The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-05-07
THE BALM OF VESUVIUS.

"What is the meaning of that crowd,
if you pleaseP" asked young Ameri-
can of fruit seller in the streets of Ma
pies, of whom he had just bought some
grapes ....,.
cit is an improvisatore, Signor," re-
piled the man.
81 must hear him." said the foreign
er, delighted. s Jas sa..si- -.
Now, this American had read of the
improvisatore often. He is peculiarly
Italian institutional man who, gener-
ally at twilight, pauses in a crowded
place, casts down his hat at his feet and
improvises story in prose or verse.
He is much more romantic than the or
grinder, and gets many more small
coin.
The American felt quite delighted at
the opportunity afforded him, and took
a place very near the porch on which
the man had elevated himself. He posed
himself, this improvisatore, most grace
fully; beside his hat lay his knapsack.
He was handsome, as we all expect
poets to be and seldom find them. His
of light, and sparkled and grew soft as
the eyes of the most estimable English
speaking person never could. His hair
was black and ripping, and his olive
cheek smooth as girls. The American
waited eagerly, and with romance in his
heart, for the beginning. This is what
he heard: I'D -.o.. ..,..'-. ..5........
''Signors and Signoras, and Signori-
mas also," said the italian, with that
musical accent which makes the speech
of some parts of Italy almost a song to
foreign ears" Signors, Signoras and
Signorinas, am about to tell you a true
story-a tale of fact, not of imagination.
Think you it will interest you less for
that? No; assuredly you will remem-
Der that fact is stranger than fiction.
Beside, my grandmother was the pref
test woman in Naples. His grapdmaoth-
er"I hear some one cry, laughing. All,
Signor, you need not laugh; am speak
ing of my grandmother, Beatrichi Pan
cini, at eighteen years of age. She was
the beauty of the town, the envy of
the girls, the alteration of the youths OF
the place. Not a young fellow in Ma
pies but admired her-but she had given
her heart to one alone, Luigi Vannicci,
the bravest of all the young Neapolitans,
and when he was rich enough they were
to be married. Meanwhile no other,
however handsome or gallant, could get
so muck as smile from her.. She was
as constant and true as she was beauti-
full. Half way up the slope of Vesuvius,
in little house long since destroyed by
eruption, she lived with her father. Hei
mother had persisted at her birth, ane
the fatheriwas very old. He had abou
his dwelling little vineyard and a few
fig trees, but his subsistence he derived
from the sale of a lotion which he him
self had discovered, of which no one els
knew the secret; he called it the 'Baln
of Vesuvius.' To procure its ingredi
ents it was necessary that the old mai
should arise at night and climb tn
mountain and pluck certain weed tina
grew in the hollows of the earth befor
the sun had dried the dew upon it. A
times, after the mountain had been 81
lent for long while, strange vine be
gan to grow in the crate. This he mus
tear from it's bed, for the roots were pre-
cious. He dared not confide his secre
to any man, and, at his age, the task 9
gathering the ingredients for his lotto
had grown laborous. However, whe
made, this mixture was q sovereig
remedy for all those wounds and bruise
the mountaineers and guides were so ar
to receive. 1t also cured rheumatisr
and allayed the anguish of fever pains
As he was honest and asked but fai
price for this precious balm, the tw
managed to live upon its sale, for Bes
trice was a careful housekeeper and di
not waste mOneV az most GIRLS of her 40
will do. F ~ e1iTI Gu1Yr dgnd~
"They were happy in their lit