The morning call., 1890-05-25

LITERALLY, field house.woman) cnoks the little
needed for the laborers. These massarie'' ara
the ugIiest one-stOry buildings Imaginable. They
are invariably set on ali elevation to escape as
much as possible the universal malaria.
Quadrilaieral stone-waIs, perhaps 80 feet
square, rise or leet high A portion of The
front will be covered with an almost fiat metal or
slate roof. Then from the rear wall vaulled
arches extend toward the front These usually
contain three compartments. One, the best of
all, Is provided with stone managers extending all
around 1t for oxen, horses or donkeys: in an-
other the " mascara" warns the food given the
labOiers; aud In the last are stone benches on
which the la6Orers take their midday siesta and
sleep at night. These are more desolate than
any prison known 10 man; ana stand unrriieyed
by vine. shrub or tree, repulsIye aud fOsbidding
shOuetteS OF stone against blue italian sky.
Five other characteristic features OF southern
Italian pastoral scenery suggest, with the
"massarie." human activities and contguily to
human Publications. only TO emphasize the sad.
dening Loneliness OF Italian country scenes.
threshing floor. shaped like followed truucated
cone. where the grain Is
TROD OUT BY BLINDFOLDED OXEN: O
The elsterna, or cistern. for collecting rain
water for The hoeks, for use in time OF summer
drought-huge structures sunken fully ten feet
beneath the surface, with eX posed walls as high
as ones head, averaging 90 feet i'll width and
200 in length, with an ancient windIass in ihe
peak Of one end OF the low roof; the rough, white
stone walls, which divide fields like endless bar.
rcades; The " casselle," moTlarless circular huis
OF stone, surmounted by rude crosses. In which
the field guards and watchers find shelter recall
ing the ghostly sentry houses among the bleach
@ Gems, IN the north Of Ireland, and tho ira
turo," broad, grass-grown highway. which for
1000 years has served IN different localities, like
the vast stock trails leading from grass 10
grass" when Western herds are driven north.
ward, for the yearly exodus OF Apulian herds io
mountain summer pastures.
But where do these one to two million peasants
of Southern Italy live, II the country possesses
no cabins Oh the hillsides, no Nesting farm
houses In the valleys? Every one OF Inem In
towns and cities. l can show you fifty cities In
Italy, below Naples, with populations varying
from 10000 To 20, Oo0, and. think, fully $50
towns aud small Giles containing each from 500
10 5000 souls. There VIII not as many single pet.
sons live between these places as theie will
this country was subject 10 scourging depreda-
lions by the Sdfaeens, to an extent requiring
that people should herd together III walled towns
for protection OF life and property. The serfdom
OF those days Is practically unchanged The no.
billy and landed aflStocracy still own eyery
still command. under i slightly different vas
Salage. the apathetle peasants who I'LL and
tend. The latter exist within these walled cities
III houses lnSuherable 10 animals In America
THIS Is why, startled from your sleep before the
break OF day by what you fancy must he an army
marching beneath your window, on hasteung 10
the balcony you Will see in The streets OF one
town 1000, Ia another 5000, aHd iu another, as
al laramie aud ADdria, even 10000 men, women
and children, with herds and huckS nfaininp
i've lines their number, vending their way To
the mountain pastures ana fields. And again
in The gray OF the soft Italian twilight, as the
sad army OF IewardieSs toll drags its weary way
back into the walled and reeking city, your heart
beeds Ill the sodden bopelessneSs OF 1t all, while
you thank tile God above for the American biz III
hight You own, know and love.
Copyrights EDGAR L. wAKEMAN