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Show CLUB CONTINUES INTERESTING STUDIES At the Wednesday afternoon meeting of the Hafen-Dallin club, Professor B. F. Cummings took up national traits of various European Eu-ropean people and pointed out how in reading and visiting the countries one became aware of distinct characteristics. He spoke of the thoroughness of the highly imaginative Germans; the cleanliness clean-liness of the Dutch; of the liberty-loving liberty-loving English and their ability for self-government. He discussed dis-cussed the individualistic traits of the Spanish; of the combination of cooperative and individualism of the Swedish -and other Scandinavians; Scandi-navians; the capacity for clear thinking of the French. He discussed dis-cussed the national traits of the Italian people; of their love of art and song and of their gaiety of spirit. He said the Italians were given to introspection, having a tendency to brood. Also, morality for the Italians is what society has agreed upon. They are deeply deep-ly religious and somewhat pagan-istic, pagan-istic, he explained. The Professor also told how the Italians gave their greatest painting ito the world in the 15th century. After the decline of this art, the nation I rose to excellent heights in music ' but later, this leadership passed to other countries. I He explained how Italian liter- j ature rose rapidly after the 13th century and he read from some Italian writers of the 14th century, cen-tury, including Petrach, who wrote in Latin and Italian and I who invented the sonnet. He also read sonnets and extracts from Marco Polo's travels in the East and from Dante's divine comedy. Also included in his readings were statements from the Italian writer, Leonardo de Vinci, some of which are: "Thou, Oh God, doest sell unto us all good things at the price of labor,- aiu life, beauty perishes, but not in art" and "As a well-spent day brings happy sleep, so life well used brings health," and e well spent is long, and Nature never breaks her own laws. |