A GARDEN IN VENICE 



the babies refuse their mothers' breasts for their 

 fathers' glasses, and why every one, or at least 

 very many, do not burst and die is a mystery. 

 Or is it a miracle to be ascribed to the Church 

 of the Redentore? 



Nothing noisy or unpleasant, however, happens 

 to them as far as I have heard or seen ; and faute 

 de miracle^ it may be the distraction of the bands 

 of music in barges or on the Fondamenta, and 

 the firework displays, that give them pause and us 

 immunity. 



An hour or two before dawn very many of the 

 Redentore votaries leave the Giudecca for the 

 Lido. One night we went too, and 'twas one of 

 the strangest sights a long life has shown me. 



At our supper was a capital young fellow, 

 with, by-the-bye, a story to his credit, who had 

 been sent by Armstrong's firm to put up a huge 

 crane at the Arsenal. It was proposed by some 

 wild tiptilted one that we should go in my steam 

 launch to the Adriatic outside and see what was 

 to be seen on the Lido shore. My engineer was 

 naturally not to be found, engaged as he probably 



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