Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1891-07-11

rhymes Of Italy at his fingers ends, and
could make poem on any subject or an
acrostic on any name, with perfect Ia
cility. / stopped my carriage to listen
to his extemporized verses, many OF
which were really admirable, and tossed
him three francs. He threw them up
in the air one after the other and caught
them IS they fell, in his mouth, appear
ing to have swallowed them all-then
with an inimitable grlmace, he pulled on
his battered cap and said,
"Ancor' affamato, EccellenZa! am
still hungryD among the renewed
laughter OF his easily.amused audience.
A merry poet no was and without
conceit - and his good humour
merited the extra silver pieces gave
him, which caused him TO wish
me-Buon appetite un sorriso della
Madonna!-(a good appetite to you and
Q smile Of the Mad0nnaD Imagine the
Lord Laureate OF England standing at
the corner Of Regent street swallowing
half pence for his rhymes! Yet some Of
the quaint concerts strung together BY
such q fellow as this improvvisatore
might furnish material for many Of
the s0-called ''poets" whose names are
mysteriously honoured In Britain.
Further on l came upon q group OF
red-capped coral fishers assembled round
o portable stove wherein roasting chest
nuts cracked their glossy sides and
emitted savoury odours. The men were
singing gaily to the drumming Of an
old guitar, and the song they sang was
familiar to me. Stay! where had l
heard it-let me listen!
''Sciorc limone*
Le voglio far mort de passione
Zompa llari llira!'
Ha! / remembered now. When had
crawled ont OF the vault through the
brigand's hole OF entrance-when my
heart had bounded with glad anticipa-
tons never to be realized, when l had
believed Ia the worth OF love and friend |
ship,-when had seen the morning sun |
glittering on the sea, and had thought
poor fOol.-that his long beams were like |
so many golden flags OF Joy hung up in |
heaven to symbolic tho happiness Of my
release from death and my restoration to
liberty then-then had heard sailors
voice In the distance singing that ''ritor-
nello," and had fondly imaged its i'm
passioned lines were all for me! Hate
full music-most bitter sweetness!
could have put my hands up to my ears
10 shut out the sound Of it now that
thought Of the time when / had
heard 1t last! For then had possessed
l heart-a throbbing, passionate, sensi-
i've thing,-aIive to every emotion of
tenderness and affection,-now that
heart was dead and cold as stone.
Only its corpse went with me everywhere,
weighing me down with itself to the
strange grave II occupied, grave where
n were also buried so many dear delu-
plaintive regrets, such
pleading memories, that surely it was no
wonder their small ghosts arose and
haunted me, saying, 'Wilt thou not
weep for this lost sweetness" ''Wilt
hou not relent before such q remem-
,rance?" or'Hast thou no desire for that
,ast delight" But to all such inward
empations my soul was deaf and mex
rable; justice-stcrn, immutablc justice
vas what sought and what meant to
ave.
Maybe you find 1t hard to understand
he possibility OF scheming and carrying
ut so prolonged q vengeance as
nine? II you that read these pages are
English, know IL will seem to you we'll
Ugh incomprehensible. The temperate
Hood OF the Eortherner, combined with
is open, unsusplciOus nature, has, l ad-
nit, the advantage over US in matters Of
ersonal injury. An Englishman, so /
ear, is incapable OF nourlshing long
nd deadly resentment, even against an
wife-he is too Indifferent, he
kinks IL not worth his while. But We
ieapolitans. we can carry vendetta"
through lifetmo-ay, through genera
ion after generation! This is bad, you
ay-immOral, unchristian. No doubt!
We are more than half ragans at heart;
70 are as our country and own ira :
itions have made us. II will need an
Their visitation Of Christ before we shall ,
earn to forgive those that despitcfully :
sc us. Such doctrine seems to us q
lere play upon words-a weak maxim ,
My fit for children and priests. Be
ides, did Christ Himself forgive Judas?
The gospel does not say so!