The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-02-05
THRUST AND PARRY.
lParis Eilaro.l

Any person who has frequented the public
promenades at Florence may have occasion
ally met little man, about 40 years old, OF
very elegant figure, we'll KNIT, firmly braced
upon his legs, walking before HIM, with the
air rather OF preocCupation than rcvery. But
what one would especially notice about TINS
parsonage Is that rs he walks along he never
ceases 10 execute fencing maneuvies with his
cane; variations of lunge or combinations OF
guard. Any one Can tell you his name. IL
~ San MaatO.
As have SAID, he is of small stature, but
has finely arched foot, the sign of his race (:
his hand is very delicate, put strong; the
sword'hilt rolls firmly in il. Chestnut mus
tachc and hair; he is not OF the swarthy lta-
ian type. His face is full of energy, with It's
stronghold features; and nevertheless there
is much gentlcness in that physiognomy. His
whole figure compels the idea OF mau pow
Ierfully musclcd.
Ten wears AFRO no one would have believed
that the Baron di San Malato would ever open
u fencing school. A oicilian gentleman, he
lived magntiCently i'll Sicily. lie drew upon
his fortune with both hands, ilnglng his gold
out of the window with reckless generosity, as
one loves to see great gentlemen do. HIS
luxury had rendered him famous; his prodl-
gallty made HIM popular.
There was no ,al.tasy worthy Of great lord
by which he was not tempted; aud none which
he did not obey. Never was mans caprice
better served than By this man. He loved
luxury with luxurious love. His stables
were kept like palace; his palace like Mu-
scum. People came to see his ten splendid
horses paving marble, eating out OF silver,
drinking out of crystal; just as they would
also VISIT his galleries to admire his works OF
art. lie WIN, lie jeu, les tcmmes," he seldom
went beyond the range OF that romance, ana
he sang 1t enchantingly well He kept at
once the best tables, the greatest "buncos, and
the finest mistresses.
He played "MTcenas" after fashion of his
own; dellghting to protec, music IN the per.
sons of dvas, and dancing in those of the
greatest choregraphic stars. Once his fancy
had been taken by u "rouladc" or "jete-bat-
tu"-a nightingale throat or the shapely limbs
of a sylph, It was no use for the public 20 re.
fuse to adopt the favorite. This sultan hired
the theatre for himself, paid for all the seats,
| lupg open the doors, and said, Enter" a
magnificent method OF assuring success, surely,
pitiiul little protectors that we are, who vaunt
of having distributed five louis to the claque!
But the feast could not endure forever at
this rate. One fine morning San Malato hav'
ing by chance looked into his strong box,
found it absolutely empty. Like all thorough
bred bons viveur he did not long hesitate what
to do. Nevertheless fancy that his eyes must
have become dimmed for momcnt-th mo-
ment of brief farewell that we give TO the ire
parable past when we are men Of nerve. lie
looked into the future as one looks into river
upon Il cold day before plunging in. lie did
no: first put in one foot, and then another, cry
ing: ale! ca pince!"-hc simply crossed
himself and dved IN head.iOrmost This was
| how the Baron dl. San Malato became tenc
ing master.
! To begin with, he was already a splendid
fenccr, one of the best. Fencing had always
been a favorite diversion with him, as all
manly sports are with tinCly,tempcred natures
Taught by his father, a Consummate swords
man, whom our fathers IN the art OF using the
ilOls may remember to have seen at Paris, he
devoted five years more to the scverest study
the most carefully supervised course of IN
ls,ructlon. And when he opened his school al
Florence, it was not only the first swordsmal
in Italy whom the arlstocracy came to salute
1t was perhaps still more the modest pride
and glorious courage Of their former COmradc
/ You can well imagine that under such COnd
! lions the fcnIing-hall Of Via MczZa became
the rendezvous of high Florentnc society
For five months during his stay there, the
! Prince Imperial was one OF the most assduOus
pupils who honored the school, together with
members OF the Oldest nobility and the most
brilliant men Of elegant society. This fact
speaks for tsel!-10o francs for 4 trial of skill
with the master; 80 francs for single lesson
They do things on a grand scale in Florence!
As to the romantic side of the manor, rath
or the picturesque--One could never do justice
to it, In the first place, 1t should be stated
that San Malato is known throughout the pc
ninsua and is known in the peculiar light of Il
Legendary type. He has often been called the
D'Artagn of Italy; and certainly with good
reason. Wherever there has been a noble
cause to ma ntaln, Il threatening danger
wherever there was 4 man unjusIly suffering
o woman weeping, a child crying for aid; and
above ALL wherever and whenever the father
land beckoned, he was there, San Malato
TW cnty two wounds received on the field OF
battle! One of the first among those hundred
aud fifty soldiers of epic celebrity who, a
Apremont, held their own against seventeen
thousand men! Forty duels Tor matters Of
honor Mon Dicu, yes but | am sure that
out of them al he did not provoke threcl
Most Of them occurred in Sicily. Here is
one that seems to me worthy of mention. i
was upon the public square in Palermo.
forget what was the political ardur which fired
the frey dispositions of the people at the time
| | think il was about a candidacy. Under The
blue SKY they were chatting and arguing
The Chevalier de P--,a cousin Of the can
didale in question, spoke of his relative in
terms worse than disfespectIul.
"You arc a coward" said San Malato.
| How comical the sequel was.
"Will you dare to repeat that IN five min
utes :" retorted the chevaIer.
"Most assuredly," replied San Malato.
! Thereuron the Chevalier de P entered
his residence, which ironted the square. Five
minutes afterwards he came out and reentcred
the group, with a revolver IN his hand. San
Malato went up to him.
Let me first make another remark revol
yer does not become your hands; it is not q
weapon III for such Us you; you do not know
| how to use it,"
i And he spat in his face. Astonishmcnt or