The Robert Louis Stevenson Chapter's gift came from a parlor
entertainment, consisting of jokes from comic papers, illustrated by
shadow pantomimes. The members number five: Homer A. Wessel, Jun., Hugh
H. Bates, M. L. Bates, C. E. Hoffman, and J. H. Bates. Its contribution
was the neat sum of five dollars.
The Table is earning, not begging, this Fund. Won't you help it to get
the balance? It is to build a school-house for some poor boys who have
none. Why not raise something in that garden of yours? Or pick some
strawberries? Or contribute what you earn one day?
A Fascinating Walk in Rome.
This has been a very rainy season. In February it even snowed a little,
which is a wonderful thing in Rome. How I should like to see a big
snow-storm! A few days ago I went to the Museo Nazionale, which is made
in a part of the Baths of Diocletian. In the entranceway are at least
ten headless women, which we call Bluebeard's wives, although they are
not hung up by their hair.
Further in is a large "cortile," and in the middle of it there are some
cypresses which are said to have been planted by Michaelangelo. And one
may almost believe it, because they look old and are almost dead. Near
them is a fountain, and all around it are immense animals' heads on
pedestals--an elephant, a rhinoceros, a horse, and others--and there are
many vases and statues around the garden.
In a room on the first floor is a half figure of a vestal virgin who has
a noble expression on her face. On the second floor is a large bronze
statue of a pugilist resting. It was found not long ago when they were
excavating to build the Theatre Nazionale. It is very powerfully done,
with its prominent muscles. Its head is hideous, and he has many scars
and a broken nose. In another room is a headless statue of a young man
on one knee. This statue is very pretty, and it is a great pity that it
has lost its head.
In one room is a lovely head of a woman asleep, and lying on a velvet
cushion it looks very natural, although it has lost most of its nose. It
has a very peaceful expression. In one room are some old coins dug up
here not many years ago. Ages ago they were sent from England as
Peterpence by Alfred the Great, Athelstan, and other kings. The Baths of
Diocletian are now used in many ways very different from those they were
meant for; one large vaulted hall is used to store the wood of a
carpenter, another for coal, and a large part of the building is turned
into a blind-asylum. There is also a big church made from part of it
planned by Michaelangelo. It is called Santa Maria degli Angeli. It is a
very handsome church, and has several immense ancient granite columns.
Formerly they had been shamefully plastered over, but now the plaster
has been scraped off. On the floor of the church is a metal line on some
part of which the sun shines at meridian, and on each side of it are the
Signs of the Zodiac set in marble of many colors.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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