The Portland daily press., 1891-04-29
NEW PUBLICATIONS

Our Italy. By Charles Dudley Warner.
New York; Harper & Brothers; Portland:
Loring, Short & Harmony Italy, the author
says, is the land of the Imagination, but
the sensation on first beholding it from the
northern heights, aside from Its association
OF poetry and romance, can be repeated In
our own Hand. by whoever will cross the
burning desert of Colorado or the savage
wastes Of the Mojave wilderness of stone
and sage-brusb, and come suddenly as he
must, by train. into the bloom of Southern
California. One need not be an invalid, Mr..
Warner writes, to come here and appreciate
the graciousness of the air, the color of the
landscape, the constant procession of flowers
the year through. the purple hills stretching
into the sea. 1.-THE hundreds of hsmlets with
picturesque houses overgrown with roses and
geraniums and heliotrope in the midst of
orange orchards, and of palms and mag
nolias in sight of the snow-peaks of the giant
mountain ranges. which shut in this .land of
marvellous beauty. There are no sudden
changes of seasons in "Our Italy," 1t is "a
land OF delicate and brilliant wild flowers,
strange In form and wonderful in color.
Before the annual rains the land lies in a sort
OF swoon in golden haze. At intervals the
rain continues. daily the landscape is greener
In infinite variety of shades, which seem to
sweep over the hills in waves of color. BY
February nature begins to weave on its car
pet OF green an embroidery of wild flowers,
growing every day more brilliant and beau
tiful. This, with the scent of orange groves.
and tea-roses, with cool nights, snow in
sight on the. high mountains, an occa sional
day OF Iain. days of bright sunshine, where
an overcoat is needed in driving, must
suffice the sojourner for winter The climate
Is both stimulating and soothing to the
nerves. Nervous prostration If carried here
does not thrive long. 1t is remarkably ex-
empt from epidemics, and there Is no malaria
Childhood finds an escape from those
diseases which are the terrors of mothers,
as there are none of those affections during
the first three years of life, so prevalent
during the summer months in the east and
the rest of the United States.
SO far as climate and natural beauty 90 TO
make one contented in a winter resort
Southern California has unsurpassed at
fractions. But the distinction of the coast.
the author writes, and that which will for
ever make it attractive, at the season when
the North Atlantic is forbidding, is that the
ocean side is as equable, as delightful in
winter as in summer. His chapters entitled,
The Chance for Laborers and Small Farmers
and Land of Agreeable Homes are ad
dressed to those men and women who are
compelled to fight for mere existence against
hard weather and hardersoil in less favored
parts Of the United States and is well worthy
their serious consideration. Nature seems
there to work with man and not against
him. Here is a region larger than New
England which manufactures its own
weather and refuses to import any other"..
Though very enthusiastic over "Our Italy"
Mr.. Warner writes in plain terms OF its few
disadvantages, gives'sound advice to invalids,
and has no desire to influence those who are
well situated to try the chance of new for
tunes and new associations In a distant
country. The closing chapter, On the Brink
OF the Grand Canon is delightful. The book
Is written In an earnest, charming and grace
full style, and the author carries us with him
through this earthly paradise and leaves MS
with an ardent longing to spend at least one
| year In our own fair Italy. The book is
| printed In large, clear type, on fine, heavy
paper-and is fully and admirably illustrated.