The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1891-03-20

w. remained clOSel
shut within their own houses Every.
where went something bore witness OF
the terrible ravages of the plague. AT
almost every corner | met a funeral pro-
cession. Once / came upon a group OF
men who were standing In an open door
waypacking a dead body into coffin
too small for it. There was something
truly revolving IN the way they doubled
up the arms and legs and squeezed in
in the shoulders of the deceased man
one could hear the bones crack. l
watched the brutal proceedings for
minute or so, and then l said aloud:
You had better make sure he is quite
dead"
The beccamorti looked at me in sur
prise; one laughed grfmly and SwOre.
by the body of God, if thought he
were not / would twist his acCurSed neck
for him! But the cholera never fails,
he is dead for certain-See! And he
knocked the head of the corpse to and
fro against the sides of the coffin with
no more conjunction than if it had been
a block of wood. Sickened at the sight,
turned away and said no more. On
reaching one of the more important
thoroughfareS perceived several knots
of people collected, who glanced at one
another with eager yet shamed faces,
and spoke in low voices. A whisper
reached my ears, "The king! the king!"
All heads were turned in one direction;
l paused and looked also. Walking at a
leisurely pace, accompanied by few
gentlemen of earnest mien and grave
department., saw the fearless monarch,
Humbert, of Italy-he whom his sub
jects delight to honor. He was making
a round of visits to all the vilest holes
and corners of the city, where the plague
ragged most terribly; he had not so much
as a cigarette in his mouth to ward off
infection. He walked with the easy and
assured step of hero; his face was
somewhat sad as though the sufferings
Of his people had pressed heavily upon
his sympathetic heart. barred my head
reverently as he passed: his keen kind
eyes lighted on me with a smile.
"a subject for painting, yon white
haired fisherman / heard him say to
one of his attendants. Almost / be-
trayed myself. was on the point OF
springing forward and throwing myself
1t his feet to tell him my story. 1t
seemed to me both cruel and unnatural
that he, my beloved Sovereign, should
pass NE without recognition-me, to
whom he had spoken so often and so
cordially. For when visited Rome, as
was accustomed to do annually, there
were few more welcome guests at the
balls of the Quirinal Palace than Count
Fabio Romani l began to wonder stu
pidly who Fabio Romani was; the gay
Ito, ,.,l Lon
to have any eXistenSe-a ''white-haired
fisherman" uSurped his place. But
though l thought these things / re-
Trained from addressing the King. Some
impulse, however, led me to follow him
at respectful distance, as did also
many others. His Majesty strolled
through the most peStilential streets
with as much unconcern as though he
were taking his pleasure in a garden OF
roses; he stepped quietly into the dirtiest
novels where lay both dead and dying;
he spoke words of kindly encouragement
to the grief-stricken and terrified
mourners who stared through their tears
at the monarch with establishment and
gratitude; silver and gold were gently
dropped into the hands of the suffering
poor, and the very pressing cases re-
ceiTed the Royal benefactOr's personal
attention and immediate relief. Mothers
with infants in their arms knelt to i'm
plore the kings blessing, which to pacify
them he gave with a modest hesitation
as though he thought himself unworthy,
and yet with parental tenderness that
was infinitely touching. One wild-eyed
black-haired girl flung herself down on
the ground right in the kings path; she
kissed his feet, and then Sprang erect
with a gesture of triumph.
Il am Saved!' she cried, 'the plague
cannot walk in the same road with the
king!'
Humbert smiled and regarded her
somewhat as an indu!gent father might
regard a spoilt daughter; but he said
nothing and passed on. A cluster of men
and women standing at the open door OF
one of the poorest looking houses in the
street next attracted the mOnarch'S at
tention. There was some noisy argu-
ment going on; two or three beCcamOrti
were loudly discussing together and
wearing profusely-some women were
Tying bitterly, and in the center of the
excited group coffin stood on end as
though waiting for an occupant. One OF
the gentlemen in attendance on the king
preceded him and announced his ap-
proach, whereupon the loud clamOr OF
tongues ceased, the men barred their
heads, and the women checked theiI
sobS
What is wrong here. my fem ds?" the
monarch asked with exceeding gentle
ness
There was silence for moment; the
beccamorti looked sullen and ashamed.
Then one of the women with a fat good.
natured face, and eyes trimmed redly