I have read in some books of travels that certain tribes of Arabs have
no name for the ocean, and that when they came to the shore for the
first time, they asked with eager sadness, as if penetrated by the
conviction of a superior beauty, "what is that desert of water more
beautiful than the land?" -from the story "Sea From Shore" in Prue and I
City society and country bloom, the rambunctiousness of children and the
loveliness of women, the elegant pleasure of dining out and the rustic
charm of ancient ruins... George William Curtis's philosophical reveries
on the simple delights of being alive have inspired readers to
appreciate every moment to the fullest since they first appeared in book
form in 1856. Each of these short stories, tender portraits of everyday
life, is a wonderfully romantic trifle, a tiny treasure to be savored.
American writer GEORGE WILLIAM CURTIS (1824-1892), briefly a follower of
the Transcendental movement, traveled extensively in Europe and the
Middle East before alighting in New York, where he became one of the
liveliest figures on the city's literary scene in the mid-18th century.
His work appeared in numerous publications including Harper's Monthly
and Harper's Weekly, and he served as editor at the New York Tribune and
Putnam's Monthly, positions in which he was an influential shaper of
public opinion. Other works still highly regarded today include his From
the Easy Chair and Literary and Social Essays.
