New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-03-18
SHELLEY'S WATELESS PLAIN.
RECOLLECTIONS OF NORTH ITALIAN
RURAL LIFE
DAYS SPENT on A DOGE'S FARM BY Mar
parct Svmonds Illustrated. octave. PIP. .9L

DAYS SPENT on A DOGE'S FARM BY Mar
| garct Symonds. Illustrated. Octave PIP. -oi.
| The Century CO.
The lotos-cater in Venice looks curiously toward
the blue Euganoans. and in Specializing as To what
their nearer charms may DO. often wonders also as
to what might lie in the intervening stretch Of the
Lombard plain. Rarely docs he attempt to explore
tho recion Padua may become known TO him. since
Padua is an important city the railroad Du' inc
little towns sprinked Whereabouts west OF me IT.
roons towns like Stra. Monselcc ST Elena Nrq"a'
Stanghella and Este. remain as unianli'iar rs any
of the remote hamlets in the south. These places
are not themselves remote. but they peions 10 Il
monotonous though fertile tract OF the \ehe'o' anu
for the purposes OF most travellers monotonN ana
Inaccessibility are equally repellent Yet the ou
character OF the province is more apparent tina"
real A tramp taken not more thah '"e"'H NV VI
thirty miles nm the banks OF the Brentn discovers
interest and beauty in the limited but InNuilhht
fora Of the country, in the stately pane trees 'n"'
transform the long level road into great cathe-
dral aisle in the frequent farms ana WAS byron
STAYED for a while In OF the latter ana MS VISIT
IS commemorated by a tablet. II you penetrate as
far rs Miss Syrnonds went. to the foothiiis OF III"
Euganean range your enterprise Is stu more rch-
" rewarded There existence takes on shane
moro or peculiarity and the farms nourished by the
waters Of the Adge. spread beneath burning
sun in a perfect riot OF vegetable growth
or course everything depends upon the nature OF
ones reception into the Basso PadoVaha aS " -
known to the Italians. II is doubtful II MISS SE-
roonds could ever have written fascinating
little book as that now before us II she had nor
ioved the hospitality of OF the chief landholi-
ers OF the country she describes Ncscovana where
the farm and villa Of the Countess fisani are S'tui-
ted is some tvertv miles south Of Padua. Here tho
conditions of life not exactly primitive; but IN
the case Of the Pisani estate, at least there 's
l.s, hp
and her peasantry than survives in most agricut-
ural districts so near civilization and the pct-
IRE which Miss Symonds draws Is as novel as II Is
interesting Snc writes well. in manner sug-
gestive Of her fathers. but naturally with less
eruditon. and she has pleasant sense or hufnof.
Her first Impressions" OF the farm. written con
fessedly as Daudet might write OF Tarascon. make
n sparkling chapter. She found her hostess calling
the region "Gromboolia" in loving remembrance OF
an impossible name in Edward Lear's nonsense
rhymes: and in giving forms to her garden ana
names TO her cattle the rocco concei's OF IN"
eighteenth century Arcadians seem 20 have been
closely followed But the Countess Psani rules her
domain imperiously. she has systematzed things In
n way to make American business man envious.
and II was no idle fancy that led Miss Symonds.
with memories Of the Yamily ancestors GROWING
upon her TO christcn Tescovana the Doee's Farm.
The Countess Plsani is assuredly an ndointhhle
Dogeressa. When the property came into her nus
bands hands ~ wa" run uONll anu hlHi'NA N''''-
less lie improved the drainage and raised tn"
mortgages Madame Pisani when she assumed The
rcins built and rebuilt. metamorphosed the hnrns
and stables. covered the rich soil with Indian corn
and wheat. which grow To n height and spIendor
which would nstonish the English rustic; but most
Of all she rooted her In an afecuonate
tyranny Her people regard her with awe and WORK
for her with enthusiasm. Miss Symonds repeats a
story about her which. she adds. IL. 81 course.
apocryphai but che admits that II fails into the |
line OF cutie authenticated gossip concerning her
friend.
threatened To decrease the Pisani estates their
mistress summoned all the unmarried youth OF her /
farms under the 'barchesse" OF Nescovana. there /
divided them Into rows. regarded ihrr FEATURES.
and summed up their characters IA the space Of /
immediate matrimony OF thos" pairs she haI So
ecied thus: YOU. Celeste shall marry Tabnrro. |
you viii pull along together And YOU. young Gallo.
IAN take to yourself Maria. She is a good cook. |
though she Ia fat You viii submit 10 her rule. for
YOU are rather weak minded and Won viii poach no
more In my ponds. You two there have black and |
.tc etc. The story went that these matches We're
1t completed-the word 81 the Contessa being
aw.
The territory presided over in the manner which
= exaggerated but indicated. nevertheless in this
udcrous passage amounts to about three thousand
acres The country Is fiat. and In summer the heat
g terrific Miss Symonds visited IT in summer
Bat the types she discovered there. the beautiful
ombard cattle. the long drives through grain
Covered fields. the picturesque life under Mime.
'isanis roof the gleanings and threshings and the
ercnades by a band OF enthusiastic musicians from
,tanghea these. and wanGerings among the Eu-
anean hills. gave her the substance for n book OF !
light but most entertaining notes. The people are
empestuousiy voluble. but always amiabe and
The scenery * monotonous in
orm rather than I'm color and life The lights in
eed. glorious Shelley we'll knew. and the
uthor's taste for flowers. with her understand
NJ Of them has given her pages pictorial quality
hat is full OF grace.
Miss Symondss book Is illustrated by her own
ketches aud with Photographic plates. The spirit
the Italian plain is I'm H. and while II il not
larkabe performance from n strictly literary point
view, II is an animated record through which
he presence OF the Countess Pisani dffuses an
riginal and cnticing atmosphere.