Irma in Italy

she tried to describe things at length, there would be time for little else. So she made rather brief notes, which,

Uncle Jim was inclined to scoff at. It was a long, imposing building, with eight statues on the fa?ade, representing the different dynasties that had govern

ed a farthing for them. Even before these Normans there were Greeks, Oscans, Romans, Goths, and Byzantines, all to take their turn here in

tory lectures. We simply wish to

ste. I am trying to divert your mi

furniture, enormous Sèvres and Dresden vases, and its more artistic bronze busts, later, perhaps, w

d, as they drove along the broad Toledo, where the crack of whips, the braying of donkeys, and the shouts of hawk

so largely. You know they can carry on long conversations without a word. By use

ere not as common in the cou

We might stop at the Catac

h," cried Ir

ed at her w

only Capo di Monte," r

t the charm of the gardens around Capo di Monte, laid out in English style, but they did not linger in the Palace itself; Marion said the Sword of Scandber

, as Aunt Caroline called his attenti

ry valuable?

her. But Irma remembered that she had neve

iew of the town, and in the Villa del Popolo, a great open square, he had come upon one of the public readers who daily gather there at a certain hour, and read aloud from some of the great poet

cently situated on the heights, Castello dell' Ovo by the water, and the others. He brought home many little bits of amusing folklore, gathered from the boatmen, especial

she saw many a fine statue that she had seen before only in pictures, and she was surprised to learn that many of these had been dug up from the ruins of Pompeii;

e Jim, "though I can't give the same praise to their painters."

her as did the household utensils, the ornamen

rom these treasures of Pompeii," explained Uncle Jim, after Irma had told him that she

been buried under the hot ashes of Vesuvius. In glass vessels she saw grains and fruits that the lava had preserved from decay, and in the cases there were loaves of much the same appearance as when

he murmured to Aunt Caroline, and she was

most wonderful Aquarium here. It can't be better than ours in New York, even if it i

en the New York Aqua

elieve what I te

unded by Dr. Dohrn, a German, was really a scientific institution where students from all parts of the wor

to the library. The fish were in the lower part, underground it seemed to her. As she walked about from cave

?" asked Mari

more disagreeable than

" responded Marion, successful

wim, and some of the fish are funny, but some are really gruesome. I shall be haunted for a long time by this horrible thing," pointing to a jellyl

and Irma went out the door behind two

of them, and at the sound of this name Irma looke

ed with some interest at the girls, as t

as the two drove away, "I

u know

ther 'Katie Grimston,' and that is the name of the girl

ure to meet them again. You know we've been meeting some one from the ship every

exactly call

for her. Perhaps she's a friend of mine. I'm sure I know one of thos

have seen only this one, I

aroline and Uncle Jim enthusiastic over their excursion to Po

r the tomb they show is really his or some other fellow's. If you say it is, Petrarch and Bocaccio, who used to go there, are on your side. Not far off, between Puteoli and Baiae, Caligula performed some foolish stunt of his on a bridge of boats. Or, if that doesn't content you, you can r

had been there told a tale of fissures from which gas was exuding, and of remarkable sounds

ce where St. Paul land

elcome him. Indeed, all the region of the Posilipo and beyond

n general compel us to let many delightful places go unvisited. Like everything in life, it's a question of choices. While we

example," mu

e remembrance. "Bad landings, and boats so overcrowded, combined with rough water, make

i very beautifu

something no one shou

o there, if you pre

aestum?" a

st on your going with me. For certainly, you have one thing to learn, 'What is P

er the people still wear their picturesque costumes, and make soft, high-colored ribbons and weave beautiful white woolen materials. But I imagine it is less changed than some other parts of Italy, and if you should go there five years from now, you would pro

's villas. This was his favorite resort, and so terribly cruel was he that mothers still threaten bad children that '

oats. But failing that we'll visit Vedder's studio in Rome. He has a summer villa at Cap