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LKTTCK PROM 1T1LT.Wo (bulk Mr. WaugMf JUckM»od, fur a copy of lie follow mg letter from bio young artist brother Henry,now ti FJoreuco, Italy. Mr. Ilcnry W. Waugh wa* formerly au artist lit Molluo,ault;l exhibited ©ucb decided talent as to attract lb© Mlentiou out! interest of iuflucnliol friends. To perfect lim* ©elf in tbo art of paiutiug bo went to Italy, to spend a foie year© Among Ibe arts and arlisla of Home, Florence, c. Mr. Waugh show© tbat bo ctn not only paint but write. The following letter will lie road wltb Interest We understood Mr. W. intends soon ©ending borne romo paintings of bia owu production for tbo examination of friends, and wo presume for sale:Florence,Italy, Feb. 12lb.Dear Brother:—-We arc now m the midst of tbo gayest season of Florence, tbo “carnival ” and notwithstanding tie lutens© political excitement itpiouutes to be one of unusual gaiety. Tbo first great masking day of three Sunday's before Lent, cams olf yesterday, and was A most magniliccnt scene of hilarity and beaaty. The Co/so, a hoc of aristocratic equipages nearly two miles in lengtlij form a circle through theprincipal streets, perambulating tboeaicccourse from tbrco ©‘clock until dork. On foot, running among the carnages, are the masker© in every Tariety of coat tune, from a kiog (o an apjle woman, enacting characters at once ridiculous aad aoiuMng. As evening approaches iko masking becomes more general and fun of every description ensues. Balls tad parties Wind up tbeday, to be renewed at tbo beginning of the next week. Tbo carriages of the titled nobility Iona ad imposirg feature o cbe grand scene, with their emblazoned arms, their postillions and high mettled chargers. Yankee, dora b well represented in that line by one of our aristocratic swells driving twelve spirited horses in hand, attached to a Broadway carriage, much to the astonishment of the ©low and easy gaited inhabitants of this fair aty. Tbe “carnival” ol Florence is thought to surpass even that of Rome this year, on account of the unsettled state ofaffairs in the latter city.Considerable excitement has been caused by the cxplosioa of bombs in tbe midst of national assemblies, at the balls given at the different palaces in honor of their independence, thrown by the sympathizers of tbe dethroned Grand Duke. Several arrests have been made and quiet again prevails.What a glorious country ! Added to tbe wondrous beauty on overy haad, tbe divine association* of the past, tbo budding of the germ of Liberty leaves them ootbiog to wbk for save the same blessing thoy possess for their aster Venice, which sooner or later must join in tbe aa»hem of Liberty, together with tbe Romaoza, and make tbe land of the Cse*are once more tbe pride of Continental Europe. I do not wish to bore you with forego politics, as you have enough of that startling commodity at boroe, but were ron bore, you would feaway up ,A long flight of mawltt ©tom ©topit upon which tbo Jbotstep© fell with a dull roriTbwratingeouod like Iboachvof Johludo itself. On rcacbiig tlio bead of tirfstoh* Iho lirat door t*tio right opeficd litfato my chamber, and '*Hb thoUurly ‘'gNMniTgbt from my attendant 1 woe lull to my reflections, which ) fouad not of tbe most plowing character. 1 (bought or all tbo itonw 1 bad read of benighted traveler© lured to death at I ho wayside Ion, and particularly In this very cuumry, and for aught I knew this vory bouso and room. But I wn© in lor it j there was no cfeape, audalter a carc-lul examination of the premises aud securing the door by placing * toblo against it, I proceeded to uudrcas myselC At tbo bc*d of tbo bod was a rude crucifix and o cheap lithograph of the Virgin and Child, (a thing very common in tills country) which tended to alluy roy fears (in wnuo dcgrco) of molestation from the superstitious owner of such precious relics- I went to bed, but not to (deep. I dared not extinguish llio light, hut the small quaijlitj of oil tuan being exbuutt-ed I wa© left in ti’ital darkuess. The ©leop-lei* hours till uiiloight passed in thinking of home and friends, aud in bringing to mind the action tnd bearing of uiuo host, who by this tluio had assumed tbe proportion© of a terrible Wdod-tkirety monster, with the bidden arcosvi ot numberless victims secreted in all part© of the deserted ranch. Even in ibis sUto of. excitement 1 could scarcely refrain from laughing at icy absurd cowardice. Nothing bad occurred, no noise, uo ui}*tenous footstojw to strengthen my suspicions, so with a compliment to my recovered courage, I fell luto a doze, Irora which I wav suddenly awakened by a nervous movjnieni of tbe bed beneath mo. My heart erased to beat for an instant and then with redoubled fury knocked against my ribs ; my hair stood on end ond 1 have no doubt my cheek© were paled. 1 dared not move for fear I abould sooner meet tbe assassin’s knife and thus hurry an eod to my existence; like a dread nightmare, tbe spell of breathless silence was upon me. I could not stir. All tbe years of my unworthy life passed as Blnquo’s glass, before mu, compressed into tbat dreadful moment. All was still for some time. I began to breathe more freely and to aus-pecc tbat it was my bewildered imagination, and not reality, that from natoral cause* would the source of my great fear proccei. I was not doomed long to suspense, for a second and more violent motion of the bed (as though some cne hod strnck It in emerging from beneath) brought me to roy senses. With a convulsive shudder I sprang from my couch and groped my way tbrougb the impenetrable darkness, In the bope of findiDg some weapon ol ccfcoec. Fortunately, my hand fall upon a fair of scio*re. I grasped thorn firmly, as I would a dagger, and rushed furiously upon tbe assassiu, when I heard the loud cr/ol several voices screaming—Santa Marie I 11 Terre ihictd II II Ttnt Muota I! /’’ (The earth move©.) ily door was buret open, the table upset, and the members of tbe family, hitherto invisible, were before me, looking - frigbteDcd and repeating the above exclamation, while tberc stood f, ©hirering with fright'and cold, tbe v.ctim, rot of tbe midnight ass as-Jcu1j ■iclt;u.CclbWiIkoa—cII*nOrT*PrdoMilliemiblt;aU«M/orvolmofJaltoJofprlofBelog
Newspaper Details
Davenport Daily Gazette
Davenport, Iowa, US
Tue, Mar 13, 1860
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 10 Aug 2017
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