The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-04-24
NEW BOOK NEWS

hama, Tennessee. Tn the Apennines the 1 chestnuts form about the only food of the peasants. A bitter life of poverty that chains a peasant to the earth that will not grow or r1pen any grain. What wonder that they seek our kinder cline | and richer soil.
 The chestnut orchards are thus describ- ed. "As I write look out upon acres | of them, covering the steep mountain scarcely rises two feet above its lowest neignbors. Some of the chestnut orchards belong to small peasant farm | CTS but most of them are owned by the | gentry, who reside in the towns and rent out their property on the haif-share prin- ciple.
 "A peasant win take one or two or more thousand trees. keep them in order gather the nuts. and divide the crop. The division is left entirely to the tenant, and among the Tuscan peasants this homeiy joke is current: o Master, come on, and let us halve your half of the cropi Among themselves the strictest honesty prevails, and although there are no walls, ditches.~or other property lines visible. the humblest peasant would not pick up chestnut under his neighbours tree.
 '.Harvest home is early in November, the signal for general stir among the mountaineers. old and young turn out to thresh the trees and pick the nuts. with singing and merry-making."
 The writer goes on to tell in a most in- teresting fashion of the grinding of the chestnut flour at the mountain mills. Of the age of these mills the writer states of one ''old millstone built into a moss- grown wail'' that the old miller said: My grandfather died at the age of so before was born. but he told my father that the miilstone was set in the wall before his fathers day."
 The chestnut flour is kept in big chests of chestnut wood. many of them centu- ries old. This chestnut four. cooked into porridge or into cakes called ''neccl," form the diet of the whole household from sea- son to season.
 Quite as full of interest are the other stories that form the little volume: Un- der Sunny Skies The Marcaroni Country. by Eleanor H. Patterson; In the Fig County. by Eleanor HodgenS, and Syrian Sweetmeats. by the same author Louise Chandler Moulton tells of Toledo and Cordova. and of Granada; B. N. Rolfe of Mount Vesuvius; Grace Ellery Charming l of Tuscan Peasants; Sibyi c. Emerton of The City of St. Mark; Edith Crosby of Young Greeks of Today; Samuel s. Cox l. I Mrs. Lew Wallace lets us into the ways | and means of Housekeeping in Turkey. Other writers give much desirable in- formation of the habits of people in Sun. ny Ciimes. A Pronouncing Vocabulary adds value to the book Under Sunny Skies. Ginn 6 O.. publish CTS Boston.
 Wise Words From Wise Books.
 The fountain of content must spring up In the mind. and he who has so little knowledge of human nature as to seek happiness by changing any thing but his own disposition, will waste his life in fruitless efforts, and multiply the grtefs which he purposes to remove. r.. Taste is the feminine of genius.
 Contentment consistent not in heap ing more fuel. but in taking away some fire.
 Perfect ignorance is quiet-perfect Knowledge is quiet--not so the tran sition from the former to the latter.
 If the golden age is passed, 1t was not genuine. Gold cannot rust nor
 
 and all decompositions pure and in- destructible. If the golden age will not endure, 1t. had better never arise: for it can produce nothing but eligies on its loss.
 See how In the forming of this wheat. the fullest and greatest grains lie ever the lowest; and the Iightest take up the highest place.
 It is a mans own fault-it is pure want of use--if his mind grows tor pid in old age.
 A wilting can't be a scholar Knowl- edge is a great calmer of peoples minds.
 Knowest thou Yesterday. its aim and
 reason?
 workest thou we'll Today for worthy
 things?
 Then calmly wait Tomorrow's bidden
 season,
 And fear not thou what hap soccer
 1t brings.
 It is only necessary to grow old,