Evening star., 1881-12-31


the misty light with faint recollection OF
Father, father, come to confess" dawning
| on me- and wonder vaguely what my penance
is to be.
! He looked at me until my eyes droop before
i the light in his. and then | am gathered to his
| embrace as he whispers:
| You must give yourself to me. Hilda, and
then through all your life you shall never have
| cause to be jealous of me again"
And L did not say nay.
THE CARDINALS CORPSE.
How the Grave Of n High Church Dig
nitary was Robbed by Five Rascal~.
And How an Extraordinary Appari-
tion Appeared.
The robbery Of Lord Crawfords body has
caused great excitement In England. Mr. La
bouchere, who is never at a loss for an apropos
story. relates the following Incidents" When
Cardinal SpadeiiO died there was a pious but
warm dispute as to where he should be buried.
His family who were all Princes del Spadelii.
| demanded that he should lie in a splendid mau-
soleum which had been erected for members of
their house on plot of consecrated ground
within the gardens of their palace at Villa
nuova, near Naples. The Chapter of S.
JustiniO, whose archbishop the Cardinal
was. claimed on the contrary that
he should be inferred in the choir OF
| their cathedral; but the Benedictine
monks of Villanuova set up much more
decided Claim, on the strength of a torn
piece of paper on which the Cardinal had at
some time OF other scrawled in pencil a wish
tfat he might sleep in certain cool nook of the
monasterys burial ground The relatives Opned
tnat TINS was a mere aesthetic wish--the fugi-
r,,{ {>f,
opinion was against them. 1t said that the torn
piece OF paper ought to prevail. The truth is
that Cardinal SpadeO had been a very good
man, and the people wanted to see him buried
In way suited to the idea they had formed of
his character. 1t was said that for some time
before his death he had led an ascetical life,
though he was very rich and the monks conjec-
tured that he might possibly work miracles if
ne was LAID in their ground. The Benedictines
Iotlhd nc exped!ent to proclaim that they had
caused door to be opened in the wall of their
mrying ground in order that the faithful of
both sexes might be admitted to view the tomb
once week and deposit offerings on it, Cures
OF paralysis neurosis and internal complaints
not easily disccrnibIe to the diagnosis of Dhysi-
cans. now became frequent in the district, aud
1t was thought a kind thing by local practition-
ers that the Cardinal should never trench on
their ground 10y healing infirmitIes within their
compass"
The story then goes on to relate how two
brothers named ForconiO. with three kindred
spirits named Ribaldi, aacripanti and Coquino
planned robbery of the grave Ribaldi and
Sacrlpanti remained in the chapel. ''The two
fofcOniOS and COquinO having arrived in the
vault they commenced to examine the coffin
1T was an imposing structure. more than three
feet high, SO that the deceased could easily have
sat up in it had he been mo:ed to do SO. 1t was
covered with black velvet and surmounted bv a
crown OF ornamental bronze work richly gilt
The thieves had brought implements for forcing
open the coffin, and they supposed that the
outer shell must contain two or three inner
ones; but when they had forced the lid they
were greatly surpri ed, and indeed startled, by
seeing the embalmed cardinal living quietly
asleep to all appearance between the satin
Innings, and with his head repOsRg on white
satin pillow. The sight gave them q turn. The
cardinal was attired Gin his scarlet robes and
laced alb; he had an archi-episcopal mtre Of
gold cloth on his head and his hands. covered
with red gloves embroidered with pearls. held
cfozler. He locked very august. There was a
majestic calm about him which gave Co
4u'no twinge in the region of his
stomach and made the two Forconios
feel as if procession of cold rain
drops were sliding down their backs. The
three rOgues stared hard at the Cardinal then
rec0Iled and looked nervously at one another
they said not word. but the elder Forconio,
unable to bear the look of that solemn face,
drew up the Cardinals cape ever it, and so con-
cealed 1t from view. Then he made sign to
MS accOmplices and after some trouble they
lifed out the sleeper and laid him respectfully
enough on "a white sheet which they rolled
around him. In another minute they had car
fied him up stairs into the chapel, whence they
quickly bore him away to an OK cart waiting
outside the burrl ground "PrestO!" shouted
Forconio, hoarsely. to the pair of oxen and
with tug at their cellars the two animals
moved on. But they moved without the cart
10 the horror Of the ma!efactorS the oxen went
plodding through the rain while the cart stood
mOtlonleSs. The traces had been unhOoked
ForconlO. who was limping on in front with one
hand on the yoke, did not notice what had hap
pencd; but four indescrbable. agonZed yells
caused him to turn round, and the whole earth
seemed to give big heaye under his feet when
he saw tall figure draped in white standing
up in the cart. 'Mad,e de Dior faltered the
rufIian, in a voice which squeaked through his
CONSTRUCTED throat. His first impulse was to fy.
but his senses had no command over mis- limbs
and he stumbled. Raising himself from the
muddy soil on one knee he looked round. The
Cardinal. crozier in hand, was marching straight
toward him.
THE FRIARS.
''There was heavy series of spashes in the
mud and some wild gasps. Forconio's accom-
pces rushed by him. mad with terror. but tine
cripple, less nmble of foot and more heavy of
conscience. went on stumbling from puddle to
humping out frantic sobs. Down ne went
again; but this time when he rose there was
hand on his shoulder. He could not bear it:
one look round, and one glance into that
awful. majestic face, and the criminal literally
hOwled as he tore himself away, charging
through the rain and the dark as fast az he |
could go, till his headlong course took him
to the ridge of the marble quarry. where he
slipped and tumbled all breathess. soaked
and despairing, into space His body was
picked up on the following day stone dead
The Cardinal had followed the culprit, and |
having witnessed his execution. uttered a little
moan of compassion and walked back whence |
he had come. One need scarcely say that this
terrifying affair having got bruted about
through the conduct Of the other four rascals |
who found it prudent to decamp from the coln- |
try, the public veneratiOn for Cardinal Spadel- |
To- tomb rose to Il paroXySm. The Benedictine !
monks. like prudent persons, said nothing to !
damp the general zeal, though they had their
quiet, pious chuckle over the miracle among
themselves. And a particular friar named AntO- |
MO laughed more piOusly than any of the Others |
Tor it was he who had taken the place of the |
dead cardinal and assumed a costume like his |
just for one performance. How the monks had |
got wind Of the contemplated burglary remains |
q mystery of the confessional Perhaps it was |
FOrconiO's wife who whispered the matter for |
she had found her husband morose and tire |
some, and within year of his death she mar
ried the handsome Carlo Carlino, who keeps |
that pretty wine shop, the first to your right |
ri ,v,fn H.