New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-02-23
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
BITS OF TRAVEL.
u,rs op TRAVEL. Nv HH lsmo. pp, SN James |
D'AN " r. OsgoOd & 60.

havao M less honest secular flavor, than II the
xr;ter were not a poetess of high mystic lhtuuohS
and Of fancies almost too refined ana subtle lor
"kuman natures daily food" She descants upon
the petty miseries Of housekeeping IN Rome with
.eactionate JUNCTION, recalls the memories Of the
.ayory viands and delicious Gates which she en-
tcyed in the precarious European cuisine,
and sketches the cratic and whimsical char
acters that came in her way with the
Aeartiest sense of comic humoT. The prose
STYLE of the author presents remarkable con-
trast to that Of her poetry. When she sings, 1t is in
thoughtful almost pensive strain, expressing pro-
found emotion often in somber images, and always
with circumspect gravity that leaves no room Tor
che indulgence of the graceful playfulncss which
forms another mood of the authors mind Inc
present sketches of travel, the contrary, display
an exuberant vivacy the gayest humOr is expressed
in the most natural language, the spirit of each
pcene is transferred to the living page and WIN
no effort for effect, the writer reviyes her
own experience in the sympathies OF inc
reader Her book deals chiefly in common
things but is mover commonplace. she gives INC
originality of her impressions 10 I"iiiili"i ~"
iects furnishing even the stated VISION VI 'VuiIs''
with fresh views of their accustomed Dauhls' lHe
ease of her descriptions is no less remarkable than
sheir brlliaucy Her language Is always free unai-
fected coIloquial, she never goes in quest of fine
phrases. never mistakes fireworks for fire, her
writing has as much natural abandon as the talk
of social circles but is always pervaded by the
charm which flows from the presence of culture and
taste even in moments of the gayest excitement. y
cynical reader might complain that She often carries
her pleasant trhng TO the verge of frivohty, but
abe always shows how much more enticing are the
foes of the wise than the wisdom of the fool
Making random dash into the volume we light
upon the sketch of the commencement OF her Roman
life. which is given in the form of an enCyclical,
though not a Papal brief to the friends at home.
ROME Monday, December Il. 1863
DEAR Souls: Now at housekeeping, and this
is my hOuse-waTming letter. Didn't have time of
Every other has up its sign, Camere Mobiate;"
We were not at all ambitious; all we demanded was to
each bedroom. What could be simplerl How our spirits
SS"n and P( f"1d as da T rnom NO up @ o
kitchen where the PadrOna must have the privilege
times day." or else rent of hundred and forty
dollars month. Ali, at the end of the first day
sbiect There can't be things in this world be-
wilderng as looking after lodgings in Rome In the first
place. the door into which enter at the beginning
hooks like the very dirty and elected to
been any BUSINESS TOT hundred years GU stauu there
minute, audtsay 90 dear ESPECIALLY If you have
al do wish they would tell their cards how many
rooms there are' Perhaps we shall fud somebody on
the third floor who tell us. Not bit of il up flight
after flight You crawl Oh each floor Is one great grim
noor with which yonr business and il YOU did, they
own Each floor is its own house. as much a. if it
were six miles Oft from any other floor When YOU
70 the hundred and seventh stair would
bc glad TO st down. hut you can't They ont put
either chairs benches in these grim passages;
and he stairs are gil stone. You can't SIT on them
not If you ere half dead so y0u lean up against the
while you wait for the mysterious chain and r,ns'
Mmeh you nay pp cTfaE Ks and SpeUs and y"n d
breath enough 70 ask IL they have furnished rooms to
Vet and If there hree bedrooms with sun and ire
After little while you learn that 1t makes no differ
tnce whether they hISe OF ntHe nUu 1eE avs
quite gayly aud think you are ell right Then you see
enc great bedroom with two beds and one little one on
neftler Of which the has apparently ever shOnc
fine parOr with stands Of artificial roses under high
glass cases. end OF china teacups sitting around;
usually about twenty frightful pictures the walls
tB the dungTOon there is great display Of glass and
and the Pa1Iona and the three daughters,
All down at the heel and down at the neck and bud
died up somehow with pins and strings in the middle
and looking like ragInen an begin to talk
and n hc Gee %h ahd h they 3 Su That the sum Shines
some no m three T rooms nj and that two beds in one
bedroom exactly the same thing as two bed
I TSSis Te and hd III nurc are much uC
and 80 fine, 50 hne' ard they smile ana show White
teeth, and their ewes such lovely broWnblaCk,
that you 10 danger Of believing them and then
means simply that they are not to have the use of your
sugar and bread they hrug their shoulders and
Won feel like an awful sneak yotrcfust as il y6u had
stolen all your life; and for all that you know that YOU
the honest one, and hey steal and You know the
rooms wont do at AL and you edge along to the door
PadTOne
the daughters all grow black aud the white teeth go
down their threats apparently they disappear so abso
lutely ana forever and as You larry step our OF INC
you might have lived with, turn around quickly and
look The faces which have settled down behind your
back This Is what we did for days and q half
We exhausted the list which friends had given us
4hen drove slowly up and down the streets where
1t would do to live Cb the way, there not than
dozen OF them in all this great city, and looked at the
promised the least chance OF success out got and up
we climbed. In one place We would mud parlor so
sunny. comfortable that We could not leave IT, then
could he made 10 answer but the paror was den and
cold a barn; then were taken with great love OF
view, the blankets Of the china and glass which
would have liked to take away with us to III the
ether house, which still firmly believed awaiting
comfortable and sunny and then the rent would be
sst one hg5dr9S ee and ATTY dPaT5 nS month
away, followed by plying looks between the
landlord and lady BY the way, never thought be;
NO SondeT they are so lordly IN their ways.
But better times we're in store for the meek-eyed
travellers in quest of home, and at last virtue
tound not only its own reward, but quiet resting
place on the sunny side of Roman lodging
Al last found our house II was my in5pli%';9n,
and take great credit 10 myself high up the Via
QuattIo Foniane -four iouutans), just opposite the
BTberin Palace, the corner opposite Miss HOsmers
house. Think of that! Are MT we IN luck Well II
happened oddly that the good people being modest had
stuck out Piccolo appartamento" on their sign.
Longngly had looked at the corner twice as we
peared IT, and said TO s. suppose there is use in
looking at anything which Italian calls in the outset
no." she said, mot the least"
80 IL to be light on the third day, and
still homeless. We We're driving back to hotel
and passed this house. Still the little sign which
had seemed all day 10 have magic fascination
for me- said, Let ms look al It; will do no HARM"
strange sort Of delight took possession Of me as
flights short, ana the halls were comparatively
Light. Such beauty opened the door for us An If
you could her just now she came to bring me an
egg beaten IN milk and she set II on the table aud