New-York tribune., 1909-01-09
IN CALABRI4.
4 Page from n Beautiful Book Of
Italian IMPRESSIONS.

Mems minds are turning to Southern Italy az
this time with a sympathy too poignant to leave
much room for the merely literary relations or
that stricken land. Yet surely one may return
with no incongruity of sentiment to a. writer so
full Of positive tenderness for the Calabrian
scene as was the late George Gissing. He pro-
duced 9 beautiful and curiously touching book
in his by the Ionian Sea- a sheaf OF traVeI
notes published by the Scribners some four
years ago For many years sufferer froln III
health and from a melancholy streak OF tenn
perament his Journey TO Southern Italy was an
experience at once happy and sad 1t rejolced
his soul to visit land saturated in classical
associations and at the same time he was pre-
disposed TO look upon all that he saw there III
rather solemn mood. To re-read now his chap-
ter on Reggie is to apprehend the town through
the eyes Of one who saw it almost as though
with a provision of its tragic fate,
1t was at Reggie that Gissng looked his last
toward the Ionian Sea "I wished it were mine
he rnournfullv saws. "to wander endlessly amid
the silence OF the ancient world to-day and all
its sounds forgotten" This lis the scene in
which he gave way to his emotion OF lonely
Wistfulness:
BY its natural situation Reggie is marked for % an
unquiet history. It was gateway OF Masla i >,
Rome when she moved toward Sicily; II offered
defender of the peninsula throughout the medisevsi
wars Goth and Saracen. Norman Teuton and
ths stronghold oSeriooking the narrow sea: Then
the s eyer % "a &bcRR Tr"Sght det4uc-
ton throughout Calabria- laid Reggie in ruins Sc
tn2Th h2F day m rashar It hhs tf essf G sH upon
the slope that rises between shore ara nloI n;
the ages that followed anything remains bI (
sGr @ fhst huge gaps 9 show Were its rent wall
! sank to lower level upon the hillside .,,,,,
Al first one has eyes and thoughts Tor or no o5hi I,
but the landscape. From the terrace ROAD 4IoiLS
the shore, Via Plutino beauties and giories inde-
! head Aspromonte. with its forests crass: the
zon nofIh ana soCLn atti jtb ~ ne t1o9ir lon 2
| / stood and walked here. marvelinG deEhtedy at
81 SAW but in the end ever liking & my ga gaze ,a On
| their shadows upon the Scilian panorama made
| ceaseess change OF hue and outline. At early
| first sun ray smote upon its white ridges; Al fan
% fy eens lne SUNNI dafna from Bshnd the
These far. cold heights gimmered with hue OF
set heaven. - transIacent. ever about to vanish.
| Night transformed. but did nos all conceal. Yon7
stteets Of Messna. and Tany, cleaning Point Pr,
! above. sgnaIled the homes OF men. Calm. warm
! and clear. this first night at Reggio; could not
ing scare footstep but my own paced hither
Gissng observed few signs OF activity at
! Reggie, apart from the harber. The one long
street. Corso Garibaldi," he says has little
| traffic; most of the shops close shortly after
| nightfall. and then there is sound OF wheels;
all would be perfectly still but for the occa-
sional cry Of lads who sell newspapers" He
| doubted irSthere was more than one cafe IN the
| town, and he had to search for a restaurant.
The only visitors who made use of the public
dining at his hotel were two three mill
! tary men. In that dining his heart was
| stirred more than once by the appeal Of pow
erty. Sitting in view of closed door" he