New-York tribune., 1873-03-15
ITALY.
SORRENTO IN JANUARY.

IRON AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT 0P THE TRiBUNRI
SORRENTO, Jan. 31.-The January weather
OF Sorrento Is htfu and fascinating. You never know
what to expect. One minute the town appears sitting
on her rocky lodges and turning 10 the sky face az
gleefu as itself lit, IL were with irritable geam OF
eye and Hash OF eoquetsh smile Ike faces seen some
times under widows vail the next that vail is pulled
down. the smile vanishes. and all Is sudden sob and
sigh Heat and cold reign by turns. From the snow
tops OF the Apprentices sharp winds come smltlng all
things with universal chill causing the golden oranges
10 shver on their boughs and the white roses to trembe
on the tres Then. just have put on your shawl
and shut the window sense OF Summer possesses the
air. Some flush OF African warmth sweeps up the bay
from unknown and invisible coasts beyond The water
grows OF deeper tint The plants which drape the
walls OF the great gorge send up spicy odors Vesuvus
hftng himself from miss, shines out clear and distinct
ana beyond the long temperate;crve OF his northern
sweep most perfect ne says Ruskn OF all lines known
on tins earth, the roofs and towers OF Naples CLEAN
brightly across the blue.
This great gorge lie the most picturesque feature OF
Sorrento IL is deep fssure, with almost vertical
walls two or three hundred feet In depth, which, ceav-
ing It's way from the mountains TO the sea- cuts the e
town into halves Bridges here and there Mar
row stairways OF stone wind down into its depths
small stream which flows through 1t sends up perpetual
mist and roar. Its whole course, which turns and
curves fantastcally, is oyerhung and draped with
creepers and shrubs-acanthus southern wood arums,
lauristinas with powdery blossoms, iyies maiden
hair ferns and many green and gracious growths whose
names do not know. Passing from the wood shops to
the hotel or from the posofce 20 the washerwomans,
you come suddenly upon this romantic abyss and are
furnished with perpetual and ever new surprise.
Ihat should be thus is wonder-that, being there,
men should have chosen to build their habitations on
its borders and without any feeling OF should have
utilized its depths, is wonderful still. But am
wrong when 1 say without awe" for the common
people believe firmly in evil spirits. fairies, and ghosts
who dwell In the gorge, and it would take much to per-
snade Sorrento peasant to descend the winding stair
way after dark Neither altogether sure that they
affect thoroughly in the day tme for observe that
few people to visit the mill below and that
the grist carried top OF the cliff and poured
down through long pipe, without the Intervention OF
man.
This is the gorge which Mrs Stowe describes in Agnes
Of Sorrento and the villa Falcon, which perches like
eagles nest the top OF its sharpest and highest
cliff ia said occupy the exact spot Ola which once the
true Agnes lived with her grandmother Certainly it
would be hard to find fitting scene for tale OF
romance. The rocky plateau which the villa stands
Is grded about three sides by orange gardens and
olive woods above which rise mountain crags OF bold
and guicen FORMS wooded to their tops, others
with sharp peaks OF palehued granite, which glisten
white in the MONDAY and the full moon The fourth
side shows the and vesuvius and the dazzling line
OF the Appenne and toward this view you look across
the gorge and the humming Plaza where stands
the bronze statue OF San Antonio the patron OF Sorrento
watching and guarding all. Something Is always going
the Plaza and in the narrow street which, following
the line OF the ravine, leads from the villa Falcon tnther
Now 1t is party of peasant women bare to feet and
ragged petcOat but brave with scarlet kercheis
and girdles and magnificent umbrellas of red cotton,
whose color glory behold. They have blue aprons,
also fastened about the On where the waist should
be, only in Italy there waists, and some poise
upon their heads immense bundles of wet linen tied up
in blue checked towels Or again. 1t Is minute donkey
which has mounted his Invisible cap in the shape OF
load OF cabbages. Cabbage to left of him,
cabbage TO right of him, cabbage dangling IN
his eye and conceang the very tip OF his
nose nothing OF the donkey can be seen except de-
ected tail and four poddng legs which appear to sprout
from the umbra geous load and he nothing than
cabbage-roots OF novel and pepatetic variety. Or 1t
may be funeral. which goes by preceded by drum and
a squeaking fife. The mouruers wear white cotton
shrouds with eyehoes and carry candles which flicker
strangely In the yellow sunshine. Tue dead man follows
on bier, which looks like shutter as much as any
thing; backcothed priests bearing huge wax tapers
walk beside the ber and cruchx heads the procession
all moving at good round pace If meaning business.
And Just as the cruchX and the drum and the white
srouds and the pine coffin whsk around the 10
shreks OF laughter strike the ear and other whecad
figures whlrl into view skipping, dancing, lungins
AT each other with wooden swords and followed by the
laughter OF dell GIFTED crowd They are merry
beginning their sports bemcs for these are the early
days OF Carnival and all Italy is getting ready Its motley
and bells and trying 10 summon mp the broad grin OF
other days in which attempt It is not quite successful
for Italy has been learning grave lessons of late years.
Jokes which were jokes hundred years ago do not
seem so funny now, and the ntoxeaon of delight over
trivial ests which distinguished this ght-hearted
nation will not come for all their trying.
To one sitting on the balcony OF the villa Falcon these
varied groups which come and as unreal and as
entertaining as the gassesof magic lantern tls so
hard realize that all that goes on is not done as JOKE
for the amusement of strangers that It is really the life
OF people With all the amenities and influences OF TINS
gracious nineteenth century something Of the spirit OF
the middle ages still survives in Italy, and much OF its
superstition. Bandits figure here to-day who would 90
credit TO the pages OF Mrs Radcliffe. They know the
value OF French franc as well as your banker Iheir
knives have Rogers Co." engraved on their blades, but
they cut your throat deity ever The "evil eye
is still in vogue An ancient beggar in Sorrento has cast
il upon me seven separate times during the last week.
but still live Vendetta is not extinct Only the other
day. Casteamare, poor man connected lnisome way
with the Customs, found In the street with dagger
In his heart and the informed say that was an act OF
vengeance. Waxen and legs and noses, ana nor
rbe eolored pictures Of sinking ships with san Antonio
coming TO the rescue on a wooden cloud are suspended
in his church to-day sedulousy as in the days OF
Caesar Borgia But for all this there is plenty Of mod
ern human nature here with which the whole world can
ympatnze and feel home For instance, all Sorrento
is in state of convulsion at this moment over the i'm
pending visit OF the Empress of Russia and with reason
for thus the stands. . - . O.
The Empress proposes, or proposed 10 come 10 sol
rento for three months partly on account oi ed ] a'u
partly II ~ surmised for reasons OF state Tor ere Is
a whisper that marriage IL under cOnlempiatIVn oo
tween The Grand Duchess Vlya and Prince Arthur OF
England and as the Princess Alice OF Hesse Darmsadt
asked 10 be Empress's guest Tor three mOhts
would seem Ia make things easy What more natural
than that Prince Arthur should drop TO his sister
and be asked to stay 10 tea, during wncn tune tue
course of roya love mi t smOothf However ts may
be gossip-though In or such ne people gossip
would seem to merit more distinguished hdlhc' %