The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-05-13
"NoRTH ITALIAN FOLK"

In s.North Italian Folk'' (Scribner, welford 4
Armstrong; Mrs. Comyns Carr has given US a delight
full volume the people and customs OF Northern
Italy. With q few clever touches she has sketched
their peculatics and charactertics that we icel
quite familiar with Thorn. She has not written OF tho
Italy OF popss priests politics. nor even OF art
and artists but OF tho folk she found them II Is
OF these that the country made they give 1t Its col
oring. and II Is OF them desire to road. Almost
every author and tourist who writes OF Italy writes OF
it either In social political artistic way SO that
We got pretty good idea Of those points from
the books that have gone before. Now let US 500
wha. Mrs. Carr has TO tell AZ first she gossps Of
the gardens OF Genoa, because she says they recall
the best OF Gonoas life, because they are the most
bound up with her holiday hte-with her saints and
lasts and toast days-for the Llgurians mako
merry most OF these occasions, and tho
Acquasola is the way to and from many sanctuary,
sand Genoa is full OF gardens" she says .Private
gardens upon the hsldes or upon terraces that APP
pear suddenly IN the streets, whore flowers grow In
boxes and orange and oleandcr bloom in pots az
In the tree earth gardens that open to the public
but tho less ricn In all that Law
ish; gardens that spring al unexpected turns in the
towns heart TO break tho monosony OF tho palaces.
Some Of them have aurants In their midst, and
there among Japanese mcdlar trees, with great
nbrous leaves, beneath acanthus and willow and mag
noia trees, people dine or sip coffee and ices In
company OF marble nymphs and heroes, OF shivering
cupids who toss the water from the founta,na
But tho public promenade is tho garden that
tells tho most about tho town peoples pub
lilo Ito, for to the Acquasola people arc
wont 10 20 walk aud drive meet their acQuant-
ance and show Of dresses and new equipages
II Is the place 10 spend holiday afternoon. The
broad walks crowded with people who wander be-
meath acacia and arbutus trees; 1no ladies' with at
ton dant cavaliers mothers the middle class chapc-
roning their daughters fathers carrying
their children that the women may have tho leisure
enjoy tho fssta dress and the scenc along the
drive and tho sycamore and horse chestnut avenues
carriages roll smoothly with gay people Flower
nette to sell, nlbert strings iced drinks and
waiers. Sometimes group saunters away TO tho
higher gardens, wnere the paths wind upward, tin
trees from foreign lands The whole town
comcs seem to grow softer OF outline as
evening lghts creep around' Oco can readily
call up the picture Mrs. Carr then proceeds TO paint
with clever strokes tho portraits OF servant girls
shopmcp, hairdrossors, &c The description Of shop
ping Is very amusing. Evidently tho 'ono price"
system has not reached Italy, for told by this
writer that shopkecpcr always expects to be beaten
down asst thru In hts charges md asks accord.
ingiy. There is great deal that Is Mrs Carrs
pleasant volume and IL Is told In highly entertain
Ing way. The reader viii md that he has gained a
better idca OF olk lifo OF the Italians 10 this ac-
count than In many that are moro prctcntious Tho
book 10 profusely illustrated.