The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1884-03-28
SKULLS AID SKElRT0iS


Whom 7 was III Rome did as mighty
few Romans do--went To church about
eight times 4 day. They were, IL fact,
the only places where n could keep
cool. Bone is hot enough IN August 10
passforasuburb Of Tophet, even tho.gh
the good Leo lives there; the stone pave-
ments become 20 heated that the pedes-
trian thinks he is : movable chop Ia
process Of boiling, on tho gridiron. while
the brass angels on the top Of Saint An-
gelo and Saint Peters are gradually
melting into oblivion, + am told, for the
want of an umbrella or q Japanes fan.
1t was on such an afternoon that 4
took refuge temporarily beneath
group of trees that stand just opposite
the Barbeini Palace, seating myself
among q quaintly- attired group of fruit
hucksters with whom I soon opened up
a trade to the extent Of q pocketful Of
apricots and figs and few oranges.
Such an extensive commercial trans
action threw the honorable body Of
merchants into the most intense ex-
citement until I was compelled to seek
relief by escaping. In the rear Of the
little market place stoodfa queer look
ing church, with such. wondrous arch
itectural design that it was impossible.
to even locate the front door. There I
would certainly find rest and GOODNESS,
and that quiet peace that only a snug
seat in o church pew can give. At
the head of a fight of stone steps q
huge oaken door, studded with rusts
eaten nails, barred the pilgrims pro-
gress-knobless, bell-less, c~lapper-less.
1 had to resort to my trusty with
which 1 vigorously thumped the closed
portal, A chain ratified, a bolt was
drawn, q key turned slowly, the door
sprung open and a stoop-shouldered
specimen of antiquity, of monkish mien'
and costume, with shaven head and
barred feet, peered through the aperture.
! babe him good day in my best italian.
conversational-guide-boo style, hut the.
only response that came was the beck
oning Of the long, skinny finger. I will
lingly followed, as much mesmerized by
the finger as actuated by curiosity.
Through corridor after corridor, lined,
with portraits of hundreds of holy faith
ers of the past centuries who stared
ominously at mo- as my Alpine boots
echoed along the stone floor; through
gloomy passages and old doors, through
chapels and rooms we passed, but no
churc interior was revealed. On the.
contrary, Ire led the way downs flight
OF stairs, where another huge key
opened another door which closed.
upon me with o startling echo. I
was in cellar, illuminated only bya
few streaks of light that it forced its
way through the narrow, d~ust-covered
window at the top. A rapid glance
around Mortified me. nightmare OF
the most elaborate kind seemed to have
taken possession of my mind, all the.
sbooks and COLLINS, Of my childhood.
faded into nothingness. The ghost
that Inhabited the garnet in onr old
farm house aver since the hired man
was found dead was an angel in com
parison with the sight I beheld. Right
IN front Of me, so close that I could al
most touch the horrible creature, stood
q grizzly, grinning, grotesque skeleton,
It's uneven Uranium ornamented with,
little tufts of dried and withered hair,
the orbless eyes looking through and
through; its lines of moldy teeth stand
ing out in hideous prominence; its bony
fingers clutching a string Of beads and
9 bunch of flowers as withered as itself.
Then it dawned upon me that I had ac-
.cidentally strayed into the famous Cap
puccini underground cemetery. 1t was
the most extensive galleryof skull-turey
l had eve seen. Skulls to the right of
me, skulls to theleft of me, skulls around
me grinned and scowled. From grace
full arches and bedecked affairs ; from
cobwebbed walls and massive columns,
hundreds upon hundreds of pale, yellow,
skulls faced me-some with distended
mouths and awry features, as if their.
last struggle had been a paroxysm of,
pain; some gazing with unutterable hor-
ror on their feshless companions; some
smiling diabolically as if they gloated,
over the fact that the world would have
to follow them On the floor were piled:
cord after cord of neatly arranged bones,
surmounted by pedestals of skulls
propped up by the more distinguished
monks, clad in brown cowls and moth
eaten cassocks. From the ceiling were
suspended clocks and chandeliers and.
hanging baskets made of connecting
bones; the walls were covered
with curious ornaments more repnl-
sive than picturesque-center pieces Of
leg bones bordered, with radiating ribs
and spinal joints; arches and pillars
covered with twisted vertebra; bas-re-
hets of knee caps and ankles represent
ing historical and legendary figures,
No less than 5000 good old monks have
contributed their anatomy to build up
s'this bony framework as Hawthorne,
called it, ind n cannot blame the in
quisitivei If i%rreverent New Highlander.
who wondered how they would find
themselves and pull each. together when
the last trumpet soundsi
After a time the living monk reap.
peared. | was glad to see him. i was
without him. Picking up a
dusty old thigh bone thathad apparent
y seen a good many years of service,
but now seemed to be of no practical
use to any one, I asked for it as an adj
dltion to my museum, But che dread
fullook of horror that met my propo-
sal induced Inc to replace it instanter.
" as o somewhat stingy operation on
his part-as if he couldn't spare q pound
or two of monk from such a stock. /
suppose if Adam had happened in and
inquired for a rib to replace the one he
Eve, he too, would have been re-
The Cappuceini Monastery is not the
only place, however, where "the I'M
feshed skeleton" may be seen. All the
Of renown are on view somewhere
in the old world, and with commend
able ~liberality the good men have dis.
tributed themselves around for the
benefit Of. humanity. st. Matthew rests
from his tax-gathering beneath the al