The Portland daily press., 1881-11-18
FRIDAY MORNING. NOVEMBER. IS.

One day. as the dawn was beginning across
the water, the men stopped their fishing and
began TO row home with their load as usual
As they rowed along they met the body of a
drowned man going out to sea with the tide.
They picked the body up and laid it on the
prov, the head resting on the arm, and rowed
on slowly to the hut. The little boy was watch
ing for them. and went down to the edge of the
canal to meet them. He saw the body of the
seventh man lying on the Prov, but thought
that he was asleep. So, when the boat came
near, he cried to his father, Breakfast is
ready; come alongl" and with that he turned
and went back to the hut, The men followed
the boy and left the dead man lying on the
Prov. When they had sat down the boy looked
round and said, "Wbere is the other man?
Why don't you bring him in to breakfast, tooY"
"Oh! isn't he here?" cried one: and then he
added, with laugh, "You had better go and
call him; he must be asleep" The boy went
down to the canal and shonted, why don't
you come to breakfast? 1t is all ready Tor you.
But the man ON the Prov never moved nor
answered a word. So the boy returned to the
hut and said "What is the matter with the
man? He won't answer" "Oh," said they,
che is deaf old fool. You must shout loud
and swear at him." The boy went back again
and cried, "Come along, you fool; the others
are waiting for you" But the man on the
PROV never moved nor answered a word Then
the boy ran back to the hut and said, Come,
one of you; for l can't wake him up" But
they laughed ana answered, ''NTO out again anu
shake him by the leg; tell him we can't wait
till doomsday for him." The bow went down
to the water once more. He got into the boat
and shook the man by the leg. Then the man
turned and sat up on the prow and said to the
boy, "What do you WANT" why on earth
don't you come? Are they all to wait till
doomsday for you?'' $50 back and tell them
that am coming" So the boy went back to
tire hut and found the men laughing and jok-
ing. well, what did he saw" they cried; 1t
IL H. sr
coming" The men turned pale and looked at
one another, and sat very still and laughed no
more Then outside they heard footsteps COM
ing slowly up the path. The door was pushed
open and the dead man came in and sat down
in the boys place, the seventh at the table.
But each satNVith his eyes fixed upon the sew
enth, their guest. They could not move nor
speak. Their gaze was fastened ON the dead
mans face The blood flowed chillier and chilli
er in their veins till as the sun rose and flashed
along the lagoon there were seven dead men
sitting round the table in the room.
Such was the story told us one night rowing
home from Choggia 1t has evidently taken
a deep root in the Imagination of the people.
Nor can we wonder at this, nor at the weird
ness of the tale, when we remember the solita-
~ lives these fishermen lead, the limitless
spaces around them, vast enough to fling the
spirit back upon itself and set it creating. The
only matter for establishment is that there are
not more such stories. In the North, out OF
similar SURROUNDINGS Ws suOulu nave d wHVio
group of legends, wild, fantastic or terrible as
the tales which live among the fishers of the
Hebrides or the wreckers and smugglers of the
Devon and Cornwall coasts. But ghost story
is rare in Venice; and this one would be diff
cult to match even among the Italian novellsts
and romsncers. Possibly the external sur
roupdipgs, the aspect of nature may have
something to do with this The terrible is want
ing in Italian landscape, and finds only Iare
expression in Italian art. The scenery OF the
Il. = Cssnrr htrt nrwS
BILE or strange or vague it is not. These are the
essential elements of the supernatural, and
therefore it is that genuine Italian ghost sto-
ry is a rarity.