The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1886-11-27
RURAL ITALY.
How the Dwcl,crs In lfai'a" 'h"
spcnd Their Sundays

s,.,J Their Sundays.
Sunday is the gala day in every
Italian village. Then the male portion
of the community turn out i'll the clean
est of blouses, and the females IN n
richest of colorcd gowns and heau-
gears. The church bell rings Its gay
carlton in the early morn ana us
tinklinc echoes flash through palms
and oleanders in the adjacent groves
altering a sweet harmony luscious as
some ideal balsam to the contcmp'a-
tive soul. The solitude aroundlooks like
q fairy paradise under the dreamy 'nflu-
epce of such enhancing music. Nature
seems to throb ~responsively to the call
of Heavenly symphony, and her feat.
urcs wear n smile Of gratitude, as II
she was thanking the mystic orchestra
for the lullabies waited to her devoot-
ly-listening cars. Then the byways
and the highways become filled with
gay. laughing groups and crowds
surging along to the piazza where
they congr,gate in large numbers-the
young people talking love and the old
discussing the state OF the crops TIL
all voices are hushcd in a solemn
silence as the last echo of music
has died away from the belfry, and the
figure OF the pastor, arrayed in soutane
and surplice, with a breviary in his
right hand, walks slowly through the
multitude and enters the sacristy.
Then the large iron door OF the church
is swung backwards and the congrega'
ton throng both nave and aisle
Tapers are lit IN the high altar, aglow
with flowers and lace-edged linen. A
few moments afterwards n of the
miniature side doors is opened and the
chasubled priest, bearing the covered
chalicc and preceded by three or four
altar boys dressed in white and red
garments, makes his appearance on
the scene and commences the cclebra-
ton of the Sunday mass. Peasant men
and women, who can hardly read or
write their native language, tell their
beads whispcringly in Latin; the little
harmonium chants its Gregorlan
music; the little silver bell tinkles and
tinkles, and the ccnsers swing and
swing until the interior OF the sacred
edilice seems literally alive with spicy
doors and delicious harmonics.
When the mass and its accompany
ing sermon are over, most OF the peo'
pie flock out into the piazza and retire
homewards. Others who remain be-
hind go to pay their respects to the
Madonnain one of the lateral chapelles,
and bring their lighted ceri, or tapers'
20 her shrine. In the afternoon the
church is again thronged for vespers;
and after vespers, in the spring, sum
ner and early autumn evenings, the
village orchestra strikes up some gay
melodies, and the piazza rings to the
measured tread of the dancers, while,
seated on granite or wooden
benches around, are the gray
haired patriarah5 and the wrlnkled
cronies of the locality. chattcring with
the nobility of the age Of the by-gone
times when they too made love, or
were made love to, or tripped through
many a polka in the same old square
and on the self-same paving stones.
And thus the sabots chatter, and the
flushed youths and maiiens laugh,
and the children romp about, initial
ing their seniors, and the tables are
brought out of doors, and bottles Of
new red wine are uncorked, and glass
es clash with glasses in many a whole
soulod '%'solute,' and Tyres are
thrummed and songs are sung till the
carlton rings again, and the Mayors
clock points to the hour of minestra
and maccaroni, the usual supper fare
of Italian rustics. Cor. San francisco
(UyOuiclp.