The Washington times., 1901-07-28

The delightful common sense of the al
| thor Is shown on the first page, wheI
there is some good advice ahout stayin
at home. She very reasonably suggest
that people who want everything just q
they are used to have 1t in their ow
country would much better stay Their
Again. she suggests that children shoul
i not be taken to Europe unless the pla
is to settle down somewhere, as the
will acquire no love for art or curios froI
being dragged through galleries while to
young to appreciate the privilege. Ar
other little explanation which is likel
to relieve the minds of nervous people l
this:
IF you are thinking of travelling in
summer, and say to your friends that
you intend to see something of south
ern France and Italy. as well as of
Great Britain. they will assure you
that you will suffer dreadfully from
the heat, and will probably die of sun
stroke or some terrible local fever.
The reason for this widespread belief
is that the original guide books for
use on the Continent were written by
and for Englishmen. who are usually
uncomfortable if the thermometer
goes over seventy degrees Fahrenheit.
The German and French guide books
nave copied them in regard to coun-
tries not their own, but. as a matter
OF fact. any healthy American who
can stand one of our summers will
ind nothing to dread short of the real
tropics. Rome in July or August Is
not nearly so hot as Washinst ton, and
as for the mosquitoes which are said
to make Venice intolerable in Septem-
Der. any one of their abie-bodied
American cousins can do more exc
cution than dozen Of them We nat
urally associate the idea of heat with
the south, but many cities of south
EtrOnl nth
farther north. Naples, for instance is
never as hot as Florence, because.
like New York. it has the sea breeze
at night. This even holds good as to
PALERMO, which is cool compared with
Milan. The climate of central and
southern Europe is. however more
relaxing than ours, and the heat often
holds steadily day after day, which is
II people tried as hard to catch ty-
phoid and maiarial fevers at home as
they do abroad they would certainly
succeed quite as well. and yet they
persist In laying the blame on a for
eign climate. Nobody here would
dream. after a brisk walk in a sunny
street. of poking about for half an
hour In moldy cellar without an ex-
ira wrap; but put the cellar in Italy
and call it the crypt of "a church and
the proceeding Is apparently consid-
cred reasonable. In the same way,
while travellers admire the picturesque
Si5uts VI IL IleuleNdI town, they turn
up their noses at its evil smells and
yet confidingly drink water from SOME
unknown well or spring, which is
probably medieval also. and then won
der that one of the party develops
fever which could have nbeen taken
with less trouble from the nearest
polluted pump at home. If you will
only abide strictly by three rules you
may go anywhere In Europe during
the summer months with perfect i'm
Dunlty- pYC2nf of IN rta{r
places which the natives Acknowledge
to be unhealthy at some saasons and
even then. with ordinary Precautions.
you may be as safe as in -maiar rious
districts here These are the simple
precepts: --s -.
Don't get overheated and then
chilled.
Don't go TOO long without eating.
Don't drink water unless you are
sure 1t is good
good for travellers in this country as well
as in Europe.
The necessary preparations for the
journey are thoroughly explained down
to sundry little tricks for finding baggage
quickly. For example. 1t is suggested
that where there are several trunks be-
longing TO one person the key of each
should be tied with a different coIored
ribbon and ribbon OF a corresponding col
or put on the trunk. which saves much
trouble in selecting the key from the
bunch in a hurry.
There are recommendations of various
guide books, dictionaries, and novels use
full in the journey, and the manner Of
living most practicable in all the princi-
pal countries of Europe is carefully de-
scribed The matter of tips-one of the
most perplexing problems to the AmeH
,an traveler-is carefully explained. The
coinage system of each country receives
attention, so that the traveller may study
his matter before arriving In new place.
But perhaps the most valuable thing in
he whole useful little collection of hints
S the phrase-book at the end. Here one
nay find about forty pages of the COM
honest phrases needed by the traveller,
stretching across two pages in four Ian
yuages. Thus one finds on the left-hand
page the query. Must you break the lock
,pen?" in English. and its equivalent in
French; exactly opposite on the right
land page are the Italian and German
of the same question. There
ire more than two hundred questions, an
wers, phrases. statements. and forms for
elegrams in this cleverly devised appen-
iix and the chances are that after one
experience with it in a Continental coun-
ry the woman who owns this book would
'ather lose all the hairpins out of her
read than have that lost. There is
any common emergency which
ne or another of these phrases does not
over. and If the pronunciation is difficult
he traveller need only hold the book open
nd point to the phrase, and If the native
an read, 1t will be all right. Anyone
rho has read jerome Jerome's amusing
description of the trouble which he and
is friend B" had in getting a savory
ierman omelet will appreciate the useful
ess OF the right kind of a phrase book.
New York: The Macmillan Company.
ID
Recent Advances in Astronomy" by
|. II. Fison, is. as the author explains,
ltended to be a popular account of recent
rogress In this science. Among the sub
ects discussed are the life of star, the
of stellar distances, the
filky Way, recent study of Mars, the
nalysis of sunlight and starlight, and
he red flames of the sun. To those in
crested in this subject the book will be
and it is written In style
'hich makes II easy for the amateur to
cad. though not 50 simple as to be tire
ONE. Chicago: Herbert S. Stone & Co.,
I.25)
For Charles Sake" is the title of
lender collection of verses by John VIII
hanson Palmer. The best known among
hem is ''Stonewall Jackson's Way" but
In Martial Manner" a poem on the
cath of the same great leader, is almost
8 good. These two alone would be
nough to make the book worth publish
ng. (New York: Funk & Wagnalls)
Golf" hy NNa1ter T