Italy from the Alps to Mount Etna . hunger and fever, two maladies hereditary in her blood!There is character in her features : and even when her countenance shall be utterlywithered and wrinkled, and discoloured by years, hard work, and weather, it will yet befull of character, though it be as ugly and hag-like as that of an old witch. The blunt-ness, or disagreeable sharpness, which age impresses upon the women of other Europeancountries is not seen among them. They are all fit to serve as painters models. Andlet it not be supposed that the gaily dressed, dark-eyed girls, and the sham shephe
Italy from the Alps to Mount Etna . hunger and fever, two maladies hereditary in her blood!There is character in her features : and even when her countenance shall be utterlywithered and wrinkled, and discoloured by years, hard work, and weather, it will yet befull of character, though it be as ugly and hag-like as that of an old witch. The blunt-ness, or disagreeable sharpness, which age impresses upon the women of other Europeancountries is not seen among them. They are all fit to serve as painters models. Andlet it not be supposed that the gaily dressed, dark-eyed girls, and the sham shepherdswith dishevelled locks, whom one sees in the Via Sistina, and on the steps of the Trinitade Monti, or theatrically grouped in the neighbourhood of the painters studios, are theonly models worth looking at. Indeed the best, and most really beautiful, are not to befound among them. Roman girls are utterly devoid of sentimentality, and women ofthe Roman populace talk as familiarly of the latest tragical stabbing-case, as our women. PEASANT OF THE CAMPAGNA. ROMAN FLOWER-SELLER. OF THE UHlYERSmt OF THE ETERNAL CITY IN A MODERN TOGA. 243 talk of the last new novel. And whenever a man has been killed they immediatelytake the part of the wretched assassin. There is nothing to be done for the dead man,but the other, interesting, much to be compassionated criminal who has had the misfor-tune to kill somebody, he, indeed, may have need of help and sympathy. For theaccursed carabinieri are after him, and he must not be let to fall into their he goes and relates his bloody story, he is sure to meet with shelter. Thewomen press round him full of pity and curiosity, the children stare on him as a hero,the men admire him, and helphim as best they can. But evenin this apparently cruel and bar-barous trait there is a certain,—how shall I say ?—a certain prac-tical way of viewing life, whichdirected to proper ends mightlead to good. For the rest, the people isreally harml
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