New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-03-27
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

A WHITE UMBRELLA IN MEXICO. BY r HoPkin-
son smith. With illustrations BY the Author
12mc, pps a27. Hought0n, Min g Co.
The picturesque elemeats Of the spanish countries
respond most promptly to the Invitation of artistic
BohemIanism, and this Mr. fIophinson Smith demon.
steatss IN very agreeable way in the beautifully
printed and charfnngly illustrated volume before VS.
Rambling through Mexico with his white umbrella
and his sketehing materials, recognized eyerywheN
a privileged being, and admitted everywhere with
that medieval reverence for art which survives only
In what are called semicwiiiEed lands, the sohing
tourist evidently received the pleasanest impressions
and has reflected them faithfully both with pen and
,er.,l a. these sprtghtly paees OF course there IS
. soafny side to Mexican travel, and more bilious
sdyentnrer than Mr.. Smith would have displayed It.
The o,nipcsent dust which he passes over SO lightly
would have been to many an ntoieraole nuisance
posonsng the sunshine rendering boiiy ease ana con-
fort OUT Of the question, destroying the best at
ospheYic ana landscape effects, and causing perpet
uai irritation and misery. The general squaior, INC
villa cooking, the smells, the ver1nin tho napiasuon
az the houses the systematic procrastnaton Oh the
neon,e. the beoi,y Of the Masses and especially the
women all these things would have grated upon inc
scnsIbiises Of the average traveller and hlleo hm
with disparaging suggestions concerning the country
Mr. Hopkinson Smith is above being innueneeo ps
such paltry considerations. His arr uphoins NM
delicious BIT Of color consoles him for much pict
urssately disordered garden, paseo overn witn 'op
cal flowers and weeds, an old wall or fence OF ouio
A., beautiful ana toned to harmony BY the shifui hand
~ Nature All him with satisfaction exceeding tnst
which Is -attainable from Dolmonlcan respects ana
brownstone mansions and weDwatered avenues anu
vesdless gardens And 1t Is declnedy soothins anu
yestfI to let oneself drif IN Mr. Smiths Arabian hghts
ATMOSPHERE to SAVIOR the perfume OF the flowers, 70
,.ste she iicy GOODNESS Of the tropical FRUITS 10 oD
serve the artistic beauty Of the scene-cayaliers on
horseback with glorifed saddles and somoreros,
seranes and trappings. Senorss with the SEDUCTIVE
mantIlla and High combs and fans and sparkling eyes
and low sweet voice. Then the courtesy OF them All
the castilian breeding, the flowing liquid language
the profound obeisances, the swift acts OF gaiiany
the mnglng OF languor and fire, Of tranquility ana
alcsn,c nassionall so Oriental and strange and fas
ci,atinv sooth to say painter author has no
exciting adventures describe, the nearest to dan
ger he seems have approached was when no waocheo
the confession of serious crime tn church once ana
the criminal was executed as be left the buldine
That time no narrowly escaped suspicion which would
have been very liable to take form in something like
assssxnation and the art of inserting stiletto DO
treen mans shoulders that IL viii accomplish his
business eectuaIy is said 10 be anything but rare In
Mexico.
mr.. Hopkinson Smith did not learn the seeuelN of
tbts little episode; he did not even hear what the
crime was which had startled mo horror the old padre
accustomed for so many years to receive every klnd
Of confession. No doubt terrible story hangs
thereby but the reader will have to make 1t out Tor
himself. More congenlsl to the temperament OF inc
white umbrellas master was the genial ana eccentric
southern engineer Moore whose whims, oddities and
underlying goodness and loyalty make him very III
teresting and pleasant portrait The book ends win
an account of an expedition to Tzintzuntzan 20 see
the reputed Tisian-an Entombment-p there
sealousiy Mr.. Smith appears TO have bean con-
WINGED that the picture is what Il Is alleged 10 De-
and he argues strongly in support Of that position
Tn every ease no is clear that it is great painting,
worthy of the master TO whom report assigns IT,
For book admittedly light in texture, the wandennes
u the white umbrella are full of attraction ana charm
The Illustrations are dainty and the etterpress airy
and sunny 1t Is book TO be read more than once
and then TO be preserved for its artistic ana mecnani
cal beauties.