster has been caught In Pen
obscot Bay which weighs twenty-two
pounds. Its size has procured for it a
certain immoitality. In place of being
eaten it will occupy a shelf of honor
among t e exhibits of the Smithsonian
Institute at Washington.
More thau 110 different applies
lions of electric motors have been enu
merated, nnd the number is still Increas
ing, The sizes of the motor range from
thoe having the power of a mouse sp
to one of 5000 horse power, which la In
o;ieratiou near London.
Experiments with electric motors
In elevating and deqiressingheavy gun
and turning them In the right d rrotion
have been made in France. A saving
of time was effected. The three Chilian
warships building in Fiance will be pro
vided witb such appliances.
A German b'clottlst fays that the
two sides of a face are never alike, la
two cases out of five the eyes are out of
line; t ne rye is stronger than the other
iu seven persons out of (en aud the right
ear is generally higher than the left.
In Sweden an Improved quality of
gla?s for use in microscope and other
fine lenses is secured by the addition of
phosphorous anil chlorine. Absolute
transparency. Gteat hardness, and sus
reptiMlity to the finest polish are thus
obtained.
Ctiatiu has proved that a paraai e
grovriug on plants of thcS ry.-lin s genus
contains neither strychuiuenor bruc ne.
The misleU e growing upon the oak
does not contain the blue tannin of the
latter, but exe'u lively a greeu tatimn.
In like manner lbs other para-ites are
shown not to absorb the peculiar prin
ciples ot their ho ti
i
IA German Idol -gi t rays that tin
two sides of a face are never alike. In
, two cases out of five the eyes are out of
Hue; one eye is stronger than the oth r
'in sevtn persons out of ten and tl
! ritrht ear Is generally higher than the
left.
I Colonel F. N. Babksdalb, s.lvertis
j iug agent of the Pennsylvania Railroad
Company, is a prosaic man of business
at his desk, but out of his office he is a
nataral wit and is very clever at re-
' partee. He shines at his best at the
dinner tatue wuen tue latter courses
come on and the intellectual feast be
gins. Colonel Baukrdale is a South
erner and a newspaper man of experi
ence, a fact (hat st nds him in good
service iu his line of woi k. His report
on the condition of the road after the
3 oi, ii s town flood was one of the beat
pieces of joutBuliitH work ever done ia
th.'C!tj. l
t
' i
I