The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1868-12-05

BONAPARTE TEEE EgAgpY.
: ! : ! ! ! ! - : ! !
small stresr - ss''51s 'aSI Is.rated
inn of the Campana<1 Avel
lived, and on the fhreshold of winch he
used to be seen in his wooden shoes and
peasants suit, asking various travellers
the news from their counties. or play
ing, laughing aud dispain., with the
landlord, the miller or the butcher. The
great author might be seen pruning the
lime twigs in. the morning. or super
intending the cutting down of trees. and
thus occupying himself with the things
of common Iile-to calm, as he used to
say, the efferyescence OF his brain.
About twenty miles further on is Ger
taldo. which boasts Of giving birth to
Boccaccio, though he was born at Paris,
but lived long time at Certaldo, and
died there.
Between these towns, rendered illus
trious by the memory of these two great
men, is a little unknown hamlet, stu
ated in the midst Of a smiling valley. 1t
has a church Of no renown, and bare
OF art
In the year 1907 there was n cure
living here called Bonaparte. He was
poor and obscure, as if one of his name
had never caused the Pope to leave the
Vatican TO crown him at Notre Dame of
4
as if he were not the uncle Of Letitia
and the great uncle of the young general
who had conquered Italy, saluted the
Pyramids, and made an unmade kings IN
Europe The cure, in the parsonage
garden, was another AlcinouS, training
his vines around the five or six elms
that grew on the little domain, and he
wore, like the father Of Ulysses, a tat
tered cloak and mended shoes All the
noise that his great nephew was making
in the world passed over his head with
out his hearing or needing it,
No one in the neighborhood suspected
who he was he had forgotten Corsica
to remember only his Pensioners, who
were as simple and ignorant as himself.
His gun, which he sometimes took out
and In bis little parlor we're rods for fish
ing. These amusements, added to the
cultivation Of few flowers and the col
lection of tithcs twice year, were the
temporal occupations of the worthy Bo-
naparte. As TO his spiritual duties. he
never made any Innovations, but read
the mass twice week, aud preached
every Sunday after vespers.
There were, however, three objects
which occupied the attention of the good
priest more particularly than his other
Pensioners they were a young girl a
youth and a tame white hen. He had
baptised and catechised the girl Mattea
and observed her growing youth and
beauty with innocent pleasure her bean
tiful dark eyes, graceful figure and sim
pie, artless manner were admired bv all
She was the pride Of the village. The
good man was constantly thinking ofh
future prospects, and had arranged a
suitable match for her with Tommaso
his sacristan. He was tall, fine youno
man, and constant guest at the presbv
terry; he was the priests factotum; he
worked in the garden, cooked. served at
mass, chanted in the choir, ornamented
the altars and was chief butler at home
He was good fellow, though rather
noisy, aud always the first and the most
ardeut in the village quarrels.
Such was the sutor whom Bonaparte
had chosen for his young protege, and
Tommaso loved her deyotedly.
The good curate was living peacably
and happily among his flock aud the two
or three beings he especially loved, when
one day an unaccustomed sound was
heard in the village, horses hoofs clat-
tered on the stones, and the quiet court
of the curacy was filled with IA troop of
cavalry. One of the Emperors officers.
covered with gold lace, and-with a plume
of white feathers in his hat .disuounted
! :. !. ! ] !
entered the model agl Ated
general; :. comps, yourssl Is Is
your name Bonapartc, and .nre you the
uncle of Napoleon, Emperor of the
r. TIL