The Lincoln County herald., 1870-06-23
[From Western Monthly.1
THE WIFE OF GARIBALDI.
BY LAWRENCE LESLIE.

On tho western shore Of the Adriatic
Sea, near the mouth Of the river Po,
there is lonely unmarked grave. Rank
weeds grow in profusion around it, tall
grasses bend over It, aud wild flowers
shed their perfume above it. The soil.
tude is broken ouly by the song of birds,
the signing wind, or the mournful mo,
notony Of the surf as 1t breaks upon the
adjacent beach. Twenty summers have
come and gone, and twenty times have
the flowers dropped their withcred leaves,
since loving hands fashioned that lowiy
grave, tenderly covered the dead, and
fed, weeping, from the place Of burial.
The revolution of 184O had run its
course; Rome had surrendered to the
armies Of France, and the Roman Repub
lie was no more. A remnant Of the pa
triot army, disdsiuing to surrender, hsd
shaken the dust Of the Eternal City from
their feet, and made a perilous march
across the country to the Adriatic Sea,
with the design Of embarking at Cesc.
naGice for Venice, which was still held by
the revolutionists, though besieged by
land and sea by powerful Austrian
force. The boats in which they had
essayed this perilous journey re small
and overcrowded, an the weather unpro.
pitious. Besides, the swift cruisers of
Austria swept the sea, rendering capture
or destruction almost y certainty.
About two o'clock on q gloomy, misty
morning, late in July, 1880, General
Garibsldi, his wife, and four or FIVE of
bis associates in the struggle for Italian
liberty, went on board one Of these frail
crafts, and steered in the direction Of be.
leagursd Vonice. The wife Of Garibsldi
was suffering from q protracted disease,
aud though she had to be carried most Of
the way in her husbands arms, she
pleaded SO earnestlw not TO be left behind
that they could not refuse her, aud such
accommodations we're prepared for her as
their limited resources would allow.
The wind was fair, and under cover of
the darkness the boat Rlided silently to
ward its destination. But when the sun
rose ana the mists cleared away, it re-
vealed to their anxious gaze two Austrian
fiigates in dangerous proximity. The
wind too had changed, and they wero
making but little progress. Itwas hoped,
however, that such speck upon the ocean
would not attract attention; aud as the
sun rose higher, without apparent discov.
cry, they began to regard thoir position
% quite secure. But this illusion was
soon broken. The sound of gun came
booming over the water, and its rumbling
1....1 u If.
hostile vessels changed their course, and
the patriots knew that they we're pursued
Il Was now . race for life. The wind, %
before stated, had changed, and was now
favorable to their return, and they fed
rapidly to the shore. Their pursuers,
however, gained rapidly upon them; and
when their bost touched shore the can.
non-shot were falling thickIy among
them, - the frigatcs discharged their
broadsidss at the escaping fugitives.
The poor suffering woman, who had
grown rapidly worse under the danger
and excitement, was tenderly lifted from
tho rude bed which had been made fer
her on the bottom of the boat, carried
beyond reach of the plunging shot, Ian.
guished few hours, and then breathed
her last 10 the arms of her husband.
A grave was hurrisdly made 10 that
wilderness solitude; and as the dark
shadows Of night were creeping along the
shore, now scourgsd by the Austrian sol.
diery, the loved form was laid to rest,
and Garibaldi had only time to drop q
few tears upon the humble grave, and
then went forth, weary, hunted fugitive.
Tho history Of this beautiful, gentle |
aud heroic woman, so full Of adventure,
danger and toll, her romantic life in
South America and tragic death on the
the frontier Of betrayed and bleeding
Italy, formsa most interesting chapter in
the history Of that long.oppressed but
nov FREQ people. Garibaldi was aa on.