An Eager Authority
Mr. Whistler knows how to defend himself so perkily that it is a pleasure to attack him. I hasten, therefore, The World, Feb. 9, 1881. with joy, to submit to you, dear Atlas, who are growing so very clever at your languages, the following crotchets and quavers—shall I call them? for Mr. Whistler is just now full of “notes”—in American-Italian; they are from his delightful brown-paper catalogue. To begin with, “Santa Margharita” is wrong; it must be either Margarita or Margherita; the other is impossible Italian. Then who or what is “San Giovanni Apostolo et Evangelistæ”? Does the sprightly and shrill McNeill mean this for Latin? And is the “Café Orientale” intended to be French or Italian? It has an e too many for French, and an f too few for Italian. “Piazetta,” furthermore, does duty for “Piazzetta.” Finally I give up “Campo Sta. Martin.” I don’t know what that can be. The Italian Calendar has a San Martino and a Santa Martina, but Sta. Martin is very curious. The catalogue is exceedingly short, but a few of the names are right.