, 1874-01-18
MODERN ITALY.
A Wrong Popular Idea Relativa
to That Country.
Its Respectable Position as Regards Ii.
Practicalitles Of Life.

Pracicalitles Of Life.
| 10 the Editor Of TIE Chicago 1{7buns:
sIR: An article in your last SUNDAYS issua
entitled "Salyini, the Actor" calls nar attention,
| to misconception, almost as widespread in
Europe as in America, as to the present state Of
Italy, and leads me to beg space in the co]umpa
OF your liberal journal for few words with ra.
gard to it.
The eminence of Italy in matters relating ia
the hne arts is universally conceded. All Is
tions appear to have agreed, some time ago, to
consider that province as. her pa1ticul.r
"sphere." But, outside OF them, the typical
Engishman and the representative yan.ee hays
generally regarded her with
TIE dooD-SAruRED CONTEMPT
which farmers often express for pos:s,. or enoi.
ueers for metaphysicians- III it be a question d,
making statues OF painting pictures, of yritin,
poems or singing songs, Or assuming . grand
pose, the Italian, Gays the representative ot
practical life, is your man; =; but, when it come.
to building bridges, or running railroads. Or
keeping hotels, this descendants OF the Cassrs
will please to stand ont Of the way.
An associated, though not quite Identical, idc.
ia, that the greatness ofItay il thing Of the past
She was rather grand affair in the times Of tbs
Roman Empire; she came out in hiaze Of GLORY
in the sixteenth century; but she is now best
apostrophized as the Land Of the SunBet, ,he
Tomb OK the Past. The French, though so much
nearer neighbora, have very generally held this
idea, which Lamartino expressed in poem called
Ct La Terre des Morta, "a poem which evoked
in the spirited reply OF young Italian poet
La Tara del Morti," such response A. tomb
do not often give forth. Italy
Is IN NO sESsE THE LAND or TIE DEAD.
Her resurrection began some time ago, and thos.
who have most carefully examined her present
feel sure that she will not have to say with ths
poet: 'aly future wlLnot match my past,''
That thefe exists in her very degraded
class. the product Of years Of foreign and eccla.
siastical tyranny. is undeniable. But, so faf
from increasing, this class has been steadily d.
mlnishipg since the campaign Of 1859 gave hea
national unity; and he who would see the tradi-
tional iaBzaroni OF the old traveller must hurry
over; for e7en in Roro and Naples,-tl1er old
strongho'ds,-they have begun to fold their
tents like the Arabs.
Again. if one remarks the titled rnmes which,
for the last Aalf-century. hare distinguished
themselves by pure devotion to science, BY
discoveries in medicine, in electricity and me-
chanics, by rhllanthropic a1ertious for tbs
cause OF humanity. and BY an unsurpassed de-
votion to their rative land, he will not be willing
dependent solely upon their titles for
the respect accorded them. In fact.
one may search long among. the old pasrica1
records-amoug the MARCH, and the FabI oi
ancient Rome, or tha Co1onnas. the Dorgiaa,
or the Medici Of later dav--for name which
will not pale beside those OF
COUNT cAroUa AND MAss1no D'AzEG1Io.
And aguln is she, ID simple, practical matten
Of comfort and daily living, 10 far beL:nd ths
rest OF the world. in hotels, and theatres, and
railroads I have been in some OF the best
hotels OF our OWL country walked over their yeye1
carpets, looked into mirrors and OUT Of plata
glass costing little fortune rested IN theii
gorgeous easy-chai1s, and appreciated thei,
fountains OF hot and cold water, flowing at
touch, and their summer tcmpera.ure, raised or
lowered at pleasure. But never knew go much
Of what the English cal
- SOLID COMFORT u
in any public house elsewhere IS il the best 1al.
ian hotels Irecail the *'Hotei Victoria and Nash-
ington," at LeghoEn. Its naue is OF zn eclectic
character, and ITS excel1ences arc die to the
same feature extended to its arrangements
The floors were ca1peted with English ingram,
apd had a horaeliko look. I1e walls. instead ol
being covered With paper, absorbing ali odo1
and gases, were freshly whitewashed, and otna-
mentcd with simple 1rescoes In delicate aad
cheerful collars. 7 shall not soon forget its
comfortable little English dressing g-tables, no1
ita ample easy chairs, covered with gay chtnz,
which Was not too tne nor too frail for frequent
washing, and wna consequently fresh md clean
1he large and airy djuing-roonl La3 btond fre-.
place, in which g4eat loga bLazed and crackled,
aud threw out pleasant perfume, ~ tn old Ns1
England and Kentucky farIn-houses. Tie din
ner was. as I have lntlMated, eclectic; tbs
wsue was Italian, and excellent; the soup, tbs
bread, the fresh salad, aud the fine poultry wer8
French the ham and the puddiEg were EH
gI,Eh the confectious and ices, Italian again.
Or take the Ho<ei de Hussle, st Rome, With
your hearth when you arrived and went up to
YOUR room at midnight on q damp night Of
autumn; with its breakfast Of delicious co1aa,
French toild, and
SUCH nEErsrEAK
as We had conceitedly supposed oaly 1linou
could produce. {1Ve alto hone ike it in Paris,
aud think it came from Deyon.) I have pleas
ant recolectons, too. Of the hotek in Florence,
WHOSE name have forgotten.--fge mi4ute5
walk from the great Cathedral !; where the car-
pets were go 1adcd, and tho furniture go shabby
and the cooking aud the service 60 excellent. ii
gorgeous III its furnishing there Was great
glitter Of chandeliers but, as often happens
here tho dinners Hero more. shoWv. tlau sub
etantiai. Tile hotel Of ''1he Three Swiss, IN
Milan, is marked by Daedeaer as aecond-clsss;
but the rooms were very clean, With Tolshed
floors, aud rugs instead Of carpets the COOKING
wholly satisfactory. and the servants not only
attcntlve, but kind anl ali for SLID per DAY.
or - in the height OF tue season. Perhaps
ought not to give rs an Illustration
TUE HOTEL AT SORRENTO,
where ve picked our own oranges IN the gafcea
and where Tas eerved to oue part Of tte cou
pany French omelot and coHee; to tho English
beef.teak and potatoes winch. they said, 10