Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1882-08-23
How a HOOsier Boy saw ha Tower OF
Pisa

I'll During tour of several months i
Europe, | arrived in the ancient city {
flsa at eleven O'Clock on lovely sun
mer night. Being of cours, very cage
, TO see the famous Leaning Tower, I re
4, solved, as the moon was shiring bright
not to wait for daylight, but TO visit tn
lower before retiring, On nv asking tn
proprietor OF The hotel to tel me the wa
to the Leaning Tower, he became great
excited, and exclaimed: 1T is isimpossibl
to 60 to-nightr' laughed at his fears, an
told MIN nothing was impossible TO a
American boy. He sill hesitated, bu
nnally come out reluctantly into the mid
Ile OF the street and pointed out the cou,s,
| was to take.
OH started, full of self-confi lent fear
lessness of impetuous youth. Before tur,
ing the corner, looked back and saw IL,
old man still standing gazing after me-
telt sorry for him, thinking his fears ia
my safety were groundless.
I For few squares the street was wild,
and tho full light of the moon cheere
ne onward; but soon my wa was not t
be so clear.
Coming suddenly to the en- of th
wide street, l found myself by the side G
an old cathedral. The irregular wall
covered with ivy, the light of the moo
SHINING through the ruined Gothic win
dows and showing the decl0ed an
messy interior, gave the scene Il solemn
grandeur that filled me with ,wo In.
in front of the cathedral was the rivor -
no, narrow stream and The w,,or lor
within its banks. WALKING around ~,
corner of the old ediire and nm Tho b, % nI
of the Arno, I presently saw Tho ou,I;n'
of boat close to the shore and ~ Jrnu
nearer, not only found the ho,t hn, dc
covered the owner thereof lving A NJ an HI;
back. - '
The light of the moon sbinino On HI;
face gave it rather a ohastlv onnoora,an ~a ~,
and for moment peused: hnt with .
laugh at nv fears. stepped info tho ho,,
and kicked one of his feet 50 ne to n % awaLor I1
him. The unceremonious treatment rons rua
ed quickly enough. and he snrang un or' .nd
ylared at me fiercelv. Not hein1 an ox
pert in the italian lapeuaoe want tbronnh
n series of pantomines which he f;nai1u
understood to mean that wanted hin, ~
take me across the river Wherennon
seizing long mole he nusbod h;s ama 6,
ont into the slupoish stream A. ., mo
reached the middle it occurred to me- tbs,
here would he n fine onnortpn;tv far ~, ~
ferrvman to collect whatever c,ro by
wished. Accordinolv. Iconrteonslv deol;n,
ed his invitation to enter the csbin a, 7
preferred standing where 7 conld seo ali
around me and watch his movementa
However, had no trouble with NV sleann
boatman. and our craft SOM reocbed ,bo
opposi,e side of the river.
Alter n LONG tedions tramn s.u
what appeared to be n fire iono ,yor
ahead of me. but shortly discovered tho,
it was merely the LIGHT Of tho moon shin
inc across an omen space, pnshing nn
RAPIDLY. came TO the end of the sfroet :.
and to nv DELIGHT. I saw dircctlv in from,
Of me the Grand plaz, of piSa With vn, ,hn
massive Cathedral and tho Ran,iotorv and ,
the beautiful Leaning Tower standimo Tno
close together and oleemino in tho roons
LIGHT! 70 " >"' '''''
After pausino n few momcnts n o,;ov
this first grand vision of tho Tovcr' ''
turned toward n na;,. of hoau,;fr,t o,.,o
mented iron oates which .ttraotod ,,m .n. ~.
tention Rnt whom 7 woni ~ - ny ;l az,
and looked thronoh the sgbt w,s ~ not t'iuu nna
calculated to add to NV cheerf,lneos ' Gov UnI
found mvself facing the ore,t I, C,nona ~, =
Santo, or burying ground Of pis, Tbe
brioht Iicht of the monn nm tho n,ortIo
monnmanta md tombs rho woirJ sbndou,O ',,, D,o
of the norcbes the narfect stillnoss I'V%o of ,ho
niohf, insnirod me with n strange foo,inn
of awe, LEAVING this solemn nl,ca !
walked over to the Grand old Cr,boJroi
and the Bspistery near the Leoniny Toyer
From lint nnint ,hc Tower was di.,in"11r E"V',
outlined and the sicht Of i,s cicht hnr;'S s,nr;aSs
and the colnmns of MIRO yyhi,e ,nari,Io nI io'
glitterinr in the moonlioht ,nn,, r,,,ii
me for nv tedious walk p'' ''''''
Advancing to the hnsc of ,he r,wo,
went inside and locked mn Thn 'i' IAN
rones touched the si1ps ne,r ,ho tn, NV and Uoi'
hnng down close to The wall ,h;nI, %rn
tb,t y m,n loot;ng nm from, thr u h,,,o,, ,r'"r 's
deen we'll wonld have verr c oonS ro,'9ii i,o ~,
of tba anneoronno Of tbe Ton1,ore 500 ,ucn
from ,ha h,so oSnoci.liv Il ,ho unII R Sss1 Ioe"
nened 10 he onifc oF Tho narrsn,,icni,p. m mIi, n,p
7 heo,c n climb lai.nroIr ~ "i'o".", ,ho ."n
h,t I conld not nrevnn, mvself fron, n' % %.iP'
;nr toward ,bo conter as 7 woi,.aI T"n % ous
on The leanin~ side 1t senmed 70 'r'"m" "no
hat NV wei@bt olono wand n,rn' :" ,Io 'io
,vbo,e strnctnra to ,onn,a ov"r '''0 '''o
This wonderfnl Tower is abo,, ,h;.,,.
- 'H' ~