San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-05-21
CHAPTER III.

- W. TVERY one knows
WI .mer we had in
$50 Naples in 1884. The
EXXSVfI newspapers OF all
n FY lands teemed with
"A vs. the story of its hor-
-. ~ rOrs. The cholera
\ NEt walked abroad like
destroying demon;
u under it's whitening
touch scores of people, young and old,
dropped down in the streets to die. The
fell desease, born Of dirt and criminal
neglect of sanitary precautions, gained
on the city with awful rapidity, and
worse even than the plague was the I'M
reasoning but universal panic. The
ver-to-be-forgotten heroism OF King
Humbert had its effect on the more ed
ucated classes, but among the low Nea-
politan populace, abiect fear, vulgar
superstition, and utter seltishness reigned
supreme. One case may serve
as an example of the many
others. A fisherman, well known in
the place. a handsome and pop
ular young fellow, was seized while work.
ing in his boat with the first symptoms
of cholera. He was carried to his moth
er's house. The old woman, villainous-
looking bag, watched the little process
sion as it approached her dwelling, and
taking in the situation at once, she shut
and barricaded her door.
''SautiSsima Madonna" she yelled
shrilly through half-opened window.
~tsLeave him in the street, the abandoned,
miserable one! The ungrateful zig! He
would bring the plague to his own hard
working honest mother! Holy Joseph!
who would have children? Leave him in
the street, tell you!"
Twas useless to expostulate with this
feminine scare-Crow; her son was, hap
PLY for himself, unconscious, and after
some more wrangling he was laid down
on her doorstep, where he shortly after
wards expired, his body being afterwards
carted away like so much rubbish by the
boCCamOrti
The heat in the city was intense. The
sky was burning dome of brilliancy,
the bay was still as a gli1tering sheet of
glass. A thin column of smoke issuing
from the crater of Vesuvius increased
the impression of an all-pervading
though imperceptible ring of fire that
seemed to surround the place. No birds
sang save in the late evening, when the
nightingales in my gardens broke out in
bubbling torrent Of melody, half JOY
Gus, half melancholy. Up on that wooded
height where l dwelt it was compare
lively COOL / took all precautions
necessary to prevent the contagion from
attacking our households; in fact would
have left the neighborhood altogether,
had not known that haSty flight from
an infected district often carries with 1t
the possibility of closer contact with the
disease. My wife, besides, was not nerv-
Ous-I think very beautiful woman sell
dom are. Their superb vanity is an ex-
cellent shield to repel pestilence; it does
away with the principal element of dan
ger-fear. AS for our Stella, toddling
mite of two years old, she was healthy
child for whom neither her mother nor
myself entertained the least anxiety.
Guido Ferrari came and stayed with
US, and while the cholera, like sharp
scythe put into field of ripe corn,
moved down the dirt-loving Neapolitans
by hundreds, we three, with a small re-
Time of servants, none of whom were
ever permitted to visit the city, lived on
farinaceous food and distilled water,
bathed regularly, rose and retired early,
and enjoyed a most perfect health.
Among her many other attractions my
wife was gifted with beautiful and
well-trained voice. She sang with ex-
quisite expression, and many an evening
when Guido and myself sat smoking in
the garden 1StSr little Stella had gone to
Continued on seventh page.