The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-09-15


How the Women labor and the Men
lazy and thriftlesss Mob of Beggars-
Longing for Home
BAvINo, ITALY, Aug. 26th, 1880.
MeSSrs Editors,-When 1 promised
to send you letter from this side of the
Atlantic, scarcely appreciated the diff
iculty l should find in selecting material
interesting to the general reader. The
different countries with their cities and
rivers and towns, history, customs, man
ners etc., have all been described by
better pens than mine, and l can only
give you some of the general impressions
received as l rapidly passed through
Northern Italy. We left Paris at s P.
M. the 18th of August, taking sleeping
car for Turin, and although that sleeping
car was advertized to have "toute
telegarace ct le comfort desira6les, it was
far from being Pullman 1t was a
short, small car, with an aisle along one
side, and divided into four or six com
partments, into one of which we were
stored along with two Frenchmen. Ny
companion is a good traveller and can
sleep anywhere. l can not, and before
daylight | got out of the box and sat in
the aisle looking out for the first view of
the Alps. We passed through beauti-
ful and fertile country, planted chiefly in
grapes, but with frequent patches of
Indian corn, oats, ETC., and numerous
villages for the French and Italians
are gregarious people, and even the
farmers live in villages and not in single
farm houses as do the English and Amer
leans. Every inch of arabic land is
cultivated, but in small patches-an
acre here of wheat, then another of barly,
then possibly two acres of corn. High
up on the sides of the mountain, usually
terraced, in places which seem to the
traveller inaccessible, you see these pro-
ducts growing; and higher up the top of
the mountain covered with snow-acres
of snow-and a few hundred yards
below wheat ready for the SICKLE and
trees loaded with ripe fruit Near the
little village of Ambergue we came
In sight of the Alps, and as the first
range of hills appeared, had sense
of great disappointment, for they looked
in size like the Blue Ridge in Virginia
but presently they grew higher and
bigger and grander than anything of
the kind l had ever conceived of, and for
about $50 miles we were passing through
this region of the Alps. 1 do not think
that tongue or pen or paint can give an
adequate idea Of this wonderful region,
and l shall certainly not attempt it.
By the edge of lakes; by ruined cas-
ties, across the Rhone; through tunnels
by the dozen; by AK les Bains; through
the beautiful Valley of the Arc; by rem
nants of old Roman facades to Modane in
Italy; through Mt Gents Tunnel to the
Valley of the Dora: over viaducts high
up on the side of the mountains by fear
full Precipices; wild gorges; by the base
Of mountains whose tops are covered with
snow and ice; whirling along at fear
full speed; sometimes with three engines
pushing and pulling the train, until your
ears are deafened with the noise, and
your head dizzy with the sight. Hour
after hour, for miles this lasts until you
get into Piedmont Italy, and Turin
Through the mountains you pass by
numerous villages, squalid and wretched
looking in the extreme, and when told
that some of them had been there for
several centuries it does not occur to you
| W 1uOoUAOh OlAC oGdIOluSuGj JlSJ lOOh ue-
cayed, there is no other word to express
their dilapidated appearance. Although
the country was teeming with fruit, none
was offered for sale by the people; not a
boy or girl with basket Of fruit or bot
tie of wine between Modane and Turin.
thought if the people of Gordonsville
or Burkville had such chance what a
harvest they would reap. There are SOL
diers on duty everywhere we CO. At
every railway station, at the custom
house, theatres, and all public places,
armed soldiers They do not act as DO
lice, but appear to be there to aid the
police if necessary. l know little about
politics even at home, and Of course moth
ing here, but the presence Of soldiers
everywhere looks to my politically un-
educated eye as if the government was
afraid Of the people.
From Turin we passed through fiat
and fertile country to Geneva, and from
there along the coast Of the Mediterra-
mean, through acres Of grapes and olives,
| figs and lemons The season had been
propitious, and the whole land was green
with these groves. Along the banks Of
the railroad l noticed now, and always
after in Northern Italy, locust trees were
planted They were rather bushes than
trees, and thick enough to form a broad
bcJo,o T ,vog to11 41o44bo uoot, II al. 80.