Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1889-08-20
The JGrTAruRA.
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/ Italy. We had heard of nun thfOugt
mutual friends a. our future neighbor,
his parents having taken for the summer
the villa next Ia our, situated In the
gardens ~ the Hotel Victoria. our Ne
apollian friends had given Va numerous
accounts II thls wonderful power, In
which they believed most firmly, aud
while their stories amused IA, We ridi-
culed their superstition, and for one
felt a great curiosity Ia meet thi. Won
lerful Individual who could bring the
dlrc-t mlsforiuncs upon one by a mere
glance.
lie arrived IN Sorrento the very even
Ing ~ the hall At the Princess B.'s, and
her sons soon brought him up io bc pr'-
senied. was more than ever Impressed
with the absur,iliy ~ the superstition ON
seeing thls handsome. elegant, courteou.
stranger. aud decided AZ once to accept
him az a friend II for nothing else hut
to prove to hi countrymen that there
we're some people whom they considered
intelligent and well elucaiei. Gar above
their supcrsiitlon. We saw a grrai deal
~ him that evening. aud were all greatly
pleased with him, aud what struck me
az particularly strange was that every
one treated him with marked consl,lera-
tian anh courtesy. The evening was
charming. with little excitement added
bv one of the Young ladies slightly
.pralning her ankle toward the close II
the last repetition ~ the Taraniella-not
very seriously. ss shc was able Ia walk
to her csrriagr; indeed ~ .light an acci-
dent that We forgot all about Il before
reaching home.
Tic next day Ne were visited hv the
friend. Who introduced the Marquis H.,
the Ictiatura. AMI Immediately com.
menccd mllylng them on their absurd
superstition. and aid that considering
the light In which they regarded him. |
noticed they All treated hlm most rc-
specially.
"Thai !. lust Il. one exclaimed. "pcc-
pie have 20 treat the fasclnl politely, so
that they may do them no harm"
"And now. madame" aid another.
the morn impul.iyr ~ the two, ''you can
NO, deny the power ~ the jeiiaiura after
Last nightF'
"And what happened lat nighiT | In
puirr,l.
"why. didn't YOU .cc the petite Monte.
hello uas dancing beautifully When u.
looked NJ her. AMI he fcil and .pralncii
her anklef Theu therr VS. the Prince
H.. who came from Maple. o. Httend hi.
wlfe's hall: d. had never been better In
MI. lie. II. speaks a. him, tell. him how
Glad b. I. 90 see him locking so we'll,
and In half an hour afterwari. the poor
man falls suddenly ill aud can harilN
reach hls l..,i. where he will probably
have "a rrmain, the physician .ay., Tor
several we.ks."
.'wen, In All that reply. II 49,
nothing strange. Both thing. could
have happened a. well without the pre-
cnc- ~ the msruuis. Do YOU not sre
thlt u l. simple coincidence, and thRi
II 1. only because stou ar looking for
such thing. Ia happen when your poof
friend l. near that you notlcr thvm
just a.. II happens Nheu some one We
care for Z. seriously iil. every sign seem.
to Isoint to death. N We 20 out Ne meet
q funeral 90 pass strvct. in which We
can rad undertaken. sign-boar,is; II we
take up = book or paper something con
cernlng death l. SURE Co meet the eve.
AZ another time u would all pass un-
noticed: bat the mind being full ~ one
subject. ~ one fear. II has room for
nothing else"
Hut all my arguments were useless
their answer Was always the -ame.
"Well. whatever people say, ther" I.
something Ia u, and none of us would
ever 20 cut without something about "a.
io keep off the evil eye"
I have never met more Intelligent,
more highly cultivated men than the up
per-class Italians. W, II l. just Ia ihls
upter clas., the nobility, that one hnds
this superstition strongest. The middle
classes, the trades people, are almost eX-
empt from II. but the peasaniry, Ike
the mobiles, believe Il with an undoubt-
Ing faith. They have the greatest num-
her ~ ornaments a. charms against this
wonderful power. aud do no, believe
there was one among the highly educat-
cd people We met Ia Maple and lis enSi-
runs Who did not carry. concealed gen
orally, a little coral or she'll ornament la
the form ~ a hand with the thumb aud
two middle fingers turned under, leaving
the index and little fingcr to stick out
Ike two horns. This same motion I.
also made with the hand When Que meets
the i@r.on endowed with the fatal gift.
Another powerful charm against II i a
little bell. rather square than round
With part ~ a phrase la Greek letter.
meaning. "May the goodies. of OLYMPIA.
protect "a. against the power 81 eyes
our Icttaiura soon became an Intimate
friend, aud many time Ne laughed to-
gether over the absurd superstition Of
our mutual friends, aud AZ other times
the poor fellow was almost ON the verge
~ tear. az BE- looked upon the serious
side Of the sad Joke.
You will ask how thi. fatal .uper.ti-
tion was fastened upon him. Well, Ia
the most idiotic way imaginable. III.
grandfather was a minister ~ state aud
particular friend of the ex-klng of Ma
pies. They we're together At san Carlos
one evening. listening to the latest opera
and criticlIing the grand ballet, of which
Italians were 80 fond, when Marquis 10.
remarked that the large chandelier IN
the middle of the theatre looked very In
secure. aud II not attended Ia would soon
IL the cause. perhaps, ot some dreadful
accident. II happened that he wa- a
true prophet, for almost Immediately
after the performance the chandelier fell.
fortunately on empty seats, or the ac-
cident would also have followed.
The next day, when the king was In
formed of Il, be- said hughingly; "Oh,
that ID. h. must have the evil eye "a
prophecy 80 exactly" That was enough,
aud at once by the courtlers, Jealous of
his popularity, he was called jettatura.
At hls death the mantle of his fatal gift
fell upon hi son, now mOst inOtiensiNe,
delicate old man, vet whose power j. sO
feared by some that while stopping at a
hotel In whose grounds he has villa.
every morning at daybreak they had a
COW promenaded up aud down the walks
to counteract his power. Hut the pres
ent marquis l. the most powerful OF the
three, a. his mother was also supposed
a. have the gift, and for this childish
superstition here i young man Of twen-
ty-elght, handsome, elegant, wealthy.
heir tO two marquisates, and With one
Of the prOudest names of Italy, whose
whole life has been shadowed with 1t
one of the most amiable, kind-hearte'l
men imaginable, whose aim In life would
only be- to do good. From the time he
was old enough Ia realize hls sad Inherit
ancc he determined Ia live down the
superstition, and the better To do this
determined to enter politics, aud has
done so with such success that he l. now
deputy To Rome, which correspond. To
our Congressman.
Mr.. Newma-"Now tell me Mrs. Bar-
kins, do you believe In one cows milk
for the babyr' Mrs. Barklns-"Waal,
that depend. on the child. II he's a
good, strong, healty baby, and want. ii,