NAPLES. 147 



accursed heretics. At the first bang Mr. Pugh would stop 

 right in the middle of his sentence, contemplate the visible 

 horizon with a countenance from which every particle of 

 expression was discharged, and, when all was over, when 



" * * silence like a poultice came 

 To heal the blows of sound," 



would go on right where he left off. 



I am afraid — sadly afraid — that we enjoyed this sight 

 with a delight that was far from reverent. 



Now Naples is a sure Paradise. And here it suddenly 

 occurs to me what an admirable thing it was for humanity 

 that Adam and Eve were driven from the Garden of Eden 

 out into the world to get their living and face things. The 

 cold plunge braced them, made useful creatures of them, fitted 

 them to be parents of a true human race. I should like to 

 enlarge, but neither time nor place agrees. A sure Paradise. 

 When all is done and all searched through, but little is to be 

 found of broad world interest. Shall I give you an idea when 

 I say the place is local — due, I think, to the climate? 



Naples — Neapolis — the New City — is one of the oldest 

 living settlements in Europe. So is Novogorod, in Russia — 

 name has the same meaning. And Newport, in my colossal 

 native State of Rhode Island, is a senior in this country ; but 

 alas ! neither potent, grave nor reverend. 



I am not here to attempt giving j'ou any connected notion 

 of the cit)^ and its history. That has all been done. But one 

 or two matters ma}' be touched upon. 



I played a cartino in the lottery nearly every week and in 

 all that time, as I remember, not even once did one of my 

 numbers come up. For those who do not happen to know, 

 the lottery is a source of revenue and a source of consider- 

 able revenue to the government. And for one I do not see 

 any great harm in it. Ninety numbers, the drawing weekly, 

 in public, with some ceremony. I saw it. In one of the old 

 time, long ago halls of the cit\', the officials dressed in the 



