Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-08-08
AN EARTHLY PARADISE.
LIFE IN TIE SWISS MOUNTAINS.
wssAiss-Day Turned Int resssd'es'
Fese-Fsrn Labor Rendered Psrpessa'
Pie.Nlc.

Fem-Fssn Labor Rendered Psrpsssa'
Picnic.
A letter from Soglio. Italian Swifzer.
lsod. saws: In NV last letter from, the little
mountain hamlet 81 SoglIo. IN Italian
Switzerland, and only four miles from the
frontier Of Italy, space compelled me 10 re-
servc for another occasion sill comment on
fhc manners, customs, and habits OF life
ncc,,bsr 70 such an out-oi-the-world CON,
muniiv. Here IA little village OF
Ss0 Inhabitants ut o height OF about
4 sno feet above the sea. In which
ire language Il Italian and the race
Italian. and yet Protestant In religion, adj
solutely democratic In government. and
pure and honest In morals. In other words,
II 10 Swiss in tyre 10 the very backbone.
Indeed, tue first feeling awakened Ia the
mind Of one coming out OF Lower Italy Is q
sweet sense Of relief that now for space
he win neither be cheated, lied 10. nor
tsrred az every vein by beggars. II he
loves brighteycd. chubby checked little
children, at last, heaven be praised, he can
stop and stroke their curly locks. aud play
with and Kiss them, without ever a tiny,
innocent hand being stretched out for
money, OF q pretty lip do6led With the ey-
erlasiing' mefcenary cry OF ISOLDE sol
do!v II he pause at chalet for a
drink OF water or milk, the frank
aud kindly women will bid him
hearty welcome. enter into eager talk
when he tells them he comes from
fsr.away America, and on his going
shake hands with real human sense that
IL has been a pleasure on their side 10 exer-
else little native hospitality. No one can
tell what q fountain Of clear. crystal Joy
lea, I'D in The heart OF the traveller who.
for long months accustomed 10 find every
pretty child's smile and every simple ques-
ton asked and every trifiing service reH-
dered rated at one. two, three. or five cents,
M the case may be. now encounters these rs
the simple. natural overflow Of the human
heart. The snow Of the mountain peaks
looks more radisnt, the sunshine on the
ehestr MT groves more warm and golden,
and. instinctiyely, rs one kisses a pretty
child. or gives cordial thanks TO kindly
eyed. horest. faced woman who has taken
real pains 10 direct him on bis way, one
breaks out in the enthusiastic cry OF scrip
ture: .'Come bring wine and milk, with
out money and without pricey"
The little hamld oisoglio, or The Sunny,
contafns. a. was said above, about $50 hui
man inhabitants. | emphasize the word
"human." because to these must be added
COO cows and 500 goats. with whom men.
women, and children live In relations Of
the closest intimacy aud affection. No
"socisty for The prevention OF cruelty 10
animals Is needed here. A man may.
perhaps, sometimes abuse his wife or child.
Int his cow or goat never. and this for
most obvious reason. An ili-ireated wife
might indulge in a large amount OF stilk-
ing, or even break ont into open rebellion,
80 10 ali 81 he
fact. But COWS and goats that have TO be
driven over all kinds OF dar gerous heights,
and exposed to perils OF snow, ice, storms,
and ayalanches. must be Kept IN
STATE or PERFECT TRUST
that their human friends cannot, on any
occasion. mean them anything but the most
perfect good. Never. 10 the silly, easily
startled creatures must the human voice
carry other than sense OF encouragement.
soothing, and protection. And so, as the
Arab hives in the same tent with his mare
and her ioal, do these Soglo folk often in
habit, alike in the village and high up on
the mountain side. the same house with
their COWS. But it Is Of their intimate re-
latious With one another rather than with
their cattle wish frst 10 speak. Indeed.
tic strongest OF the first impressions made
In the mind Of the stranger observing
such compact community as this
is the sense Of the great advantage
the village system offers IN the way
OF happy, healthy social Intercourse,
and. TO one who has seen anything OF the
isolated fsrmng life Of New England. and
contrast its frequent solilarncss and mo-
nofony with the close and neighbOrly con-
tact that reigns here, some pretty serious
questions are started. Statistics prove that
IN America the percentage OF insanity
among our farming population is larger
than among any other class Of the commune
~. The women, especially. what with their
long lonely days Of baking and Washing.
become moped and melancholy 10 very
dangerous extent. The degree Of literal
"solitary confinement 10 which. whether
working indoors or hoeing corn and pOta-
toes all alone outdoors, our farmers and
their wives are subjected, is something
fearful TO think OF to every one who knows
how peIilously the human brain goes on
when left 10 turn over and over the same
monotonous round OF thoughts and fan.
cios. Certainly, this living I'm compact
village life. where the water is drawn a. /
the same fountain, the washing is done in /
company. the having is a social affair of
men and women. the evening hour is spent |
by the fathers and young men sitting on
benches in the little open square, and by
their wives and children in talking TO one
another from the windows or gossipping
in groups on the high flights Of steps, must /
carry with ID many advantages over the /
dTeary isolation and taciturnity that so .
often prevail where the farm-houses are .
widely separated. ON no one thing are the !
health and sanity OF the human mud so .
dependent as on genial. happy, laughing /
social intercourse. and few are the people /
who can live much alone without posi- /.
tive danger to mind and brain. The f.
worst features OF the system have been
abandoned IN our prisons; the monks and !
heimits OF the middle ages went mad on
scale that demonstrated how perious such
life was FOR the majority OF those VINO
tried IL. while the poor. sad-hear,ed. melau-
choly women found in such numbers in
the lone iarmhouScs Oi New England are
the modern painful commentary on the in.
eyitahle results Of too nonotonOuS and
solitary mode OF existence. To give an
example, the opposite result secured by
healthier social conditions. Outside the
theatre. know Of few merry comedies 80
thoroughly ENJOYABLE 10y the chance spec
tatOr a.
wAsHING-DAY N A HAMLET
like sogllo. Now. washlns-day is VITA lis
in America, as we air too well know. the
sternest kind Of high-wrought tragedy, in
which men hold their bated breath IN fear,
and women are wrought 20 the most fOrmi.
dahle state Of tension. The miseries OF
the "soiiiaIy system" are then witnessed
in their most cruel shape. Approach now
the parallel spectacle in Soglo. guided to
the spot ly peals OF merry laughter. Into
great stone basin, thirty feet by ten.
stream Of crystal mountain water is pour
ing In constant food. and al around the
brink, their dresses girt close aid their
arms stripped bare for action. stand the
women, young and old. No moping mel
ancholy, no look OF frantic despair az
the hep OF soiled clothes Que poor lone.
unaided creature has got TO cope with;
but. Instead Of this, the glee, inyig0ration.
and courage that come Of numbers, Al
ready topic Is started. the last SundSy's
sermon. the festival down in F.om0ntoguo,
the latest engagement In the village, and i'm
trice II is clear what vigorous dramatic
eloquence the mere operation Of washing
imparts 10 the ordinary prose OF talk.
Here is one woman taking exception 20
something she did not like in the doctrine
Of the sermon, Just at the very point when