The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1885-03-06
Holiday Scenes in Naples.

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for comets.
Holiday Scenes in Naples.
A correspondent of The London
Times writes from Naples, Dec. "a: It
is Christmas eve, and despite the sad
disaster which has recently befallen
Naples, all are ontwardly full of life
and, merriment. The zampognari, a
necessary element in the celebration
of the season, have at last nude their
appearance. During the festivities Of
the Madonna Immacolata they were
showed up, but row for the last nine
days their harsh bagpipes have been
heard in. every shop and every private
house. Two wooden spoons OF home
manufacture guaranteed the contract
between these rugged shepherds and
the devout who engaged their services;
and engrayings of q Madonna and
Rambino were placed in some con
spicuous part with waxlightsh aring be-
meath them. This morning the shep-
herds played their last, and now anoth-
err scene presents itself. Standing on an
eminence one may see the smoke as
cending from u thousand chimneys.
w udL 1uAull uOCS IL dIiuOulCCs AL
the day the masses have observed
complete abstinence from food, but
they have an abundant compensation
in the evening. Newfoundland has
supplied many a hnndredweight of
salt. fish for the principal dish; our sea,
too has had many demands made upon
it. Every article of food has made its
appearance, except meat, which would
have created a horror, and a hundred
little nothings have contributed to
load a table dedicated to holy fast.
But, alas, many a guest is missing
whose presence enlivened the festiy-
tiles of last year; SO that the socia
character of Christmas has suffered
much. Some there are whose food
has swollen in their throats Ms they
looked around on vacant places, and
many outsiders, accustomed to rally
round the family hearth, have feared
to return and realize the losses which
they have experienced. True is it
that the majority OF those who were
carried off by the cholera belonged to
a class whose feelings are less sensi-
tive, but numbers of others among the
educated and wealthy will to-day and
tomorrow shed bitter tears. All now
have dined and, there is a rush to the
churches to visit the Bambino cradle.
A long line of worshippers from the
doors to the altar, where the manger
is erected, r awaiting their turn to
approach. They are very pretty
structures, where in some instances
NAV be seen all the animals saved from
the flood. There is a choir of angels
who surround the Bambino, and, even
more, divine beings look down on the
scene with complacency. Happy.
thrice happy, are the thousands who
will this evening visit these affairs. No
doubts disturb them, no skepticism
suggests painful inquiries; they have
nothing to do with investigation, i'm
agination opens TO them a brilliant
scene which commands their sincere
faith. Something of different kind
is going on outside the doors of the
church. One might fancy oneself in a
besieged town. Bombs are bursting
and shots are heard in all directions.
1t is a custom, a tradition which deties
the power of the polita-all southern
ers rejoice in noise. Remove the bombs
from the streets, and the irrepressible
people will fire guns from their, VIM
dows or from the tops of their houses.
the hospital or the pretura do not
brighten them, SO that the Pcllegrini
has already received some victims
minus an eye or y hand, and the pre-
tura has had to administer justice in
the form of a fine or Imprisonment.
Vive Ia bagatelle! And this will con
tinue till New Years day. Ali this
week, too, the principal streets have
been blocked up by the traditional
bancareM and licened peddlers with
most tempting tineries. As we'll might
one attempt to suppress. the lottery as
to forbid the establishment of the ban
careM in the Toledo and some other
public places. And truth to say one
has some sympathy with these little
merchants, for there is great suffering
among them; buying and selling have
been out of the question during the
cholera. But unfortunately u bril-
liant weather has this weel: changed,
and tremendous tempests have ragged,
SO that the small shopkeepers have al
together been disappointed in their
hopes. People are now all going off
to midnight mass. Two cold hours
they will pass from II o'clock till !
o'clock after midnight, but they are
well primed by good supper and are
able to resist discomfort.