Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1883-10-19
ACROSS THE ALPS TO ITALY.

snas we leIs StreSa. the terminus or our car
riage journey over the Simplon pass to Lake
Maggore for Milan. Here is our itinerary
since To Aroma by boat and to Milan by
rail. Five days at Milan, including an excur-
sion 10 the celebrated Carthus an monastery at
Gerto-a Thence on Thursday by rail to
Como, from which we assembled Lake Com to
Bel!agi"-beaunful spos--thence yesterday by
steamer IN 6ftsen minutes to Menaggio. on the
othar side of the lake; thence by carriage over
a steep winding mountain road to Pol ego. on
Lake Lll-aao, at which point we to k the
steamer and mails circuit OF the lake to Ponte
Stress; thence again by diligence to Luin.
on Lake Ma. glore again, which from
that point we ascendei by steamer to
Locarno. the chief town Of its northern ex-
trena!ty. with one OF the best h ,tel-, l shou d
judge, in Switzerland So tina, YOU will see We
have, i'll thu last few days, employed about all
the forms of l,comotion, except the bicycle and
balloon, wEicf, We la not previously trie 10
our Alpine excursions, on foot aud on m lie
back. In this way we have had pretty
eral, though. Of course, hasty, visw Of the & 10
scenery Of these charming italian lakes. a, W
had sumo weeks ago Of Lake Geneva. In thor
general natural, as we'll as artificial, features
those lakes are very much alke-long. narrow
aHu HIuotbS LtSh!s, IAtIiISl "Ata Stalclf COt vi
Mills and nlonna rs, folded in upon eacn other ia
those en- Hess dlversities OF slope aud curve
and angle which give SUCH infinite variety to
the play If light and shadow; and whic'l, as
they ulfuli. with every change in the poiut Of
view at ey, ~ turn around bend or promo l.
tory di~cIose a fresh surprise Of charming
landscape views, with fresh backgrounds Of
mountains and b ua distances Apropos OF
tIox,~s tskT s,otl l. Is
looking at them, and I have never seen, eyen
in tho far'hest depths Of distance, Anything
like the deep and tender blue of the haze which
wells the noun aims on the other side
Of the lake, just i'll front OF Us, blending wi h
and so:teniug their green. and browns, and tn )
light and shadows playing upon them in
way that wouil fill g painter with despair.
From thu waters edge to the farthest limit
Of v'setaSion, often extending to their tops AMI
ridges, these mountain slopes are lu1uriant
with the produces OF laborious cultivation.
The VIM is carried far up their steep sidas
with narrow terraces, walled with stone rising
like the sTeps of an INN stairway. The
olive and the p"megranate arc among the
Sorns OF ,ub tropical vegetation which alter
nabe hore with patches of corn and buckwheat
and common products Of the moro northern
AtlfS anu pLEoeuS US viva vi tnO ITCH tuu
the humble houses Of the pessantry. which dot
those steep mountain sides-as well as
tho cities and villages which nestle
ST their base-all alike present the same stiff,
rectangular forms Of I allan domestic ar hi.
lecture; but all alike glowing with the warm
rich in's-pirk and yellow predominant, g-
with which tbs Italians delight to ever their
succeed rxterinrs> Their roofs Of terra Gotta
al 'ri hosr oI,.,, L,,%
their rich brown coIors give them picturesque
effect. It ia a poor Italian house, too, Winch
cannot boast upon this background of gayly
tinted stucco q highly colored fresco of the
Virgin Mary or thu D scent from the Cross, OF
some Of the other favor.ts subjects of ItAli an
art in the middle ages.
~.
Tho irst thing which strikes one in coming
from Switzerland into Italy is the contrast
between tho stern and rugged aspec's OF
nature 81 the Other side of the Alps with the
soft and giadsoms luxuriance Of the Cis-
alpine landscapes, and the corr ela ion
Of these pursly physical contrast,
with the manners aud physiognomes
and habiations Of the people, The SWISS
chalet Is pleasant to $40 only in pictures. 1t is
simply rude hut, built of hewn logs.
Drowned by the weather and time, surmounted
by brsad -brimmed roof Of rou III slate OF
wood shingles, on which stones are piled to
hold them in place. Perched high I'D on the
moun'ain sides, on soma little patch Of pasture
wressca from the wilderness Of vertical rocks
above and below it, its gloomy exterior seems
in hnr Ensay with the savage and inaccessible
solitude around it Its inhabitants, whose life
is a perpetual struggle with tempest and cold
and avalanche for bare existence. with the
help Of their mountain goats, from these barren
rocsg. cannot be- expected 10 be a very cheer
full people; and they are not Even when the
log hns Of tho mountains gives place
to the stone or succeed dwellings,
Of the valleys, no trace Of 9 bright
ness in eo'or or beauty of form lightens
the iard and dingy grey OF exserlors that seem
to syEabeaize the hard, dull life within them.
But when yon have passed the Alps the sun
shine Of the warmer and gladder sky seems re-
Hected in the happier faces of the people, and
to be refracse in all its primary colors in their
tinted stuccoes and frescoes, and in the flowers
which are ported with profusion In the VIM
dows aad veraudas. As rule too, the mon
and women. above the class whose men and
women are simply beasts Of burden, are much
handstaRer in form and feature than the same
classes north Of the Alps. Perhaps something
10 due to fncs--and more, doubtless, to more
senAi clim Alto and physical conditions which
have permitted freer and healthier physical
development Of its people; but the Italians. at
leas; Of Nor thern Italy. seem to me much finer
tookins, On the average than the French or Ger
nsnss and 80 far as I have been able to observe
thev soena to be happy, as they are certainly
an orderly, industrious and thrifty people.
One may sec She Madonnas Of Luini aud Bour-
gog1nne, if mot Of Titan or Raphael, every day
on the streets Of Milan; and presume closer
or more extended observation would show the
types Of the sweet Italian faces and graceful
forms which served as models for the great
masters In every Italian city and village.
e.. x*x ~: j.. @zs4,,
The churches Of all the mountain districts of
! NorShsra Italy have this peculiarity-that as
rule, they are perched at as high and mac
ceesikAe an altitude on the sides, If not on the
tops, Of the mountains as they could be put
don't know whether this was in pursuance of
the old pagan custom Of erecting affairs to the
gods in similar elevated situations. It is more
probably an Ingenious contriyance of the
priests For imposing . penance for the sins of
he faithful by making the path to church and
to heaven as difficult and painful as possible
i am confirmed in this theory by the
large number Of pilgrimage churches. which
hevs seen buils away up on steep mountain
sides, the difficult winding ascent to which is
marked by numerous shrines, at each Of which
The climbing pilgrim kneels and recites the
prescribed prayers. These shrinas are stone,
or. perhaps, brick structures, plastered with
white stucco, looking like d whitewashed
chimney ID state of arrested develop
mend. with the oven 81 niche either frescoed
with pictures. OF occupied with images of the
Virgin Mary aud her Son, and her usual at
fendants of saints and angels. and generally
wih q figure Of Christ upon 1 crucihx fanked