The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-05-08
LOVE AND GRANDEUR.
TIE ROMANCE OF sIGNoR CRIsPI,
ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER.


Margaret.
from the Pail MdH Gazette.
The truth about the romantic love affairs
of NJ. Crispi, the italian prime minister.
vague rumors of which crop up whenever
his name is mentioned, is fully told in ME-.
Narioux's life Of Crispi. He was born in
1919 at Rlberia, aud after taking his degree.
settled as barrister at Palermo at the age
of %. ami married the daughter Of the
owner of the house where he lodged Two
Years later Rosina Sciarra died, and the
Young man lived for some time entirely for
his work and for his country, having
become one of the most ardent
and enthusiastic of the "Young
Italy" party. Before long his zeal
for liberty and equality were re-
warded by expulsion from his country, and
he maintained himself for some time at Mar
settles as q journalist, till the man who had
lived under the sunny skies Of Sicily could
stand the cold and fogs of the north no
longer, and tried to OBTAIN a humble posi-
tion as clerk at Vero Lungo, a small place
not far from Turin. But, his letter Of ap-
pication not being couched in sufficiently
serVl6 ldnRudBc, Jue pOsb WIS given 10 q
more suitable applicant, ard Crispi re-
manned at Turin till, having been accused
of taking part in a revolutionary move
ment, he was imprisoned in the Palais
Msdames.
It was in the prison cell Of his old palace
that the romantic affair began which has
cast such deep shadows over the life of NJ.
Crisoi.
One morning. says NJ. Narjoux, Crispi
looked sadly at the aay of run which made
vain efforts to creep in between the iron
bars of the window of his cell, when the
door opened and a pretty girl appeared on
the threshold smilingly. offering her services
to him. Her name was Rosalie Montmasson;
she IVES in the service of the prison
laundreSs, and offered to take the clothes of
"messIeuIs les prisonniers politiques," who
were not furnished with clothes by the
prison authorities. Rosalie took the prison
er's light bundle of clothes, brought them
back, and seems also to have come when
there was nothing to take or to bring back
she was the niece of the wife OF the turnkey,
and had the run of the prison.
Crispi was scarcely "a years old; he was
tall, slender. tolerably good looking, and
resembled in no way the Crispi of the
present day. His long hair fell in curls on
his shoulders; his eyes wore an audacious
but tender expression, and his smile was
very pleasant. He looked melancholy,
almost sad, and had, in the girls eyes. the
aureole of a martyr and of the eminent
man round his head And then this fero-
cous conspirator, this intrepid soldier
could transform himself at will into q
forvent lover. Rosalie was before long in
love with her handsome client, her illus
trious prisoner, and Crispi returned her
love.
Presently, the police having found no
just cause against the prisoner, he was re-
leased, but was expelled and went to Malta
without any means of subsistence, accom-
panied by the little laundress. Black misery
awaited the lovers at Malta; bread and
herbs were their only food for many days,
till Resale, who was always loving, devoted,
and full of courage. found some work to do,
aud Crispi, together with other exiles,
founded a small paper, La Stdfettd, and
once more hurled infammatory articles at
his opponents till the governor of Malta
found it advisable to exile him again.
Before leaving Malta Crispi considered
that he had duty fulfill, duty of love
and gratitude toward Resale, his faithful
companion, whose devotion had been IN
changsable and whose fate was linked TO
his. He wanted to marry her, to make her
his legitimate wife; and in order to prevent
their impending separation from becoming
final, to forge link which would secure
their reunion.
On communicating this desire to his
friend and fellow-exile, Giorgio Tamajo,
the latter, very calmly and quietly. tried to
convince him that union like that in
tended by Crispi was almost invariably
followed by regrets and pain, the different
education and sentiment of the lovers form
ing an insurmountable barrier to happy
married life. Crispi, however, would not
hear Of it; and, though he was so poor that
Rosalie's wedding ring had to be presented
to him, he insisted upon making her his
wife; and Jesuit priest undertook to con-
duct the ceremony, which, as Crispi be-
lieved, made Losale his lawful wife.
Crisp1 fed to London, Rosalie followed
shortly; and. under Mazzini's guidance,
who was also in London at the time, the
work of upsetting Napoleon III. and his
government, in which all the European
revolutionists were engaged, was carried on
with utmost zeal.
The postoffice was not safe and the police
were vigilant; consequently Rosaile took
the part of the emissary charged with the
transmission of important news or the or
GERS for the various groups of "Youu &
Italy" and of the communications which
the refugees in London and Paris had to
exchange. Dressed as a woman of the
people, Rasalie carried basket without a
Id, in which she kept some very large fish
or some fat poultry, whose interior, how
ever, was stuffed with papers that might
well have astonished the gallant police and
custom house officials who examined them.
Crispi meanwhile took post IN bank, the
director of which was compatriot, and in
addition gave Italian lessons, but the Eng
lish climate did not suit him, and presently
he went to Paris as correspondent of
IL COrriefe FrdncO-Itdlie1l, his political
activity mover ceasing.
Then followed tumult and excitement
one new development OF political life was
rapidly succeeded by another; Crispi was
no longer an outcast, but sat as deputy for
Palermo in the Turin parliament; he be-
came vice-president of the chamber, and
everywhere in Italy the name of the law
yer, politician and statesman had become a
household word.
In order to rest from his ardent parlia-
me1tary battles and from his incessant
work at the bar, Crispi should have had g.
calm, regular, smooth home life: but unfor-
tunately he was not happy at home. Tam
a]o's prophecies had co ne only too true.
hosalie Montmasson, as Nine Crispi, had
naturally followed her husband from place
70 place. Crispi's adherents OF former days
presented his wife with diamond cross for
Her services to their cause, hoRors poured
upon her; she had been presented to the
KING, surrounded and hattered by her hus-
oands friends, complimented by amiable
qqfIlclals, and her head had been turned.
dressed in the 'loudestn of colors, laden
With lewelry and alvvays surrounded by a