The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-02-08
THE FEBRUARY MAGAZINES.
COLD AND NEW"

ing table of contents:-
"Old and New" "Pink and White Tyranny"
chap xv., Mrs. H. b. Stowe; "Porter-Hum-
pbreys-Harding, John A. b Bolles; "Raphael's
- Saint Cecilia" Il. Davidson; 'Protoplasm
Again" j. Elliott Cabot; "a Lady's Journey
in Syria;" Optimism, @. Palfrey; "Transla-
tions, s. II. Calthrop; "Before l Went to
Brook Farm" ''The Nearer Hemisphere" w.
Mcleod; ''An Eastern Story" Mrs. II. L.
Bostwick; Sorrento Papers" Charles ID.
Warner; practical Atheism, c. H. Brigham;
Letter from Governor Andrew" ''The Exa-
MINER" ''Record of Progress"
From Mr.. Warmers Sorrento Papers" we
quote the following:-
Sea and air and land here are all kin,
suspect, and have certain immater1al qualities
In common. The contours of the shores and
the outlines of the hills are as graceful as the
mobile waves; and if there is anywhere
ruggedness and sharpness, the atmosphere
throws friendly veil over it, and tones all
that is inharmonious into the repose of
beauty.
The atmosphere is really something more
than q medium; it is a drapery, woven, one
could affirm, with colors, or dipped in
Oriental dyes. One might account thus for
the prismatic colors 1 have often seen on the
horizon at noon, when the sun was pouring
down floods of clear, golden light The
simple light here, if one could ever represent
it by pen, pencil, or brush, would draw the
world hither to bathe in it. 1t is not thin
moonshine, but a royal profusion, a golden
substance, transforming quality vesture
of splendor for all these Mediterranean
shores.
The most comprehensive idea of Sorrento
and the great plain on which it stands, en-
bedded almost out of sight in foliage, we OBJ
tanned one day from our boat, as we put out
round the Capo di Sorrento, and stood away
for Capri. There was not wind enough for
sails; but there were chopping waves and
swell enough to toss us about, and to produce
bright flashes of light far out at sea. The
red-shirted rowers silently bent to their
long sweeps and L lay in the tossing bow, and
studied the high, receding shere. The pic
ture is smple-a precipice of rock earth,
faced with masonry in spots, almost of uni
form height from point to point of the little
bay, except where deep gorge has split the
rock, and comes to the sea, forming cove,
where a cluster of rude buildings is likely to
gather. Along the precipice, which now juts
and now recedes little, are villas, hotels
old converts, gardens, and groves. 1 can
see steps and galleries cut in the face of the
cliff, and caves and caverns, natural and arti-
fetal: for one can cut this tufa with knife;
and it would hardly seem preposterous to at
tempt to dig out cool, roomy mansion in
this rocky front with spade.
AS we pull away [ begin to see the depth of
the plain of Sorrento, with it's villages, walled
roads, it's groves of oranges, Olives lemons
it's figs, pomegranates, almonds, mulberries
and acacias; and soon the terraces above
where the vineyards are planted, and the
olives also. These terraces must be a brave
sight in spring, when the masses of olives
are white as snow with blossoms, which
fill all the plain with their sweet
perfume. Above the terraces the eye
reaches the fine outline of the hill;
and, to the east, the bare precipice Of rock,
softened by the purple light; and turning still
Vesuvius, the graceful dip into the plain, and
the rise to the heights of Naples, Nisida, the
shining houses of PoZzuoli, Cape Misenum,
Procida, and rough Ischia. Rounding the
headland, Capri is before US, so sharp and
clear that we seem close to it; but it is a
weary pull before we get under its rocky side.
Returning from Capri late in the afternoon,
we had one of those effects which are the
despair of artists. had been told that twi-
lights are short here, and that, when the sun
disappeared, color vanished from the sky.
There was wonderful light on all the inner
bay, as we put off from shore. Ischia was
one mass of violet color. AS we got from
under the island, there was the sun, a red
ball of fire, just dipping into the sea. At
once the whole horizon line of water
became bright crimson, which deepened as
the evening advanced, glowing with more
intense fire, and holding bread band of
what seemed solid color, for, more than three
quarters of an hour. The colors, meantime,
on the level water, never were on painter s
palette, and never were counterfeited Ly the
changeable silks of Eastern looms and this
gorgeous spectacle continued till the stars
came out, crowding the sky with silver
points.
The February number of Leisure Hours,
published by j. Trainor King, No. 5O1 Ches-
nut street, contains portraits and biographi-
cal sketches of Hon. W. A. Wallace, Speaker
of the State Senate, and Hon. James H.
Webb, Speaker of the State House of Repre-
sentatives, with a variety of interesting
stories, essays, and poetry, prominent among
which is the first instalment of a story enti-
tied "Adrien St. Armand, by Mrs. Martha
LATTE johnson, which is above the average
in merit. The story is well written and
highly interesting, and it proves Mrs. John.
son to be a writer of marked ability, who will
undoubtedly make her mark. 1t is no easy
matter to write a good short story, and to sue
ceed in this, one of the most difficult walks
of literature, as Mrs. johnson has done, Ger
tainly gives us reason to expect some
good work from her pen in the future in the
same line Leisure Hours is conducted with
much ability as popular magazine, and we
are pleased to see that it is steadily gaining
upon the favor of the public. 1t is published
at the unusually low price of So, and is well
worth that amount for the biographies