The Iola register., 1891-02-13
CHAPTER II.

-, N -VERY one knows
VOAwhat kind of sum-
~ ,mer we had in
~ Naples in 1884. The
!. !. =: !. :. !. &: ! ! ! !.
@GSSNf} newspapers of all
EE lands teemed with
"a V& the story of its hOr-
a M" rOrs. The cholera
4 RlE$F walked abroad like
adestroying demon;
III under its wiUhcring
touch scores of people, young and old,
dropped down in the streets To die. The
fell drSraSe, born of dirt aud criminal
neglect of sanitary precautions, gained
on the city with awful rapidity, and
worse even than the plague was the un-
reasoning but universal panic. The
nrver-Jo- -bc-forgOtten herOiSm of hing
Humbcrt had its effect on the more ed
ucated classes. but among the low Nca-
pOlltaE pupulace. abjcct fear, vulgar
superstition, and utter selfiShness reigned
supreme. One case may serve
as an example of the many
Other~. A fisherman, well known in
the iHacc. Ii handsome and pop
uiar ,uung fellow. was seized while work
ing liz his boat with the first symptoms
of cholera lie was carried to his moth
er'S house. The old woman, villainOuS-
looking hag, watched the little process
sion aS it approached her dwelling, and
taking i'm tine situation at once, she shut
and barricaded her door.
''SaatiSSima Madonna" she yelled
shrilly through a half-opened window.
Leave him in the street, the abandoned,
miserable onei The ungrateful pig! He
would bring the plague TO his own hard
working honest mother! Holy Joseph!
who would have children? Leave him in
the street, tell your
1t was 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 door step, where he shortly after
wards expired, his body being afterwards
caTIcd away like so much rubbish by the
beccamnrti.
The heat in the city was intense. The
sky was burning dome of brillianCy,
the DAY was still as gli,tering 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
nightiHgaleS in my gardens broke out in
bubbling torrent of melody, half joy
Gus, half melancholy. Upon that wooded
height where | dwelt it was compare
lively cool. | took all precautions
necessary TO prevent the cOntagiOn from
attacking our household; in fact | would
have left the ncighbOrhOOd altogether,
had not known that haSty flight from
IN infected district often carries with it
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 peStI nee; it does
away with the principal elc.H"nt of dan
ger-fear. As for our Stella. l 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 a sharp
scythe put into field of ripe corn,
moved down the dirt-lOvinC NeapolitanS
by hundreds, we three, with 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 most perfect health.
Among her many other attractions my
wife was gifted with a beautiful and
wel-trained voice. She sang with eX-
quisite expression, and many an evening