HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Advocate, 1892-3-10, Page 2r
1PP-
Song of the flirt.
Completely bespattered with mud. '
f'rotaray feet M. the crown °tiny head,
"really bunk tor cleanliiiess sake
is time that something. was said.
Slush 1 Slush 1 Slush:
It's time to be 9n the alert ;
So making my moan
In a qutteral tone,
X siug you he"tSong of the Dirt!"
Oli! lset to breathe the names
Of ihOSQ NY).10 our streets control t
This filth may never touch their hearts,
Theugb it must affect their solo,
• SlushSlush ! Slush 1
Fax worse than a country lane;
Squash! Smash.1 Squash
Who wonders that we complaM
But why do I talk of slush,
And make such a piteous moan ?
'scarcely feel its aspect now,
It seeras so like ray own,
It seems so like ray own.
For tidy I can never keep.
Ohl that scrapers and broomeshould be so dear
Now labor's so very cheap.
Ohl but for one short hour
To have the unspeakable treat
01 seeing a tidy and well -kept road,
A decent and orderly street.
Alas: for the streeta of our tovra,
• Why must they for ever escape -
(Though always it seems in a terrible moss)
From aught like a genuine scrape
Oh, men with sisters dear!
Oh, men with mothers and wives!
lb (*refill what clothes they wear when out,
They'll spoil them as sure as their lives.
Slush ! Slush! Slush!
Will no one pity our case?
'Tis a terrible Ming when Authorities
fling
Stich horrible dirt in one's face!
ush Slash! Slash!
Through all the winter's rain,
nd dust--dust-dust-
When summer comes again.
Oh, Ileaveu-deserted place,
How altered would be thy state,
/1 only they'd gather the filth as well
As they gather the tax and rate.
The theme znaY be weary and worn.
Nor a line I have written be read,
But as citizens tread. the sidewalks,
And sink ankle deep at each tread
In the Slush! Slush! Slush!
It's time to be on the alert..
So making my moan
In a outteral Ono,
Anxious to have my grievances known,
I sing you tho "Song of the Dirt!"
A BARITONE'S DEVOTION
OR, A TALE OF SUNNY. Ilege.Y.
CHAPTER XVI.
•0›.1. T
For ill can Poetry express
Full many a tone of thought sublime,
And Painting, mute and motionless,
Steals but aglance of time.
But, by the mighty actor brought,
Divaons perfect triumphs come;
Verso ceases to be airy thought,
Arid. Sculpture to be dumb.'
Campbell.
Plate had gained the wish of his heart;
but, like many other people, he discovered
that, when gained, it proved more of a
care than a pleasure. He had plotted and
planned, he had argued and persuaded, and
now at length his best pupil was ready to
appear on the operatic stage; but never-
theless the old maestro was far frora happy.
He was haunted by the conviction that
Carlo's health would give way; for he
knew him too well not to perceive how
aorely the events of the last few weeks had
taxed his powers of endurance. It was
all very well for him to prescribe perfect
quiet when the hours of study were
over; but he knew that at the
Palazzo Forti quiet was not likely
to be found -knew that wherever he went
Carlo would be haunted by the spectre of
his 'vanished happiness. Often did he
anathematize Gaptam Britton and the
insular prejudice which had cost his puPil
so dear; often did he rack his brains for
some means of cheering the deb utcsnt.
• Carlo was, indeed, very much altered;
for the time he lost the boyish look which
had always before been one of his character-
istics; he lost, too, his fresh, ruddy color;
and, whereas he had hitherto been
habitually gay, and only upon occasion
grave, he was now only cheerful when, by
a deliberate effort of will, he forced him-
self to be so. It was not in those firat days
of his trouble that he could all at once
attain to the serenity cif a perfectly discip-
lined heart. He was human, and he was
' very yaung ; the light of his life had gone
out, and he did not always acquiesce in the
darkness -did not, except in rare intervals
eof comfort, feel anythingbut an aching
• void, an unconquerable longing for his own
will to be done.
„ Not being of a self -tormenting nature,
' however, he did not trouble hienself much
about the right or wrong of his feelings; as
far as possible he ignored them, and went
on deliberately with the every -day business
Of the life he had chosen. Piale worked his
voice as he dared, and the professor of de-
clamation taught him all he had the power
to teach; but Carlo, altogether dissatisfied
with the scanty attention paid to acting on
the operatic stage, studied his characters
With a minute faithfulness which occupied
hien even in his times • of so-called leisure;
he was incessantly studying, incessantly
Observing, and, after three weeks of this
aort of work, his heart began, as it were, to
thaw; the personal grief which had held it
frost -bound was softened by the wide love
of the human family, which cannot fail to
be quickened, in the heart of any one who
truly observes life. For to observe truly
•you must sympathize with those you ob.
serve, and to sympathize with them you
must love them, and to love them you must
forget yourself. Without a deep, living
• sympathy the artist surely degenerates into
a emits of vivisectionist, for
To be observed when observation is not sym-
pathy
Ts just to be tortured,
Carlo soon found the happiness which
Comes to the worker who is really suited to
het work. He learned to be very grateful
to his newly -chosen profession, for it
brought him hours of forgetfulnese ; it
, raised him above the atmosphere of petty
enittery which seemed to prevail at the
Palazzo Forti ; it made him conscious that
! he had not chosen his life veith headstrong
, blindness, but that he had gag for which
' be was responsible -gifts •which made the
life of a singer his true vocation. In those
(lean of his trouble he worked with all his
might, tine the tremendous effort of memory
Le had to make stood him in good stead,
and forced him to keep his grief at arm's
length.
Peek saw with relief that he was appar-
ently not in thelead nervous, that he was
enitirely free at present from all fear of
failure, but the old maestro was too experi-
enced a hand to imagitie that bit calmaese
would last.
"Yoe, go to yourordealwithebetter heart
than MOst clebatants," he remarked one
lay'e looking curiously into the face of his
But you have good reason to be
Cheerful about it, for yeu are safe to be
peplum'.
"Olt the contrary," said Carlo," with a
Simile, "1 am told that tea to one Comerio
organise a dague, and try to get me
"Meted eft I'm not at all confident of being
elopular, but 1 know bhn J have in any
ease to be a $inger."
"There speaks the true &Aloe," said
Plate, with enthusiasm. "Did 1 nob tell
you long ago thae Nature ineane this for
your calling?"
Vag, deer maestro," he replied, quietly.
'
"And you were right, and I wee wrong, as
events have proved."
Nate hardly understood all that he
meant; he looked, at him again with the
lingering, sorutinizbag, anxious gaze of a
painter who telres a last look at a finished
pia ture.
"If only your health is equal to the life,"
he exclaimed, with a Sigh, for he could not
but admit to himeelf that durbsg the last
few weeks there had developed in his pupil'a
• face a look of censtitutional delicacy, which,
after all, was a natural enough inheritance
to the son of 'ignore, Donati.
But Carlo laughed lightly, and put the
suggestion aside.
Why, maestro," he exclaimed, "1 have
never been ill in my life; and =rely, if
my sister has been able to bear the work all
for me, you need not fear for a tough
fellow like me 1"
"Well, I hope you will understand as well
as Madame Merlino how to take care of
yourself," said hale, in the tone of a
doubter.
Sardoni watched him on his return with
the greatest curiosity'he practiced his
scales for half an hour, dined composedly,
read the Piccolo, played " Tombola. " with
Gigi, and did his best to avert a quarrel
which was brewing between Gomez end
Merlino. Filially he went off to the theatre
with Plate and Enrico Ritter, and seemed
to be so much occupied with cheering the
old maestro, who was in a pitiable state of
nervousness that he had little time to think
of himself.
"The dresser began to urge him to be
quick, for as usual Sardoni was behinclhand,
and had allowed barely time to scramble
into his complicated double costume before
the call -boy came to summon him. Carlo,
who did not appear till the second Let, see-
ing how matters were, and pitying the
dresser, who only grew more stupid the more
Bardenl swore at him, offered his help, and
won the gratitude both of the Englishman
and the Italian.
" Now if I hail Gomez in here he would
have made confusion worse confounded,"
said Sardoni, rushing off in response to a
second sunnnons and the alarming news
that the overture was ended.
"The signor will be a great success," said
She dresser, already won by Carlo's patience
and courtesy.
He carries a braire enough frieate
• Sardoni. "I should notAtereechought you
would prove Buell eeendliand."
" , eatilerit is the first battle of the
ampaign," said Carlo, with a laugh. "Let
no man boast till he has been under fire."
"Per Dio ! no battle, but a triumph" said
the dresser, as he left the room. "Best
wishes for your success, signor."
Carlo thanked Min, and began in a practi-
cal, matter-of-fact way to study the cone
Suddenly an inspiration eame to him.
Valentino, too, would be oppressed,
troubled, by the merrymolcing crowd;
what did he, with his grief and anxiety,
Want 'with all this publicity He was
Valentino -he breathed, thought, looked
and felt like Valentino; and in a voice sub-
dued and ead, but so clear and aweet that it
reached to the remotest corner of the
gallery, he sang the brief recitative, "Oh,
Santa Medaglia!" US he placed the charm
on his heart, then glanced quickly,
distastefully, at the gay throng eurrounding
him.
There was a burst of applause which in -
tautly resole hien feel en rapport with hie
audience. He advanced to meet Wagner
and Siebel, while to Piale and Enrico in
the theatre, and to Nita, at the wings,there
came a pang, as Valentino told how he was
sad because he was leaving his aister, who
had now no other proteotor ; and to many
of the audience it was comprehensible that
the new baritone's voice should tremble as°
he uttered the words, mare pin
non e."
Already he had the sympathies of the
house, but the test of his success would be
in the song, " Dio Possente," and for this
lisle waited in trembling expectation. He
need not have feared, however. Not one
of the audience had ever heard anything to
equal the devotional fervor of the prayer
for Margherita's safe -keeping, or the manly
outburst of martial ardor succeeding it;
the song, both in conception and render-
ing, was perfect and the Italian audience,
which would not'heve scrupled mercilessly
to hiss him had he not altogether pleased
them, broke into applause so enthusiastic
Shat Piale hardly knew whether to laugh or
to cry, so great was his emotion. The song
was vehemently encored, and Carlo's reputa-
tion was established.
Even when he was not singing his was the
figure upon which all eyes rested, for he was
the one man on the stage who was actually
living his part while in. the scene where
he drove lea,ckelephist'opliele.s with hiscross-
handled sword uplifted, and sheltered. the
retreat of the soldeers, his impassioned
assurance that the cross was alepowerftil
against evil stirred every heart. `
" That is a piece of Eiymbeliten Tette site:
Carlo's fay," neelaeked Enrico Ritter.
,a ii
ked
he did, net grumble at the
attack on his beloved theory of egoism.' He
joined in the tumult of applause; and
when, at the close of the act, the new bari-
tone was called again and again before the
curtain, Enrico felt a thrill of pleasure
which he did not take the trouble to
analyze.
Meanwhile Carlo was like a different
being; he know that he had truly found his
vocation. The music, the success, the ap-
plause, had excited him to the highest pitch,
•struction of the sword which had to break and the sympathy he met with from every
in two at the challenge of Mephistopheles. one aatonished him. Only Gomez held
Sardoni, to amuse him, told him stories of sulkily aloof and said not a word, but the
'various stage contretemps, and was just mar- rest were warm in their congratulations.
veling at his companion's perfect composure Merlin°, with the triumphant sense of hay -
when Denali suddenly started forward and Mg secured a first-rate ainger at an un -
grasped his arm. usually small salary, was quite benevolent
"They have begun the Kermesse and fatherly ; while, perhaps, Domenica
Chorus 1 he gasped.
And then at last the realization broke
upon him ; he was, after all, Carlo Donate
a novice, with a terrible ordeal before him,
and failure would mean ruin. All recollec-
tion of his part seemed to leave him. He
looked distracted.
" Come and wait at the wings," said Sar -
dont, " and take a look at the audience.
You are sure to do well. Keep up your
• courage, anzico mio."
"It it were only fame which depended on
it, or only myself—" he faltered.; "but
to fail means the ruin of all our plan."
"You will not fail -you will succeed, and
your plan, too; it deserves to. Conie I"
With kindly persistence he took his arm
and drew him towards the door. The 110ifie
without seemed to bewilder Carlo; the
orchestra even at that distance, sounded
deafenin;ly loud in his este; the clear,
joyous claorous of the citizens seemed to
mock his wretchedness he dragged him-
self on in obedience to Sardoni, who took
him to the green -room, where they found
Anita and &terrine. Nita was crying, and
wiping away her tears with anxious care
lest they should make too much havoc with
her rouge. .
"Here is my wife more upset over, your
debut than she was over her own,' said
Merlino, more pleasantly. than Carlo had
ever heard him speak before. "Come,
Nita, see what a fine figure he 'huts as
Valentino. You May well be proud of
him.' "
Carlo glanced dement her, Vaguely eerie-
ing her white <kegs, heielong plaited
She did not make up well as Mar-gberita,
and he dreaded acting with her because she
recalled to him the terrible stake for which
he was playing.
"Give me yourgood wishes, Nina We," he
said; and then disgusted to find how his
voice trembled:he turned awayand followed
Sardoni to the wings. Sick, and dizzy, he
looked out across the crowded stage with its
skilfully -grouped soldiers and students and
citizens to the section of the house which
could be seen. His breath came in short,
quick gasps, and his fingers played nerv-
ously with his sword -hilt. Sardoni felt in.
tensely curious to see how he would get
through his task.
" Mestier Divin I Mestier Dian " strong vitality that yet lingered in the
shouted the soldiers, and Carlo's fingers dying soldier.
tightened OR the sword. He became at last Feeling much more like Valentino' ghost
able to think of nothing but that the chorus than like himself, he went forward again
was drawing nearer and nearer to an end, and again to receive the plaudits of. the
and that at the clogs would come that dead people; then, warned by Merlino that he
silence in which he, Carlo Donati, must would certainly be called for at the close of
cross the stage and either fail or succeed. the opera, he flung on, his own hat and cloak
His dresser approached him. over the Valentino costume, and with an
The charm, signor ! Yon have it all irresistible craving for fresh air and dark -
right ?" ness, rushed from the theatre. At the stage
"1 have it, thank you," he replied, and door he eneountered. Plate and old Flores -
unclasped his hand, where the medal burned tano. •
"Why. my friend" he exclaimed, turn -
like fire.
turn -
" 15 will soon be over," said Sardoni,
cheerfully.
"1 know," he gasped, his lips almost
refusing to intim the words. • '
"Oh," said Sardoni "Imeant the ordeal,
not the chorus. Look' to your goal ; that's
the only way with's high jump or with this
sort of businees." -
It was all very well to talk of looking to
the goal but juse then Carlo was hardly '
able to see with his bodily eyes, much less of the cool meht air, and realizing with a
with the eyes of his imagination. The relief indescribable that the horrors that he
crowded stage became misty and confused bed been living through were, after all, not
to him ; he could no longer distinguish the real.
faces in the audience ; they were just a Next afternoon, when by sober daylight
terrible, criticising, impersonal miles. he read the accounts of hirefirst appearance
Bares sang the sopranos. in Enrico s office, his friend, with. e eyeical
Al print° appatrzr I" roared the basses. smile, exclaimed,. "Your head will be
And then came the mocking strain once turned with all this triumph.e •
more from the orchestra as the concluding And then suddenly there flashed upon
bars of the chorus were played ; and all his Carlo the vision of what he had forfeited.
life long that sweet, blithe air seemed to He was too simile -hearted, too genuinely
Carlo like the merriment of Punchinello the honest, not to enjoy to the full. his artistic
clowo, who jested with an aching heart, micciees ; but he thought to hitneelf there
The last chord cradled out, his hour wog 'WAS not much fear' that the man who had
come 1 With a supremo effort he movecl lost Francesca Britton would be, dazzled by
forward, and, as the opening bare of his each delights as public approval can bring.
recitative were ple.yed, walked Mechani-
cally through the bene which opened. CHAPTER XVII
for him in the gage crowd. He believed A nennwntae
that he Mild' have Walked slowlY kit his Alio glimmer Beason at the- Metcaclarite
,
feet seemed no longer his on'o he felt as if was over, Flak and Meflino were well satie-
he were nothing but throbbing heart and fied with its remit, and the Xeatiolitame
bounding pinata, and it was Only from force talked (Allege else but their new baritone.
of habit, after so many reheamale, that he They were justly proud of him, and gram-
In6Yed to the e!letlt Piece, eyes fixed on bled meely rnn. learning that he was to leave
the medal in hie hand. Whieh in reality he
hard, appearing as Rigoletto. AS Count
Rodolphe,' os Plunkett°, se Guillaume Tell
as Enrico, as Figaro in the " Barbiere,"
as the Conte di Luna, and twice in his fo-
vorite character of Valentino. It was with
a feeling of deep regret that, OR the morn-
ing after his final appearance, he awoke to
the recollection that it would be long before
he should again sing to an audience of his
fellow -citizens.
"Gigi," he said, "1 am going to Pozzuoli
to -day. Will you come with me ?"
Gigi sprung to his feet and executed a pas
sent Of ()Math, delight.
An hour or two later they had reached
the familianlittle town, with its domes and
campaniles, its irregular white houses, its
groups of antiquity -sellers, and its air of
quiet, pieturesque decay. Carlo wandered
through the well-known streets, feeling
like a ghost returned to its old home.
Every now and then he would be stopped
by Some 111)SSOThy, and questioned and con-
gratulated, but the return made him realize
more than he had yet done how entirelyle
had separated himself from the past. Gigi
was crazy to eee the boat -building, and
they stood for some time on the beach, in
the very place that had been Carkee favorite
haunt as a boy ; then they made their way
to the Villa Bruno and wandered about in
the garden, and finially went to the house to
ask for some water for Gigi.
"1 made sure you were the count,
signor," said the peasant in charge. "He
said he should be coming, to see the place
again to -day,"
" What count ?" asked Carlo, quickly..
"Count Carossa, signor. He has been
twice to see the villa, and they say he is
sure to take it now."
Carlo knitted his brows.
Why did Count Caress& choose to settle
down la 80 out-of-the-way a place 1 If he
wanted a summer -house, why did he not
choose one at Portici or Posilipo ? And
Shen, like lightning, there flashed through
his mind the recollection of the count's
eagerness to know Captain Britton, of his
prompt acceptance of the invitation to dine
at Casa Bella., of his evident adrairation'of
Francesca. Even at the he had won-
denedgeerre-wfulla Wheezier CaptainBritton's
patience would bong prefer the claims of a
poor and absent lover to the importunity of
the dozens of wealthy suitors who would
doubtless besiege him with offers tor his
daughter's hand.
"San Carlo -San Carbo!" shouted Gigi,
tearing up the path toward him. "I've
caught it at last -just you see!"
His rosy face beamed with happiness, his
eyes shone and in Ms fat little brown hand
he claapeethe white butterfly.
"A souvenir of a happy day and the first
butterfly for our collection," said Carlo,
showing Gigi how to dispose his treasure in
one of the orthodox little boxes.
The child threw his arms round his neck.
" I love you so 1" he exclaimed. "There
was no collections or treats, or anything
nice at all till you came."
Before long, Gigi discovered that he was
hungry as well as thirsty. They had
wandered along the deserted Baja shore in
Bort& s words pleased him more than all. search of more butterflies, and the only
"You are the first real actor I have ever place where food was to be had was the
sung with, signor," she said, in her grave,
love voice. "You have taught 11113 much
to -night."
Piale was at last persuaded to return to
his place in the audience; and, as Sardoni
was pretty constantly on the stage, Carlo
little Hotel de la Reim, to which they ac-
coadingly repaired, Gigi sturdily climbing
the outside staircase, and entranced to find
it number of peasants seated at the inn table
in the one available room. It was a festa,
they all seemed very merry, and though the
was left to himself during his rather long child could hardly understand their dialect,
waiting time. He was glad to be alone ; he
wanted time to realize the great happiness
which was still left for him in his darkened
ife. The sense of having given pleasure
to those hundreds of people was in its
novelty almost overpowering; and yeteeen
all his excitement and happiness there was
an undercurrent of fear, which' made him
again and again repeat the words, " NIA
only with our lips, but in our lives."
Once rnore his acting carried all before it.
The pathos of his happy ignorance, his eager
welcome of Siebel, and his breathless in-
quirer for Margherita, his utter absence of
suspicion and his martial enthusiasm, ap-
pealed
suspicion,
one. Then, when at last
Siebel contrived to hint to him that
all was not well, his agony of suspense as
he questioned the boy, and his grief and de-
spair when he learned all the truth, though
it could be conveyed alone by look and ges-
ture, moved the people to tears.
he liked to watch them; and, indeed,
though it made Carlo feel, more than Dew -
thing had yet done, that his home was in-
deed gone, this visit to the wayside inn was
not a little amusing to him. The breakfast
itself was odd enough to make him laugh.
First came some dubions-looking oysters
from the Lucrine Lake, and a long roll of
sour bread of quite a venerable age. Then
came a dish of eels and spigali-the latter
fairly eatable; this was followe,d. by
maccaroni mashed with tomatoes, which
was quite beyond Gigi's fastidious American
palate; and, to crown all, there arrived an
omelet soaked in rum, and a dishful of very
grim snow to cool the chianti.
" I guess it's the queerest breakfast I
ever had," said Gigi, at the close.
" It is our last in Italy," said Carlo.
"Come, let us drink to our return " ; and
laughingly he clinked glasses with the
child, and pushing the flask of chianti
Merlino's creditable rendering of the toward the peasants, begged them to share
"Serenata " received less notice than might
have been expected; but the audience were
eagerly awaiting the reappearance of tb.e
&butane, and the pa.ssionate. indignation
of his. meeting with neat and
• IVfephistopheles seemed to stir all hearts.
Other baritones had sung Gounod'a Musk
well, but this man not only sang magnifi-
cently, but transforrried himself into Valen-
tino, giving them by his genuine dramatic
talent such a notion of the character as they
never had before, and oat of a compare -
it. Then, to Gigi's . delight, everyone
clinked glasses, and all the peasants were
eager to drink with San Carlo ; and there
wait inuch bowing and smiling and good
fellowship as he lead never before seen.
Afterward, amid much laughter, !mute game
was begun, and Gigi, seeing that they all
seemed to be counting their fingers, thrust
• out his brown little hand, to the amusement
of all present
What is ib? Whatever are they doing ?"
he asked, laughing delightedly, just because
tively small part creating the chief interest every one else laughed.
of the opera. Breathlessly they watched "What 1 don't you know how to play
the duel, which, for once, seemed real and mora I"' exclaimed Casio; "you shall be
life -like. The avenger had the sympathies be initiated. With your permission, ladies
of the house and when, mortally wounded, said gentlemen, we will join your game !"
. .
he staggered to his feet again m pursuit of And so they did, and Carlo's enjoyment
his foe only to fall a second. time, there were of the very mild diversion would -certainly
few dry eyes in the theatre, for into the have surprised any onlooker who knew his
mere dumb action he had infused a rare story.
pathos and had made them understand the While they had been eating, a shabby -
looking fellow with a guitar had been play--
ing to theme and a hungry -eyed boy of 15
had sung in a hard, tired, monotonous
voice, one after another of the ,. fa,miliar
songs of the country.
A sudden impulse seized Carlo, perhaps
the doleful unmelodious voice annoyed him
-perhaps he only yielded to -his natural
love of giving pleasure, but suddenly he
sprung up, motioned to the musicians to
take his place and finish the chianti, and,
taking the guitar, burst forth into one of
his favorite national songs.
The host and hostess came running into
ing to the fiaherman, "you will MUM the the 'room to listen. It waswhispered from
beet Ind of the opera." one to another that the singer was none
" naught 50 me now, eigne're” said other than Signor Denali, the famous new
the old man; "it ended for me en your baritone and the merry peasants listened
death. I'll take my beat at the Piller° and entranced.. At the close there was quite it
be starting home." e babel of thanks and apPltiuse:
" will walk part of theway with you, " My friends," aid Carlo, a to -morrow I
said Carlo. leave Italy, and I have a great wish to hear
And with Piale on his other side, he once Trion, GaribaIdi's hymn sting as I know
strode along, drinking down deep breaths you can sing • it -will you eoin in the
refrain?"
"We will ! we will 1" cried the peasants,
excitedly.
He struck a tow chords ou the guitar,
and then broke out iato the soul -stirring
hymn, and with one accord the men and
women sprung to their feet and joined in
the chorus.
Gigi, not at all understanding what it
was that , excited every one so much, slid
down front hie place at the loirg table and
stood looking out of the open window
across the Bay ot Baja, then glanced back
let° the room ite once more the peasants
shouted the refrain. He Wondered what it
could be that moved then% so muck,
wondered why San Carlo's eyes shone with
so bright a light, and why there was such a
• fenny thrill in his yoke as he Sang the final
verse of the song -it thrill Which sent a
sett of indetieriba,ble tingle through the American champion backward grater, has
child'aireina and made the- tearif start to his decided to retire. He has , Skated thirty-
five races and has won theni all. He has
eyes.
What was it all about ?" he oohed, as, the champion record for a half mile and one
rater it chorus of fa,rewelle and thardis and Mile, and before keying the track willskate
geed Wishes front the priaao,nte, Carlo took for a, three-mila reeerd. Me. will claim the
ettem for aii ieciefinife time. Carlo, &tieing les hand mid led hirn aivay from the little world chanmeanslup tor a half mile onctr
wag toe much. dazzled even to tide, °
•••••••••••
San Carlo, that you ehould all Jo* so
eitger?"
I' It was about La Patrico," mad Cede,
gravely.
• "Then that is why it macle me tingle so,"
Gigi, with a pleased look on hie coed-
eal little face. " really am Italian,
though Shiner Sardoni will call me a little
Yankee, They was Yankees at Salem, and
don't want now to go back to Salem. I
mean to be an Italian always, and atop with
yeu."
Slowly they wandered back to Pozzuoli,
pulsing through the familiar piazza, pausing
beside the fountain ender the trees to speak
to the philosophical-loolring lame beggar,
who had been a boy with Carlo, and was
now eager in his congratulations, Then
they made their way to the cemetery, that
Carlo might visit the grave of his father
and mother for the last tinae, and place
upon it !some of the wreaths and flowers he
had received e,t the Mercadante. Gigi took
much interest in this, and connected no sad
thoughts with the graveyard.
"1 do so like cemeteries ; I think they
are such lovely places," he said happily.
And as they walkf3d between the graves he
trotted along, contentedly chanting to
himeelf the refrain of a game which he had
learned in America. "Here we come
gathering nuts in May," so that Carlo could
not help smiling, even in the midst of his
sadness.
" There is tene more pilgrimage I must
make," he said, as he drove back to Naples,
" and you shall come with me, little one -
you shall not leave Italy without seeing
Carlo Poerio's cap and blouse.'?
" Who was lie -a saint V' asked Gigi.
"He was a patriet, one who loved his
country.and suffered for it. And they shut
him up m prison for years and years and
treated him cruelly, and would have killed
him had they dared, only the people loved
him so much."
" And did he get away from prison ?"
" Yes, he got away. They werp.,zoirtrato
send him to prison in South America, la
he managed to escape, and they never
caught him again. My father knew him
and loved him and that is bow I came by
the name of Carlo."
"1 wish my name was it too," said Gigi,
wistfully. "1 wish they had called me
after that brave prisoner."
• "Never inind ; you were named Bruno,
after my father, you know."
" Was he a patriot 1"
"Yes, indeed he was,"
"But they didn't put him in prison, did
they?"
"No, but they killed him -wounded him
in battle. He died for Italy."
Gigi looked awed and with a sort of
fearful delight gazed up at St. Elmo which
they were approaching. Carlo led into
he disused monastery of San Martino, to
the room which he had visited year by year,
ever since he was Gigi's age, and there,
within it glass case they saw the red blouse
and the cap ivhich' Carlo Poerio had worn
in prison.
Gigi heaved.a portentous sigh.
"1 wish they hadn't been so cruel to
him," he said, wistfully. "How ever did
he Lear it, do you think ?"
"B:e thought about freeing his country
front the bad men who were cruel to him
and to the others; he loved Italy better
• than himself, and thought only of saving
her".
(To be Continue*.
Mow Old Is the World?
The age of the earth has been variously
estimated by acientific men, whose figures
after all must be allowed to be of the vaguest
character. Sir Wm. Thomson, investigat-
ng.the theory of the earth's having cooled
from a fluid to it solid mass, placed the
period of such cooling at not less than two
hundred or more than four hundred. millions
of years, the probability being that a hun-
dred million years is the limit of geological
history, and that prior to that time the
earth's surface was unfit for the maintenance
of animal or vegetable life. Buckland said
that it was millions of years since the world
was created, and the only question was,
how many millions. Hugh Miller said:
"The six thousand years of human history
form but a portion of the geological day
which is pessing over us; they do not
extend into the yesterday of our globe, far
less touch the myriads of ages spread out
beyond." Dr. Croll considers that the
antiquity of the °Idea sedimentary rooks is
not less than sixty million years ;white
Dr. Naughton, reasoning from much the
same data. fixes the minimum duration of
what may be called. strata -making time at
two hundred million years. '
Ontario 'Grand Lodge I. 0. 0. F.
The grand secretary of the Grand Lodge
of Outario, L 0. 0. F., has issued his state-
ment of the work of the order in the Pro-
vince for the year ending 31st December
last. The total membership at the ClOSO of
the year was 18,403 as againat 17,707 at the
close of the year preceding. The average
membership per lodge was 77.32. The
amount paid for relief, funerale, etc., was
64,65257, an average for each day of the
year of $177.13. The number of members
receiving benefits was 2,384 There were
123 deaths during the year. At the present
the assets are enumerated as follows:
Cash in bank and treasurer's handa, $153,-
618.46; invested in mortgages and securi-
ties, $t65,528.68; invested in buildings,
land, etc., $241,301.08; invested in furni-
ture regalia, etc., $155,369.69; not enumer-
ated' in returns, $12,05688; total, $727,-
974.19.
-Emile Zola's new novel is "LaDebacle,'
and it is not as bad as some other books he
has written. Zola will write one more book
to complete it series and will then end hie
literary labors by writing a novel on French
NeeCatholicism.
ne DAYS TO COME.
If I could know taday °
That in some far to -morrow you would long
To hear again the rapids' purling song
About their boulders gray,
That in some homesick moment you would
fain
Be drifting thro' thisesunlit June again -
111 were sure that you
Would sometimes wish with all your heart
to be
Adrift, and dreaming, while yoa shared with
me
My wandering canoe;
I would. not dread the shore of future days
That we minit touch -then take our sundered
Ways.
If I could but belle:ire
That sometime when. you see a suneet
sky -
You will reeall the night that you and I
Watched all tke colors weave
Their wine-hke glories 'round the western
gate,
I would not ask a dearer thing of Fate.
1 think, could but kno•w,
When Indian summer smiles With dusky lip
You still will crave to hear my paddle dip
In rapids laughing low- -
Then would be assured beyond dOkiht
YOUr heart had not -exactly, barred Me out.
Lady Henry Somereet, who has been
staying in C icago, has aleandoned her pro-
jeeted trip to Japan, and will return to
England wale her son eiirly nazi month.
Cherles Gillespie, of Ste JOhn, N. B.,
THE BENEFIT SOCIETIES.
Synopsis of Mr. Gibson's Bill Deal—
ing With Them.
WHAT THE LAW WILL ABKOP Tana.
The Bill respecting insurance companies,
introduced in the Legislature by Mr. Gibsozt
(Hamilton), is, a long and comprehensive
measure. The Bill provides au elaborate
system of registration for insurance com-
panics and for insurance agents. After the
31st day of December, 1892, no insurance,
other than as enacted by and for the pur-
poses of the Lend Titles Act, shall be trans-
acted or undertaken in Ontario except by &
• corporation duly registered as herein pro-
vided. Two registers shall be opened and.
kept as follows : (1) A register of corpora-
tions licensed to transact insurance by
license issued either under the (entail° In-
surance Act, or under the Insurance Act of
Canada, to be known as "The Insurance
License Register," and kept in the -office
and under direction of the inspector
of insurance; (2) it register of friendly.
!moieties autlorized heremunder by certifi-
cate of registry to underteke insuranceoori-
tracts, or contracts in the nature of Maur-
ance, to be known as "The Friendly
Society Registera' and kept in the office
and under the direction of the registrar et
friendly societies; (3) these sections shall
take effect on the first day of July,, 1E92.
The duty of determining, distinguiehing and
registering those insurance incorporationa
which under this Act or any amending Aot
are legally entitled to registry on the insur-
ance license register, and of granting
registry accordingly, shall devolve upon the
inspector of insurance. Upon the decision e
of the registry. office that the corporation im
or is not entitled to registry, or upon any
euspension, reviver ors' cancellation of
regiatry by him; an appeal may be had he
the Divisional Court. '
Friendly societies incorporated ' under
Benevolent Societies Acts et 'Ontario and.
'managed according to the true intent of the '
Act shall be entitled to registration but net
such friendly society shall be deemed to be
managed according to the true intent of
the Act unless the persons insiired in or by
the society exercise, either directly or
through annually elected representatives!.
effective control over the insurance funds of '
the society; and no corporation whatso-
ever, wherein the persons who by virtue of
their office have the dieposition, control or
possession of the insurance funds holds such
office for life, shall be eligible for regie.try
as a friendly society under this Act. Any
lawfully incorporated trades union in On-
tario which under the authority of the
incorporating Act has an insuranceorbenefit
fund for the leenefit of its own members exclusively shall, upon due application for
registry hereunder, be entitled to be regis-
tered on the Friendly Society Register -
Any foreign friendly society incorporated
and operated elsewhere than. in Ontario„
and having in Ontario an agent dulyauthor-
ized by power of attorney to receive process
in all actions and proceedings against the
society which was before the Ilth day oE
March, 1890, in actual bona fide operation.
in Ontario, and at the date of application
for registry has it subsisting membership
of at least 500 persons, bone fide residente
of Ontario, may be admitted bee the
registrar to registration as a friendly
society upon proof that if incorporated
and managed in Ontario it world be a pro-
vident society, within the act, authorized
to make contracts of insurance. The duty
of determining, distinguishing and register-
ing those friendly societies which are
legally entitled to registry, and of granting
regeatry accordingly, shall devolve upon the
registrar of friendly societies, who may In
the inspector of insurance, or such other
person as the Lieutenant -Governor in Coun-
cil Shall appoint. No friendly society shall
be required or permitted to make any de-
posit whatsoever with the Government of
Ontario, nor shall the registrar vouch for
the fina.neial basis or actuarial solvency of
such society; and no friendly society shale,
under penalty of becoming disentitled te
registry, circulate, publish or print any
statement contrary to the intent of this.sec-
tion. The registry offieer shall cause to be
published in the Ontario Gazette, in Febru-
ary and July of each year respectively, it
list teethe corporations which stand regis-
tered at the date or the list. ' After the 31se
day of December, 1892, no person. or persons
or body corporate or unincorporated, other
than a corporation standing ' registered,
under this act and persona duly authorized
by suck registered corporation to act in its
behalf, shall undertake or effect, or offer to
undertake or effect, any contract of en-
surance. If anY promoter, organizer, office -
bearer, manager, director, collecter, agent,
etc., other than those just mentioned,
effects, or offers to effect, any contract of
insurance he shall be guilty of an offence
and on conviction lie,ble to a penalty of VG
to $200.
An electrical atop watch has been tested
in a bicycle race, where it determined the
winner, although he was only one one-hwe- .
dredth of a second ahead. '
The players in the Havana chess match
have agreed that, should Techigorin succeed
in scoring his nintb victory, the match be
prolonged uneil one of zee eemhatants haa
scored 12 games won.
alEMOUNIZIMOBMININW
"August,„
• lower
• i st4,,,s, welt0,,,:tsyniti (Mfiohiesa,wimrciw:knM. ,0,as tieLorenzo.knowntsacoEI.on,hmaaidgttahehedudot sif f ewsaet thernttYrahi citizensesgtitSstthpet tat agoetb 0. ee, no
irP e rme rrorThed.:0 041 ,,,,,,,,,a,:leoleAuTisia k e ittP:v13;:nal cr e: 'al: 1 . .
"dygpeptie can. I then begantak, '
" ing August Plovver. At tliat time
"would come on and 1 would have
For that "again. I took a
" to eat and suffer
"little of your rued-
HF:erirlinCig• 4:4: 1:::::1101117t Illte:
44bt:tkititterg, Aelelittien,itif oerer
" Dyspepsia disap-
" pearecl, and sinoe that , time Y.
"have never had the first sign of it.
"1 can eat anything without the
"least fear of dis!tress. 1 wish all
"that are afflicted with that terrible
" disease or the trottbles caused. by
"it would try Augukt 'Plower,
" ' '. fi h oil I
the series ()f i0pifiSORtatfORSI had StAdie inn, , ' &held it heed Peen tiboitt, ------------------------a_. e . equal II t.
'
•