THE VINDEX. 
pause to give the serenader with a guitar at my 
window a chance to discover his mistake.) It 
requires a degree of resolution to circle the 
tower on one of the unrailed platforms, and the 
inclination of the roof is quite marked. The 
guardian of the tower refused to allow me to 
ascend alone, for the regulation demands that 
no fewer than two may ascend at a time. There 
was no one in sight, so I spent half an hour 
visiting the other places. 
One of the loafers hanging about offered to 
make up the party and I was on the point of 
accepting his services when fortunately a Sicilian 
entered upon the scene and we two did the sights 
together. He delayed proceedings somewhat by 
writing his name on all the available space, 
but what with French and Italian we spent the 
time very pleasantly together. In the baptist- 
ery we amused ourselves by singing the chord 
of the octave and listening to the harmony that 
resulted from the very great prolongation of 
the echo from the concave ceiling and also by 
whispering along the wall. 
The Campo Santo is a mortuary edifice, 
cloistered and quadrangular. Along the walls 
are painted the most cmious frescoes, among the 
very first of the renaissance paintings. Those 
that are sheltered from the direct light of the 
sun are exceedingly well preserved. Death and 
hair-breadth escapes from the fury ol the demon 
form the main theme of the series. All the 
monks are easily saved although they die 
io 5 
ghastly deaths, while with other people it’s a 
close call all round. 
The new Campo Santo is simply a Philistine 
marble shop. Worse. Formless old women 
and men in baggy trowsers have themselves 
represented in marble, with embroidered hand- 
kerchief at their eyes and dropping conspicuous 
tears at the tombs of the departed — copies 
from real life. This must be the real age of 
Italian art. 
The Sicilian had an animated discussion with 
the coachman about the fare and then all three 
of us went each his own way in peace and so- 
briety. 
I am still rubbing my eyes to banish, for the 
sake of a little repose, the image of the polish- 
ed marble mosaics within and without the Cath- 
edral at Pisa. That picture of S. Mavia of 
Florence, which hangs in the corridor does 
fairlv well for a photograph, but the reality 
fairly staggers one. I am earnestly hoping for 
fair weather to enable me to make the round 
of the galleries. 
The mountains of Carrara merit a remark. 
When I passed them the Western sun was 
shining brightly on their summits and gave 
some curicus effects. They looked like huge 
senated piles of lime slightly slaked, quite dif- 
ferent from anything of the kind I have ever 
seen. 
Yours as ever, 
William D. Rees. 
S. M. M. S. 
The 33rd meeting of the St. Mark’s 
Missionary Society was held in Mr. Thayer’s 
study, Sunday evening, Dec. ist. President 
Bradley called the meeting to order at 7.30. 
The minutes of the previous meeting, 
together with the treasurer’s report, were 
then read and accepted. Hutchinson then 
moved that $50.00 be given to Mr. Cambridge 
in partial payment of the $250.00 promised 
him. It was seconded and carried. Mr. 
Thayer read a letter from Mr. Wood about 
the college of St. John’s in Shanghai, China; 
he then spoke a few words about the college 
and missionary work in China. The meeting 
adjourned at 8.00. 
The 34th meeting of St. Mark’s Missionary 
society was held in Mr.Thayer’s study on Sun- 
day evening, Jan. 1 2, at 7.30. President Brad- 
ley called the meeting to order at 7.30. The 
minutes of the previous meeting, together 
