New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-12-04
STEFANO.
RENlNIsCENCE OF SORRENTO.

por,onco mnst no doubt, continue to play
its part in life, even amid the prosalc ina'eIIaiSl
OF modern civilization, but II can on. SUI ad
strlpppd of all the accessories OF lDcloenI anu au-
venture which lend themselves so readily 10 lhe
rrckery of the imagination; / he gale OF the gis
lamp and the whistle Of the locomotive quickly
obstinate the airy cloud of mystery ON when fancy
loves TO project her shad0wy creations anu tue
artificial conditions Of temporary ne tney caI
NOT rob passion OF all its giamor or pathOs OF an
its power surround them with complex lnach-
inerv of conventional details, anna Wnlch the9
seem anonymous and rreNciant. l. WhO' as o..
artist am Old-faShIOned enough TO prefer Tor inc
ckgrouud OF my pictures tine immortal grace V'
southern nature-the Immortal go" vi eo t,, n
eIn sea and sky, to the unIONeIy dICHiioC' 1
of a manufacturing town, or the taWuFy uecOIa-
tons of a modern draw lng-IOom am heeu4y dl!ao
10 the influence of local ASSOCIATION; ana the IN
cidents which came under my observation during
nv wanderngs in Italy are stamped on my memory
Nitb a ylyidness and intensity which believe are
as much owing to the Impressions maze on INV
senses by the scenes in winch they TOOK place, as 10
the interest OF the circumst auces themselves.
Despite the avalanche of tourists which every
wear descend from the north upon the ItaIlah
towns there are still remote hooks IN the Ichih-
sula-amOng the Sun-blCacheu crtgs OF Ine CdIldid
Alps, on the chestnut eaiherrd spurs U! we
Apcnnines and amid the lovely curves OF thc
SJrrentne and Amaftan shoTcs-WheTe nature .t
and man still retain something OF ther prm'u'e
simplicity such spots, but the latter more
especially, are my faEorte summer hauntS' ana
there is scarcely cove or stIand nom oa ,IG
round to CaSteammare which have not explored
in my search after the picturesque MY practlce
was to hire for the season boat small enough ior
sail or oars, in which, with my palntlhs-sear
slowed snugly in the stern, roamcd the waters III
untrammcllcd freedom and independence. ihere
was no appreciabe risk IN sucn sonIaIy eApedl,
tions for the summer weather IN those favored
regions has almost the regularity OF the tropical
seasons: the sun runs hls course from ho!Mou 10
horizon without meeting a single ieecy cloud to
farnish his spcndOr for u moment the Land ana sea
brreles alternate by night and DAY WIN uhNaiy!hs
nunctualitv and the mdoStrdjS, or west wind, the
most dreaded On that coast, scarcely ever blows
with sufficient force to threaten sLipwreck to q
was therefore not q little astonished when pre-
paring one morning to start a usual 10 ne al
dressed by mine host OF the ,yrcn WIN serious
warning on account 10 defer my return alIer
sunset as there would inevitably be sea 1OS pc
fore the closing in of night. Though had consld-
cradle confidence in his sag3cIty ithe Italians OF
the lower class are the most lDiallbIe OF weather
prophets, | ventured Oh tins occasion 10 dispute
his conclusion; and looking out on me ,cipuliess
sky and translucent atmosphere, / asked MN on
what mysterious symptom be based his prediction.
He answered by swaylng his extended PAIN
softly up and down, TO describe "a certain T@H0"0
G luce visible on the horizon at sunrlSe that morn
ing pronounced by him to be an unialling indlca-
tiOn OF aqueous yapor IN the aiI ana precursor %
dense fog. when the moisture shouId De peclplducN
by the comparatively cool Land breeze during the
ensuing night .,
TO bear it in mind in regulating my proceedings,
but as the day wore away III uhdlulheu bIlNahcy
il faded from my thoughts IN the interest OF my
artistic pursuits. | had seered my course seward
along the pOmOntOIy which divides the bays OF
Naples and SalernO, ana, passing the Marina or
a.
della Campanclla the extreme VoiH' Vi ai i,u DC -.
yOnd The light breeze was Just suilcent 10
urge my little skin at an eXinicIatng rate through
the wa'cT, without Calling ioI any attention 70 we
tackle by uncertain shifts or variations III us
force. So ] slipped along the shore !lRe one IN a
dream watching the wonderful hashlng OF Ilhts
and RAYS in the water like the play OF ilght upon
iewelry; rejoicing in the tones of sunbulnt nmDer
with which the nearer rocks framed the giittering
waves; and studying the changing outlines OF
Capris purple cragS a. they we're IeIt Denlhu "LiIc
the low isles of the SyTehs became visible ID tHe
,nlaa 4nt IA
golden light across twenty miles OF sea aud ar ana
Nesuvius its mass defined by long curves slopng 10
the shores. ever cXhaled plumy cloud IRON It's
unGuenchabe heart of fire.
When / reached the spot determined on for my
skeching ground, ii was time ioT tAc IhGIay meal;
with which Don Antonio, my 90Od IahuloId ua1
freighted nv tiny craft 4 little bTOwn-skinned.
hare-legged maiden came by before had finished,
in charge of flock of the ong-cGred goats OF the
Eountry: and blibed her with the remains of my
dinner and few baOcchl 20 SIT 10 me as IOdcI.
verify believe she thought was SuhJGctlhg heI 10
some evil spell for she sat as II turned INTO stone
with heI large brown eyes fixed on me III awe
stricken wonder, and as soon az | dismissed her.
crossed herself with an air OF fervent THANKSGIVING
and disappeared among the rocks WIN ner charge
By that time had got the right encCt OF AFTERNOON
hight. under which The rocks el0wcd IKE tranSlu-
cent amber, and set TO Work III DOWNRIGHT eaTIesC
20 catch it ere it faded, quite oblivlOus OF Don
AntonIo's warning. Hours flew by before the
jengthenng shadows made the prosecution OF my
fash impos5ible and when ! embarked for the re-
turn tourney, having CO. Elected and slowed away all
nv goods and chattels, the sun WAS already hasten
glowing with rose and crocuS hues, ana the sea
breeze had dropped into dead calm, leaving me TO
work my way home with the oars. zone uf heavy
purpsh vapor girdling the horizon seemed to con,
irm nv landlords prediction of a foggy night ana
urged me to work with VIII 10 nnticipaie us GathI
eTlng obscnrity. 1Gt despite my eNeIti9Is' ere
hal turned the headland Of the Campauclia, white
ghostly wreaths OF cloud were stealing IGuhl anl
over me, and hal not puliod many btr9he3 more more
before | was enyelOped III dense varor winch smut
put from my sight all the base OF the rocks I'm
mrdiateiy on my right
was now in considerable embarrassment for
WAS some miles from home and though Tor the
moment | was able. as 1t were to ieei my way 3y
buuging the shore, the increasing darkness would
soon make ii impossible TO do go any longer
mtht indeed have given the shore ber'h ana
s;eered by compass approximately IN the direction
OF Sorrento but should have been equally ut loss
to know when and where 10 make the landing place
In a more opCn country, again, IL lhlEht navy Dcol
possible to beach ny boat Oh the urst strand anu
leaving her till morning. make my way home by
land but the peculiar character OF CULTIVATION pre-
yallinp IN the Piano d Sorrento would make such
Gil enterprise difficult, If not impossible. II IS all
lard ont in orange gardens enclosed by walls trcm
fifteen to twenty feet in height. between which run
Dads in summer ankle deep IN dust, and so narrow
that pedestrian meeting vehIc!e must cnace
himself to the last point against one of the walls,
20 let 1t pass while III case oil Two carriages meet
IDg fortunately rare occurrencel, one OF the two
has to retreat backward to where the nearest in
tersecting lane affords little extra space for the
other 10 20 By. As these roads, or riottoh, buried
between their high walls, give no glimpse OF land,
marks beyond they arc necessarily all alike; and
they double in such serpcntine wndlngs, that even
6y day one lnay inadvertently return to tue point
from which one started. Conceive then the hope
lcsjness By night, aud IN log, OF reaching any
given point by their devious wanderlngs.
was mentally revolving these difficulties, WINE
still rowing mechanically when sudden grating
shock making my frail skin quiYeF from stem 70
stern almost wrenchel the OARS out OF my band;
and though she barely touched the sunken rock.
passing over into deep water beyond, the incident
reminded me unPleasanty Of the danger of proceed,
ing, aud showed Inc the necessity OF taking 10 the
land, whatever my subsequent course might be-
Besides, my boat might have received an injury
such as to make her sink like stone IN a few
minutes and. as the shoaling water seemed to give
promise of beach. pulled cautiously shoreward,
and quickly had the satisfaction Of feeling her keel
plough into the sand. / joyiully jumped out, and
pulling her high and dry ION that tideess shore.