Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-10-26

Donna OLYMPIA Pamfili, a lady of
boundless pride and ambition, whose
husband was brother of Innocent X.
Treasure stories abound, and al
though as rule the people do not be-
lieve in ghosts, they have a firm faith
in the existence of vast boards of bur-
| led treasure. All this wealth they
fancy was committed to the keeping
| of the earth under a spell, and can
only be discovered and removed by
some person who is fortunate enough
to invent counter-spell, or who has
stumbled accidentally upon the words
| of the original incarnation.
A countryman who saw Miss Busk
sketching the old ruin of Monte Ruff
ano on a height not far from the banks
of Lake Thrasimene, told her that I'M
der it were vast boards of buried
treasure, which was guarded by twelve
specters, who regularly as Good Friday
came round formed themselves into a
CHASTITY procession and, torch in hand,
perambulated the ruins.
Ciarpe, the last class of stories with
which Miss Busk deals, contains one
or two, such as "The Little Bird"
"The Value of Salt" and "The Sim
pie Wife, which, in slightly differ
ent form, are not unknown in our
nurseries; the others are peculiarly
italian, and as such have the advan-
tage for novelty, as, for instance, the
following:
A countryman was one day driving
pig before him to market when he
fell in with two monks, the Superior
of Franciscan convent and the por-
ter. "Let us have some fun with this
fellow, ;" said the porter to the Superior
q will call his pig an ass; and when
he gets angry will say: We'll, let
us refer the matter to the Father
Superior, and if he says that / am
right | will keep the beast for myself
Then you will join in the conversation
and say it is an ass, and we will keep
it of course"
Agreed" said the Superior; and
when the countryman came up the
whole farce was gone through. and the
pig changed masters, greatly to it's
owners disgust.
Meditating revenge. he dressed HIM
self at nightfall like a poor country
girl, and presented himself at the gate
of the monastery just as storm was
coming on, and ringing the bell. de-
manded shelter for the night.
impossible" groaned the porter,
looking through the wicket: 1--WE can
not have woman in here
"But the Storm" clamored the pre-
tended girl, "and the dark; you can
not leave me out here to perish from
the inclemency of the weather.
"But we can, and we WILL" said
the porter, who was a very ST. An
thony in his pious resolution. "What
you ask is impossible
At this juncture the Superior, who
was a tender-hearted man, put his
head out of his window, and desired
to know what all the talking was
about; and when he heard the case
stated he decided that the girl should
be admitted. "And as" said the
good man, 81 cannot send her into
any of your cells, my brothers, she is
welcome to pass the night in mine, sit
ting in this armchair, wrapped up as
she is, in that thick cloak This was
the very thing the countryman wished;
SO he agreed with alacrity; and the
Superior took him into his cell, and
showed him the chair in which he was
to sit. And there to be sure he sat the
long night through, as quiet as a
mouse, while the Superior slept the
sleep of the just, undisturbed by
dreams of the pig SO fraudulently OBJ
tanned; when all of a sudden as morn
ing began to dawn, out came thick
stick and up got the countryman from
t chair, and Whack! whack! went
the stick on the Superior's back to
the tune of $50 I don't know pig
from an ass, don't I?''
The monks were sound sleepers, and
by the time the fraternity were reused
the Superior had got very sound
drubbing indeed; and the countryman
was off and away without anyone hay
ing SO much as seen him.
Next day he dressed himself UP as
doctor and came round to the monas-
terry, asking if there was anyone all
ing, to the great JOY of the monks, who
compassionated the Father Superior's
hard case, but did not like to send for
the doctor of the neighborhood, lest it
should occasion a scandal This
itinerating physician was accordingly
received with open arms, and con-
Quoted to the Superior's cell, where
shaking his head gravely, he declared