MONTE CARLO THE BEAUTITUL

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1108, 22 April 1911, Page 11

MONTE CARLO THE BEAUTITUL

AND OLD, OLD GENOA. \ FROM CASINO TO CEMETERY.' [Br Amcri RuiHEnFor.D.] Perhaps there is no winter and spring resort on the face of the globo winch can, for a moment, bo thought the equal of Monte Carlo. On the terrace —a terrace far outdoing the Thames Emi bankment—ones sees the elite from Pall Mall, Fifth Avenue, and the Champs • Elysees, and the inevitable journalist doing his utmost lo grasp the details which make the Duchess of s frock the feature of the morning s gossip- "" , , * In the afternoons and evenings tho Casino is crowded, and gorgeous is tho display of "creations" and jewellery about supper time. The gaming-rooms aro the finest in existence, and attractions and comforts, of various kinds aro free to all —the magnificent ' gardens, spacious conversation rcoms, and tho ons - trancing music by distinguished artists. The architecture of tho Casino is, of course, ornate, and the interior decorations, costly and golden. • The' rcoms are dreams of luxury, and the liveried servants are as if ticy had served in a court'. Gamier, of Paris Opera House fame, designed the theatre. It is rich with modern paintings, frescoes, and brocades, whatever extravagance money can be.spent oh. .',At.all times, the orchestra is incomparable,' while the ar- ' tist's of the day,' sire secured on many occasions. However, thcro need be no

anxiety lest tho administration is in danger of ruining itself by too much magnificence. The annual receipts aro something like a million pounds. The society is obliged to build churches, and do other benevolent work, to supply water and gas to Monaco, and to execute various public enterprises—all in addition to the sums and taxes paid for the privilege of maintaining the gambling rooms. Tho stream of gold, which ' for ten months of the year flows to the green cloth pays for all.

By the Mediterranean. Monaco itself is perched on- a rock, and is surrounded by gardens, where •■ brilliant exotic flowers are seen resplendent on a background of glistening green. The town is old-fashioned and sleepy, and the streets narrow, crooked, and dark. One wonders how tho inhabitants can exist there in health and strength, especially when one is told that they are exceptionally long-lived. One puzzles over the fact that, whilo thousands travel from afar to enjoy the sunshine of the Riviera, these 'inhabit-' , ants of tho happy land aro content 1 to bury themselves in streets and houses where the sun never seems to penetrate.

It is after one begins to climb the hill on which the Casino stands that ono realises tho wondrous beauty of tho Yplace. Above,, beneath, and, allrouad. are gardens and terraces, blooming with wonders of Nature and of horticulture. These are from all over tho world—wonders which delight the-.eye, and which seem to gain now beauties in this favoured clime. But the influence 'of these attractions is small, compared with the serene and commanding beauty of the glistening and.sparkling waters of the Mediterrcnojin, stretching away toward the horizon, to unite' with tho purest of blue skies. Tho air is balmy, and laden with sweet scents. It is like dreamland, and the idea that one has somehow left the actual world is helped by the unique soldier one meets, neat and dandified, with white trousers, bluo jacket, and shining buttons, and ornaments —such soldiers as one sees on the stage. Tho gardens of the Casino aro kept on the samo scale, of grandeur as the rest of the. establishment. Hero are clusters of bright flowers, magnolias, Japanese medlars, and catalpas. There are wide promenades between luxuriant shrubs and plants, and the secluded paths of tho janions- palm, garden offer a continual invitation to parties of two, to wander among the masses of green of ths varied' shades shown by leaves of the most delicate structure' and tracery. Tho Riviera is all that is grand ,and beautiful and pleasant to the person of unlimited means, but—be wary of it, if your purse is thin.

Conca, City cf Columbus. History tells us that the Italian cities were each in their turn brought to ruin by dissensions between tho great families. This was .the case With Genoa. At present there- is a population of 250,000, and tho city is densely inhabited, tho residential area being very limited. A walk through tho narrow ci'cbkcd streets between the enormously high buildings, which tower on either side, until they seem to meet at the top, will explain why the Italian immigrant takes so kindly to his New. York tenement, bo his quarters ever so high above tho ground. Genoa had her sky-scrapers when New York was in its infancy. Tho palaces (and thcro are scores of them) extend up as far as nino stories. Thcso are now occupied by shops and offices and, flaunting from tho windows of once magnificent structures can be seen long lines of clothes drying in the bright sunshine.' Hundreds of Italians are migrating to America; they feel that Columbus discovered America for them.!

The young workingman of Italy is always ambitious to visit that country whoro his brother or his cousin has done so well. As a rule'lie comes hack to his nativo heath, but he soon returns to tho country of political freedom and personal independence. A Sculptured Cemetery. Genoa possisses a unique asset —a cemetery which for grandeur, may be classed among the soven hundred wonders of the world. Possibly it is the one sight in ttie city worthy of absorbing interest. More like a scries of sculpture galleries titan a burial-ground, its works of art are just as beautiful-, in their line, as those of any museum. The Camposanto at Genoa is arranged in a, quadrangle, the stone walls of which form the outside of four arcades. In the open space in the centro aro buried the "lower-class" dead, the mid-dle-class are placed in tombs which fringe the inner sides of tho bounding arcades, and below, the elite, as it were, have the more elaborate nionu.ments. At times whole families are represented at the death bed of the father, and the surviving wife and children, upon visiting the tomb, may see themselves done in marble, remarkably true to life, but in some cases, in the most ridiculous poses. Her Ono Ambition. To my mind the most interesting monument is that of an old woman,

ARTISTIC HAREM SKIRT. The full trousers are of cerise silk, tight at the ankles, and the overdress is of dark'"piir'ffia.fMet riilsh;J-> ; edged with gold fringe and gold cord round the waist. Gold insertion is in front of bodice, and the shoes are violet.

which 5 stands in a corner of one of tho arcades. All her life tho subject had been a fruit • vendor, and occupied a small stall in one of the markets. Fully aware of the nearness of her death, she commissioned a prominent sculptor to come to her house at regular intervals and make sketches of her. All her life, too, she had lived in abject poverty so that she might save enough to purchase a burial place in the cemetery, and pay- for the erection of this memorial to herself. The work completed, she ordered it to be brought to her house, where it became the envy of her friends and acquaintances. Nine months later she died, and her children had the statue placed as sho wished. It is said to be an excellent likeness, and tho ornaments of her Sunday garb—a string of hazel nuts, her lace apron, and a shawl about her shoulders—are .all carved out to tho minutest detail.

Some of the French cemeteries are very grand, but there is a strong tendency to over-decorato with bead and china flowers. It is the desire of every Italian to have a piece of Carara marble nlaced in his memory, small headstones being obtainable for five lire. -