New-York tribune., 1873-12-23
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
PICTURES OF EUROPE.
pEN PICTURES OF EUROPE BY ELIzABUTH PrAKI
svo PIP. BqI. j. b. Lppinoott X Co.

mean traveller who should make a literal transcript
Of his impressions from day to day. without any
attempt at originality and with no pretense of lit
erarv excellence. could not fail to produce a valua
hle and attractive work. This is very nearly the
character of the present volume 1t is a simple and
singulaTy unaffected narrative OF the scenes and
sights with which the author came in contact dur
ing more than usually agreeable journey along
the beaten track Of American travel in Europe.
Originally written in the form Of letters TO friends
nt home il retains coloquial ease ard even care
lcssness which takes away al stiffness and formal
ity from the perusaL Even the Ettle personal and
domestic details, which more fastidious writer's
would have discreetly omitted, are recorded with
the same freedom with which they were al first
jottod down. and the public is taken into private
confidence with a freedom that is usually the
privilege Of intimate friendship. The author has
made a faithful study of the subjects which she
describes She brings the aid OF books TO the sup
port of her own observation. Her pages abound
with historical and local information, which, II not
perfectly fresh salways Opp0Ttune, but which oiteh
presents Whimsical contrast 10 the familiar tone
which for the most part prevails 10 her work. Inc
absolute good faith of the writer IS one OF It's most
remarkable features. She never hesitates 10 oe
lineate scene or present history because II mas
been done a hundred times before by previous
writers. Her own experience Is Just as interesting
TO herself as if il had not been the experience OF 80
many Others and with charming naivete' she taxes
- for Granted that il will be no less interesting 10
The public Her freshness ofspirit IN 1act' gives an
air of novelty to the theme of many an ancient
chronicle. One has the same pleasure III her frank
rectals that is enjoyed by an old traveller in hearing
the excIamations of wonder and delight from the
uoyice who is going over the ground for the hrSt
time Even the little errors of detail into which she
is often betrayed call forth animosity, as they
are in perfect accordance with the the free and IN
studied character of the work in general. As talr
speclmen of the writer's manner we take an
agreeable sketch of an excursion from Chamouui to
the famous Mer de Glaze:
This morning at 10 o'clock mounted on mules and Ae
guides leading them ascended hOutanVert 10
tee the celebrated Mcr de Gaoe. The budie-path was
excellent and no danger though 1t was fearful TO look
down IN many places We were tWO houis gong up 10
The little inn on the top from whence you descend TWO
never disappointed in my life; 1t looks so white IN
distance and there one enormous mass or
looking like the dirty ice piled up on the SIDES OF our
ryeIs aud creeks IN the spring. ohy Ie ulLy ice Ms
siN miles long, and IN some places more tan lhile
with sat down on bowlder and actually pouted.
To descend u the glacier, you had TO 20 down steep
path now on stones, aud then what lOOkeu Ike puNt
lzcd line and sand. ~9uld not Eo' but theIS & weie
Numbers going down, ana among them some clulhSy,
stoa looking Young man consented let the of our
party VINO wished To 90 venture It, The courier ana
inat much as tine two guides could do 70 keep
mp with the they were sent 20 help We had good
ftld glass and the gaping creVasses, looking green
When nc nary came mn one OF the guides who had been
top OF Mont Blanc thirtytwO times, said TO me-
charlottesville should 20 up Mont Blanc. She is IKE
aud after giving another look at the sharp needles
which 10 sand seAtneS around the Mex de Gldce
We turned toward ChamOunlx. Ine courier Waheu az
the way down the mountain. We walked part Oi The
way, and tbcn when tired, mounted our mules agah'
1Ee road seemed sleeper L9lh dO"n tlah %en We W. , %
sd | a-NC
nc tboncbt he mad done we'll Every now and then
raw and girls sitting under the trees knitting
looking after their COWS or goats and thought 70 them
the tBkling of the bells must sound pleasantly, We
reached the hotel little before sunset fatigued ana
hungry enough relish dinner and TO sleep soundy
The Grindelwald glacier makes more favorable
impression on the writef and she describes the
with fidelity and animation.
Yesterday morning hired private carriage aud
rode TO GrindeWad its glacier. IL wild, 70
mantle road through the valley and along the side Oi
Ihe mountains The Ju1sir1 is ABOUT you % & miles nT,n s
JnterkeD and is several thousand rect gher thah t1e
mountains this side Of IT, though II does not appear So
hut ar wGrOde on the mountains appeared 10 change
their ferns, now seeming 10 approach ana 5neh 10 re-
cede from us We reached the village Of Grindelwaid az
halpast twelve. We took our lunch in the shade, and
where we could look down upon the glacier Inere were
many strangers the hotel who were prODaby spend
ing days there. TEs is quite neat litte village
Of about 500 nla9tans oar courier engaged elrs lor
ns De carried down TO the grotto cut IN the lower
and carrying away ice ana were told that II vas sent 10
Paris The chairs arc large clshOned an-cLafs' WIN
up or down hil The char is fitted In between two
poles. ike the shafts OF a onehoIse wagon; One man
fSes before YOU and behind YOU They have straps
over their shoulders, TO which they have ropes las
tened 10 slip the shaft aud thus good part OF te
weight slnpOI ed by their shoulders. while they hold
The The shafts in their hands. IS very pleas
snt wav of getting the stones and guies the ups
and downs, and the puverized limestone Il call iO
winch s 60 plentiful around the glaciers Beside, the
,nI va moi and IN we heated ourselves with walking
W. would be apt take cold IN the grOO. We had 10
put up our parasOs entering the glacier because the
ne al tle entrauce was melting and dripping ike
Rut .uch
seen hail or passage was cut through tue lceI0r
md as the sun shining upon it. 1t looked most
a. ,at,.ri,I tne protto which was lighted by a lamp
We saw two women seated bench cut out OF the ice
an one side OF The The mother played the Zthern
and sang one part while rhe daughtersaD the soprano
i asked them TO sing tne RAM des Naches," aud is
YOU could have heard IT, Wei, wen, thls beaul!u!
rro,to with s pure fee and beautiful coorS more than
sompen saed for gTimy looking Mer de Glace. On
CON askeu tue sddo "hdt "aa te name Oi lhe
httle flowers growing near. lie replied, "CietscAer
Bimehop."-little gacer-hOwers,-and gathered
of them.
Krturning 10 Interaken. frequently peasants
drawing Oads of Wood and hay THAI suppose would be
81 ruuon horse could possibly draw. One large load
al wood Was draWnby nan ana M0h3n' "nom tooh
10 the father and mother, ana Sr o i0ul'eth dh"
OF probably tneir children No wonder many Of
tht peasants look more IKE hhlilas thdh honh peiSN
However. tine rOdd~ were smooth - hOu~' hOur a. me
saying Is ana lelh'ps ,ls 'lHh 'tul, u .'h .olN u
very difficult to drd" thef iod' as many H'i'''
do "n OlI ROADS.
The author, though sometimes little inclined 20
rose-coOrcd descriptions, > 10y 10 means infatuated
Niih the attractions of Europe, and makes no secret
of her preference for her own country. The South
f Italy with All its boosted charms, disappointed
irt expectations. She would not consent to see
Naples and thcn die" though a witt TO that city is
NJ the risk of oucs life On the contrary She found
fhe climate of that sunny land decidedly dis
agreeable. S!ie would not live in Naples, even
If she had the castle OF ii. Elmo for a
residence She could have no confidence IN
Nature in The vicinity of Nesuvius. The
further she went south, everything became eA-
pens,ye. The servants were stupid aud there was
only bad food and Indifferent beds She dlates