Evening journal., 1891-08-04

contain It an; and every time that Mazgars
sold the wine it took more than day to
count the money, all in silver pieces OF
twelve lari, for he would not have dirty
paper money fo~ his goods, and went te
buy the dirty paper only when he had te
pay the king or other persons; and at th,
fairs the herda of Mazzaro covered the
whole field and crowded the roads, so that
it took half day to let them pass, and the
image Of the saint, with the band OF music
had to change their road and yield the way
to him.
All this property he had earned for him
self with his own hands and head, With
losing sleep at night, with taking fevers
from the malaria, with labor from dawn
to darkness. When one is like that it
means that be is made for property.
And also property was made for him, SC
that he seemed to draw 1t like loadstone
because property will stay with him who
knows how to keep it, and does not waste
1t like that baron who had been formerly
the master of Mazzaro, and had picked him
up, homeless and naked, in the field OF
charity, and had been master of all thos.
meadows, and all those woods, and all
those vines, and all those aoclSs; who, when
he came riding on horseback into his lands
with men behind him, seemed like the
king, and they prepared for him a lodging
and dinner-for that simpleton, so that
every one knew the hour and the moment
in which he was to arrive, and they did not
let themselves be caught with their hands
in the bag
"That man is bound to be robbedw said
Mazzaro, and burst out laughing when the
baron gave him kicks behind, and rubbed
-
simpletons keep at home,n and Property
does not belong to him who has it, but to
him who knows how to get it,"
He, on the contrary, after he had gotten
riches, certainly did not send word whether
he were coming to look after the reapin2
or the vintage, and when and how: but he
appeared suddenly, ON foot or riding his
mule without his men, with a piece OF
bread in his pocket; and he slept beside his
sheaves, with his eyes open and his gun be.
tween his legs.
In this way, little by little Mazzaro be
came master Of all the baron's property
and the latter parted first with the olive
grove, then with the vines, then with the
pasture, and then with the farm and final
ally with his palace itself, SO that a day did
not pass in which he did not sign a lega
X mark. The baron had nothing left but
the stone shield that formerly was over hi:
door, and it was the only thing that he had
not been willing to sell, saying to Mazzaro
'rhis only, Of all my property, will not dc
for thee" And it was true; Mazzaro die
not know what to do with it, and woulC
not have paid twopenee for it.
'"Ihis is fine thing, to have the fortune
that Mazzaro hasl' people said; and they
did not know what it had taken to grasl
that fortune; how many thoughts, how
many fatigues, how many falsehoods. how
many perils of going to the galleys, ant
how that head that was jewel had WORKED
day and night, steadier than milestone
to get riches; and If the owner Of neigh
boring field persisted in not giving it NJ
TO him, and wanted TO take Mazzaro b,
the neck, he had to find stratagem t,
constrain the owner to sell, and make hin
fall into the trap, despite Of the distrust o
the peasant nature. He would go an6
boast, for example, of the fertility Of 1
land rent which did not even produce lu
zines, and succeeded in making the poo
fellow believe it TO be promised land 81
that he let himself be induced to hire it
as a speculation, and afterward lost hi
rent, his house and his field. which MAJ
zaro took--for piece Of bread. And hoy
many annoyances Mazzaro had to bear
| The mezzadri who came to complain Of tn
1 bad years, the debtors who sent thei
wives in procession TO tear their hair an
beat their breasts, c0njuring him not
put them into the road, by taking ava
their mule or their donkey, for they ha
nothing to eat.
do you see what eAt?" he would r
ply. Bread and an onionl And | haN
storehouses brimful, and am master OF a
this property
And Il they asked for penny he a.
swered that he had none.
And indeed he had not, for he never kel
twelve tari in his pocket. 1t took so mar
to make all that property profitable, al
the money entered and passed out of b
house like a river. Moreover, he did n
care for money. He said it was not pro
erty, and as soon az he put together CT
tain sum he at once bought piece of Ian
because he wished to succeed in having
much land rs the king has and to be b.
ter Off than the king, for the king cam
sell it or call it his own.
One thing alone greved him, that he W
beginning to grow old, and he must lea
! the earth behind him. This is an injusti
, OF God, he thought, that after having wo
out your life in gaining property, VIII
you have succeeded in getting it, so th
: you would like more, you have to leave
And he would remain for hours seated
! basket, with his chin in his hands, 10,
ing at his vines that grew green before
|, eyes, and the fields that waved with hes
= Of wheat like a sea, and the olive gro
that veiled the mountain like cloud; a
: IL half naked boy passed in front Of hi
: bent under his burden like weary ass,
: would thrust his stick between the bo
!, legs for envy, and murmur, Look v
= has length Of daysl that fellow who
1 nothingm
!, So that when they told him that it '
4 time TO leave his property, in order
= think Of his soul, he went out into
s court yard like mailman. staggering, I
" went about killing his ducks and turk
I with blows Of his stick, and screami
y my property, come along with mel
= Translated for short Stories" from
y Italian Of Verga BY =. Cavazza
II snails That Garry Lights.
y Africa produces the largest snails,
= | she'll Of the AGATE snail being eight inc