Evening journal., 1891-08-04
A STUDY IN THRIFT.

Ientini stretched out there like a space oil
dead sea, and the sere stubble of the Plain
of Catania, and the orange trees, always
green, of Francofonte, and the gray cork
trees Of Resecone, and the lonely meadows
of Passaneto and Passinatello-if he should
ask, in order to divert himself from the
WEAKNESS Of the long dusty road. under
the sky hazy with heat, at the hour when
the bells OF the litter ring sadly in the i'm
mense country, and the mules hang theil
heads and their tails and the driver of tht
litter sings his melancholy song in order
not TO let himself be overcome by the sleep
Of the malaria, "Whose is this hndS"
would have the answers
"Mazzaro's"
And passing near farm as large as a
town, with storehouses that seem like
churches, and hens in flocks sitting in the
shade by the well, and women screening
their eyes with their hands TO see who was
going by, "And thisS
"Mazzaro's."
And on and on, while the malaria
weighed upon your eyelids, and the bark
ing Of dog aroused you suddenly. passing
by vineyard that was endless and spread
over hill and plain, motionless, as if the
dust lay heavy on 1t, and the keeper Of the
vineyard, stretched face downward upon
his gun, raised his drowsy head and opened
one eye to see who il might be:
"Mazzaro's."
Then came an olive grove thick as a
wood where the grass never sprouted and
the harvest lasted until March. They were
the olive trees of Mazzaro And toward
evening" when the sun was setting as red
as fire and the country was veiled with
sadness, there were met the long lines Of
the ploughs of Mazzaro going slowly home
ward from the field, and the oxen wading
the ford heavily with their muzzles in the
dark water; and there were seen in the
distant pastures Of the Cambria, on the
rough slope, the immense whitish patches
which were the flocks OF Mazzaro; and
there was heard the shepherds whistle
echoing ia the gorges and the bell now
ringing and now silent, and lonely song
| lost in the valley.
l All property Of Mazzaro.
IL seemed as If Mazzaro owned even the
setting sun, and the chirping locusts, and
the birds that went with short flights to
hide behind the furrows, and the cry Of the
horned owl in the woods 1t seemed as If
Mazzaro were spread out all over the earth,
and one walked over his body Instead Of
that he was an ugly little man, said the
driver OF the litter. that you would not
give penny to look at; he had nothing
large about him but his pauneh, and no
one knew how he filled It, for he ate moth
ing; the truth was. he was rich as a hog
but he had a head that was jewel, that
man.
Indeed with his jewel OF head he had
accumulated all those possessions wher'
formerly he used to come TO dig or prun'
= or reap. from morning to night, IN the sun
the rain, the wind without shoes TO hi
feet or a rag Of an overcoat; everybody re
membered having given him kicks behind
/, the same persons who now called hin
I your excellency" and spoke TO him witt
> cap in hand. But not for this had h
\ | grown proud, now that all the excellence
! Of the place were his debtors; and he sal
!. that "excellencyn means poor fellow an
I, bad payer. He still wore a cap, only it wa
l Of black silk, 1t was his only grandeur
I, and latterly he had even come to put on
felt hat, because il cost less than the sill
cap He had possessions AS far as he coul
see, and he was long sighted-everywher
:, to right and left, before and behind, o
= mountain and plain.
y More than five thousand mouths, will
q out counting the birds Of the sky and til
= animals Of the earth, that ate upon h
= land, and without counting his own moutl
\ that ate less than any; he was contente
with twopence worth Of bread and bit
" cheese, swallowed In hurry and hast
standing, ia corner Of the stOrehoui
large as church. in midsto the dust fro
the grain, 50 that one could not see, whi
:, y the peasants emptied the sacks; or on &
i Of a straw stack, when the wind swept ov
u the frozen country, at sowing time, or vii
N his head inside basket ia the hot days
harvest. He did not drink wine, he d
not smoke or use tobacco, although b
plantations along the riverside produc
tobacco with large leaves as tall as a be
" such as sells at ninetylve lire. He new
q had had any woman to support but |
w mother, who had cost him twelve tari e
'o' ira, when he was obliged TO have her q
ried to the graveyard.
1t was that he had thought and thougl
he again and again, what property NEAR
mt when he went without shoes TO work
,ts the land that was now his own; and he h
bic experienced what it is to earn three tari
day, in the month Of July, to keep the ba
bent for fourteen hours, with the overst
on horseback after you, that takes you vi
zen his whip if you straighten up for a n
at ment. For this he had not let pass
fDtt minute OF MS llle Nuht Was NOT etupiuNcu
getting riches, and now his plows w
numerous as the long line Of crows Il
arrive in November, and other lines
ted mules, thatseemed endless, carried seed
dry sowing The women who crouched in
ate mud from October 70 March to gather
olives were countless, as countless as
magpies that came to steal the olives; 8
at the time Of the vintage whole villa
rye gathered about his vines, and as far
: = singing was heard, in the country, it !
for the grape gathering Of Mazzaro.
At harvest the reapers of Nazzaro seen
- like an army Of soldiers To maintain
those people with biscuit in the morn
and bread and bitter orange at breakf
and the luncheon, and the lasagne in
evening, there was needed money
handfuls, and the lasange were dished
az. Aao bread troughs as large as tubs. SO n
- ~. when he rode behind the line Of his m
~ rrs with whip in hand, he did not lose
~ Of them from sight, and kept repeat
i.s BEND to it. boysr
~ He had his hands in his pockets
~ whole year long, spending. and for
iol mere territory the king took so much
it threw Mazzaro into fever every tin
cord However, each year all those storeho
Mar large AS churches were filled with grail
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