Grant's tour around the world; with incidents of his journey through England, Ireland, Scotland .. . every patriotic Ameri-can, and I am glad of the opportunity of brushing awayone or two of the cobwebs of slander which I see growingover it. But this is a digression. I was thinking of Palermo inher holiday finery ; for the Christmas bells are in the air,and, as we walk from street to street, we see the South,the Catholic South, in every group. I can well imaginehow this sunny, picturesque town might grow on one after 196 GRANTS TOUR a time. Yet, to our prim, well-ordered northern eyes it ishar
Grant's tour around the world; with incidents of his journey through England, Ireland, Scotland .. . every patriotic Ameri-can, and I am glad of the opportunity of brushing awayone or two of the cobwebs of slander which I see growingover it. But this is a digression. I was thinking of Palermo inher holiday finery ; for the Christmas bells are in the air,and, as we walk from street to street, we see the South,the Catholic South, in every group. I can well imaginehow this sunny, picturesque town might grow on one after 196 GRANTS TOUR a time. Yet, to our prim, well-ordered northern eyes it ishard to become accustomed to the dirt and squalor of thetown. This Sicily is the land of many civilizations. Herethe Greek, the Carthagenian, the Koman and the Saracenhave made their mark. This is the land of the poetry ofHomer, the genius of Archimedes, the philosphy and pietyof Paul. These hills and bays and valleys have seenmighty armies striving for the mastery of the world. Cer-tainly if example, or precept, or the opportunity for greatdeeds could ennoble a nation, Sicily should be the land of. SICILIAN ROBBERS. heroes. But its heroism has fallen into rags, and the des-ceudants of the men who destroyed the Athenian fleet inSyracuse, and who confronted the power of Carthage atAgrigentum, now spend their time sleeping in the sun,hanging around chapel doors to beg, and hiding in thehills to waylay travelers and rob them or keep them for aransom. Brigandage has for generations been the domi- AROUND THE WORLD. 197 nant industry in the Sicilies. If I were to repeat all thestories of the banditti, I might tax your credulity. Thereis nothing that takes romantic dimensions so rapidly asstories of crime and adventure. But one of the gentlemenwho called on General Grant yesterday is an English bankerresident. A few months ago he went out of town with hisbrother to visit some mining property in which he was in-terested. When he reached the station and was quietly walk-ing through the tow
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