Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-01-11

upon the population. Like all Southern peo-
pie, they delight in the use Of descriptive
nicknames. As in MADEIRA a very thin Eng
lishman was christened "Deserter from the
graveyard" and as in Capri certain lady
who has beautiful white hair is popularly
known only as "CauliAower," so in Amalf
"Desolaton" was the nickname Of melan-
anchoy American Of my acquaintance, and
Lighthouse" that Of another man who had a
remarkably red nose.
l have spoken of the immense burdens
which the facchini, both men and women,
here carry on their heads. The characters of
these burdens is sometimes singular One
day, just outside of the town. we met n novel
funeral procession 1t consisted of two per-
sons. a priest and a woman and the latter
was carrying on her head coffin in which
was the body of her child. At another time,
rs Carmela and | were sitting on the stone
steps which in one place form part of the
mountain-pa long file of barefooted girls
/ passed us on their way down. each bearing
on her head a large square basket of oranges.
At q short distance behind them woman
with a similar basket on her head was follow
ing. When she had reached Us / stopped her,
intending to buy some of the fruit. What
was my surprise on looking into the haskell,
TO see, not oranges but a legless man He
was her husband. and it was her custom TO
carry him down every morning from their
home. which was "A hut on the mountain-side.
to his place of business and to take him back
in the evening His business was begging,
aud his stand was a sunny spot at a turn in
the high road near the entrance of the town.
Perhaps the most remarkable man in Amalf
is Signor Camera, an assduous coin-collector
and arch@ologist When | first visited him
with Carnela she artfully intmated that l
was interested in the history of the town The
old man at once grew eloquent on the ancient
| power and glory of the republic and the ex-
! tent Of the city before the sea had swallowed
/ up the greater part Of it. Nor did he omit to
mention that the only existing manuscript of
Justinian's PHhdects was found in Amalf. and
/ that the mariners compass was beyond doubt
/ invented there. Signor Camera is happy in
/ the possession of unique coin. the famous
/ tlH. At the beginning of the Crusades,
/ Amalf divided with Venice and Genoa the su-
/ premacy Of the seas. Her sailors We're the
first TO rc-establish between Syria and Italy the
! commercial relations which formerly existed
/ between them. but which ceased on the disso-
! luton Of the Roman Empire Throughout
/ the East the tar of Amalh became the ordina-
| ry standard Of value, and was as well known
/ there as the shilling and franc are to-day.
/ Yet strange to say, not a single specimen of
the tart was known to exist until few years
| ago. when Signsr Camera discovered the one
/ which he now has. 1t is a small silver piece,
| with a Greek cross stamped on each side On
one side is the legend Amdif-on the other
4 Ciritax
The winter passed quickly away for Carme-
| la and me, and it was only when the approach
of spring threw the shadow of separation
across our path that l saw how closely our
| hearts had grown together. It is by imper-
ceptible degrees that the ivy attaches itself to
! the object which it is destined TO cover and
! adorn. In the morning the tender plant
/ leans against tree. a wall. a stone III the
| evening yearning tendril has embraced it
on the morrow others follow. Soon no gen
! tie force sufftcs to relax the hold which the
! plant has gained by quiet and unnoticed
! growth SO il is with our affections. Two
! hearts whose tendrils of sympathy have been
for many days INTERVIEWING, albeit uncon-
| sciously, cannot BE- parted assunder easily /:
! they must be torn aSsunder
Not a word had yet been spoken by any
one about my departure. when one evening in
March. after the reading was over, l broke
the news TO the family that in less than a
! fortnight my brother was to arrive from India,
and that | WAS to meet him i'll Naples and re-
turn with him at once to America. l was
touchedto see the real pain that this announce
ment med to give my friends.
Il will go with you to America exclaimed
Carmela. and read always to you and your
friends"
She Joined in the laugh which this wild pro-
| poSal raised and yet appeared disappointed
that it mst with no approval.
When | came down the next morning
found Carnela in the garden. and saw that
she had been weeping. She handed me IA let
ter to read. Tn few word, it contained were
written in large and clumsy characters, and a
cross accompanied the signature. 1t was
from "A young fisherman TO whom Carmela
was betroth,d and who had been away all
| winter engaged in the corai-hshery on the
coast Of Africa The letter said that he had
| had "A good season. and would soon return to
claim his bride. | did not need to ask why
the news made Carmeln weep. With a look
which went TO my heart, and few words, she
explained il all. Il thought l loved him, ="
she said.
1t was a few DAYS after this, on bright aud
warm afternoon. that determined TO visit the
Islands of the Sirens. These are three rocky
| peaks which rise out OF the sea near the coast
| several miles west of Amalf. As there was
no wind ! took boat with four rowers, and
| Carmtla, Beppu and | We're the passengers.
The appearance Of the islands at little dis
tauce was picturesque in a high degree. On
one side they were radiant with the yellow
| light of the level sunbeams on the other
they they were already dark with the shadows
of evening. Their jagged outlines, clearly
marked against the sky, were broken here
| and there by towers and walls which seemed
| to promise the presence of human inhabitants.
| On nearer approach much of the charm of
| color vanished from these dreary rocks, and
their barrenness and desolation became ap-
| parent. the buildings We're all in ruins :;
church and tower and baston had all long
since been abandoned, and wers now the
abode of only lizards and bats. We rowed
slowly around the first of these islands, OBJ
serving attentively the extensive ruins and
| guessing AZ their origilal uses. Some of
them were evidently of Roman origin, others
not older than the Middle Ages, We recalled
tbs fact that in the days of Amalfis power
her state prison was here. We recalled too
the severe punishment of the wicked doge
AIansone who having usurped the supreme
power in Amalf aud held it four years was
driven out by his brother the rightful doge, de-
pryed of his eyesight and imprisoned here
until he was allowed to retire to Constantine
pie.
When we had rowed in like manner around
the second island known as II Castelletto, we
determined to land, see the sunset from its
summit, and then return home by the light of
the young moon. As We neared the landing
lplace, and were passing point where the
cliff rises quite perpeudlculary from the wa
ter to a height of several hundred feet, a
shower of dust falling ON the boat caused us 70
look up There on the very face of the prec-
ipice and near the top We saw two boys
scrambling about like goats from point TO
point, and gathering the long grass which
grew in the inches of the rock. l was terri
fled at the danger they seemed to be in, but
Carmela pointed to the ropes by which they
We're attached to trees above, and said that it
was in this way that many persons gained
their livelihood.
We landed. BeppO preferred TO remain on
the beach with the rowers, while Carmela and
took the steep path which led up 70 the
tower On the way We met the two boys 60
ing down to their boat, each laden with a
heavy burden, the product of their singular
industry. We sat at the base Of the tower
and watched the suns disk sink into purple
ocean and night climb up the mountains of
the mainland. A large steamer was passing
by. l pointed out to Carmela that it had
come from India, and l had written lone
week more" when she took the notebook out
| l,.f,. lIaI ord spf e.,