The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1889-07-25
FRANCIS M. CRAWFORD
The Home Life Of a Great Author
"Leafy TallambrOSa "A Notable
People in ParadiSinO "A De-
lightfHl Family Circle.


was going TO Italy, and intended passing the
hottest months in Kallambrosa. Then must
give YOU letter TO my friend, Marion Craw-
ford y said be, "a most interesting person aud
m fine. manly fellow into the bargain. de is
passinE the Summer there with has family"
A few weeks later i left for Italy. Alter
stopping day or two in Florence 10 refresh
INV memory with q look at some of my favorte
mixtures nc the Pitt and Ufizi, started one
very hot morning for PontRssiere, thence took
a carriage aud drove for three hours through a
beautiful country. From the baked roads. the
pestering flies clouds Of choking dust, and the
thronEs of noisy marketing peasants TO cooler
atmosphere the change was delightful. milo
from The gates Of Florence the vines begin TO
peep over the white walls. Gradually the walls
diminish aud the vines become more luxuriant,
Che steep ascent begins, and here and there
halfstarred pine sapling shoots out OF the titled
land with an air of queer surprise. The road
makes a grand sweep upwards TO the left across
giddy bridge, winds past the saw-miil, driven
nv the foaming torrent. and ascends thence
through noble beech trees till its shadows deep
ON beneath the closest
TAPERING PINES OF vALLAMBRosA.
What q contrast between the hot air of the
plains to these COOL inexperienced breezes2
We reached our destination late in the after
noon and stopped before the only hotel IN the
place the Croce di Savoia- This hotel and the
now the Institute for Student EOresters, be-
lOnEed only a comparatively short time ago 10
She Monks Of the Benedietime Order. The
Government has now disp0ssessed them OF this
property. which, If report be true, was much
better managed i'm their hands, and pccuniarliy
was greater source Of revenue 10 the country.
When I went into dinner was placed at a
small table commanding view Of the whole
room. middle-aged man was seated at the
table who. from his cut and general air, at
cnce made ND my mind must he retired In
dian officer. Two long tables were IN the mid
die Of the room and scveral small ones ut the
side There were in all about 50 persons pres
emit The food was good aud plentiful. aud
after my hunger was somewhat appeased l
began 20 look with some interest and curiosity
attbe different people assembled. Nearly every
nation seemed TO be represented, although the
majority were English and Italians
LARGE, NOBLE LOOKING MAN
who sat at the table opposite talking in a clear,
musical voice and in q very animated manner
first attracted nv attention, and finally my
curiosity got the better of my prudence, and
asked my companion If he knew his name.
That is SalEini, the great actor" he replied,
and very gentlemanly, interesting man he is
ns well You win find strange mingling of
people here" he continued. do you see those
five people sitting az that little table over there?
Well, that plain-lo0kinE woman, with not the
slightest sign Of race about her, is the Countess
Pecci, sister-inlaw of the Pope; and that
pretty bright-eyed young woman by her side
iE her daughter. DO you see what striking
Likeness she bears TO his HulnessG The young
man next the pretty woman il her husband,
Count MurOni, thoroughly nice fellow, with
no nonsense. On the other side OF the old lady
In her son. and with as little air Of good breed
ting about him az the mother. Next 10 him is
his wife who looks. as You see, for ali the world
like FoOd-natured housemaid.
AT that other small table," continued my
eompaniOn, who evidently was of communion
tive turn Of mind, il quite different party.
Hou see that dark, singular looking young mAn
sitting with these three nIiddle-aged women
You will think az FIRST, and / atn sure that
you arc thinking SO now, that he is sirIk-
tnEfy, perhaps FepHlsively, ugly; but ] assure
y0G y0u viii mot have talked with him 10
minutes without acknowledging his attraction.
Those three women who are with him are his
mother sister and aunt. They only seem TO
live 70 contribute 10 his comfort and happiness,
for. poor fellow, he is IN very bad health. But
for this he would undoubtedly make 4 name for
himself. De j. ali Italian, rarely gifted. In
deed be seems TO have genius for whatever he
undertakes. He is an excellent musician. iiu-
Fuist. writer, actor, anything You ike; aud az
times very brilliant talker. Some one said of
him-a woman, Of eourse-that she never talked
60 bin Tor any length Of time without thinking
of Chnpu's music"
DO j. the little WOMAN" ! asked. " with
che expressive eyes. who il just now talking
with SaiyiRi."
~Oh. she bears one Of the best names In
ltaiy-a very interesting person. The Italian
W0rd SimpaficG can be most truly applied 70 her.
She is simplicity itself; kind and clever But
abe has very sad story. III VOC stop here long
enough you will hear IL. Everybody knows H.
Look, do you see those three women just going
out OF the room? They are not much TO look
Et, are tbeyf Well, the younger one, who iE
supporting that 1eeble-lOokinR old lady On her
arm, il heroine in her way. She Is clever,
not bad looking, and has good fortune. But
she leads a life 81 absolute selfsacri6ce in de-
voting herself entirely 10 her invalid mother.
o." exclaimed my friend, as he rose from the
table . If one takes tie trouble 20 watch ones
feiiOH-beings in such place as this. one finds
food for much study and interest. have been
MP here every Summer for the last tour years,
and have seen strange things. both good aud
baa The bad where you least expected 10 find
b. and the good popping out in the most sur
pFising manner"
lie paused a moment, and balancing his chair
between his hands. be said. refectiFely:
Pom my word. j am inclined 20 think that
In spite 81 all the evil ] have seen in my life
in the long run the good element in US over
tops the bad. III you were a writer. and per
haps you are one" he said, giving me a keen
story"
Following my companion out OF the dining
room into the court, we sat down, waiting fOI
our coffee. Taking up the thread Of our con.
Version. j told him that ] was not by tb,
way. Dch Of writer myself but that bad IN
dEfEJODd that one Of our best American written
was passing the Summer here bot had seeI
nc one. as yet, who answered 10 the description
j bad bad u him.
Oh you refer 10 Marion Crawford" he re
piied. lie lives MP there. pointing to an irreg
ElaF, pink house perched opposite among th
pine trees aud about 300 feet above us He
with his family, have taken the Paradisino 70
the Summer. lie has brought up all his pe0Bi
from Sorrento, and IL rOHghing it completely
Why ID IL called the ParadiHiBo," asked.
Because it il said that Milton wrote part {
Paradise Regained there. ! can't Vonch 10
ths truth Of ID, but this l can v0ueh for, that q
the time when all this property was ia Ga
hands u the monks the Par4disino was use
f0F retreat for the more pious ones who Z
certain times would go there 70 EY0id th
greater temptations Of the life below
Often" said my com panion, with O hall
cynical, half-ham0rous smile, " when / hea
the old chapel bell ringing for dinner-no
Prayers-I ask myself what those old monk
would say could they see their chapel used as
dining room, and could compare the pTesen
owners repeated succnlent repasts TO their ow
frugal mealsf However, this dissertation.
such 10 DC, took place many years ago. So th
monks must have got accustomed 70 it by th
tiLne."
How large q house is it,D / asked.