The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1892-12-07
A FAMILY FEUD.

! Those two rival families repeated ons
small scale the discords Of the Mon
tagues and Capulets, only. with due re
rsrd TO the civilization Of the times, in
stead Of spilling blood, they spilled
nancy. Instead Of dead relatives, there
had been many lawsuits, long and en-
tangled; they went to law for spite, fol
resentment. for anger; they kept at Law
with that obstinate delight in litigation
which is one Of the joys Of provincial
life. As usual il was a question Of
trihes-a stream Of water that had taker
a wrong direction: an unruly goat thai
had leaped from the field Of one into ths
field Of the other; some obscure ane
stupid potatoes which. spreading them
selves underground, had disregarded tht
boundaries
Upon this ghowered legal documents
The lawyers toiled TO write in that styls
of theirs-the last relic Of barbarOus in
vasions; judgments were multiplied
lawsuits grew complicated. The two
advocates rubbed their hands for Joy
and from the aspect Of things were SURF
Of transmitting, as a valuable inheri
tance, those quarrels 10 their sons. How
the enmity between Pasquah and ths
Dericca families had been caused coulc
not be clearly learned; affirmation va
ried on one and the other side. But /
was a deep and declared enmity.
Being ueighbOrs IN town and in Ia,
country they frequently met, looking
askance at each other; the wOmeI
heard mass in two different churches; L
the Dericca girls wore blue gowns ths
Pasquali girls at once put on pink ones
IN the municipal council the Pasqual
were always conservative and tht
Dericcl, naturally. radical; that which
one did the other would not do for {
thousand scudi. where one went tn,
other did not appear. And then gossip
evil speaking, complaints, eagerness fO'
scandal. malignity;in short, all that out
fit of pleasing things which take plac,
In provincial towns between two riva
families. On the top Of all this Carlo, tn,
eldest son of the Pasquali, and Maria
the second daughter Of the Dericca
thought it best 20 fall in love with eacl
other.
Love in a small town has not mucl
variety. Usually 1t begins in childhood
continues amid games OF blindman'
bGff. IS apt 10 manifest itself II sOcia
dancing parties and round games and i
always ratified By the parish priest ant
the mayor. These loves are recognized
superintended, established, registered il
the household comings and goings; pro
iected by grumbling grandfathers anC
by priestly uncles; loves without nerves
without tears, without tendernesSes anC
fancies; something extremely calm anC
slOw-the crystallization Of love Blu
Carlo Pasquali had had the incompara
ble fortune 10 pass, once, fortnight a
Naples, which made him look with scorI
upon provincial customs; and Marii
Dericca at night, by feeble lamp
had wept over the hapless heroine.
Of Mastriani, and had envied them l.
their fantastic passions; therefore fol
these two was required an exceptiona
love. First it was a furtive glance; 4
softly murmured word, yet heard witt
singular perception by her who should
hear il; carnatiOn pink fallen from 1
balcony by reason Of the wind Of course
a sudden pallOr Of his, sudden blush
Of hers; then, by the armed intervention
Of a rogue Of a fifteen year-old girl who
came with a fiatirOn TO smooth Maria,
linen and the course Of true love at tn,
same time-a note and brief reply; {
little letter. long letter, and finally
those voluminous epistles Of eight OF teI
sheets Of note paper which mark thu
highest point of the folly Of love.
Alas, The JOY Of the young people
was brief, and sorrow rapidly arrived u
destroy il. They were seen. spied, the
news reached their respective papas, anC
all the thunderbolts Of paternal wrath
iIubittered by eleven lawsuits, fell upor
the heads Of the poor lovers. The bal
cOny windows were closed, the bolt.
We're fastened ca the terrace doors, tht
carnation pinks on the bush were count
ed, walks were forbidden, CT at leasi
made without previous notice, the houi
of going TO mass varied each Sunday
but those two continued TO love eacl
other.
Rebuffs, exhortations, prohibitions
difficulties ayailed only to inhame then
love. At night, in the winter, Maris
arose, dressed herself. wrapped herself
IL a shawl. and IN slippers, with bated
breath. trembling for fear, descended
the stairs TO a window Of the first floor
the young friend WAS in the street, lean
ing against the wall So they talked
for two or three hours without caring
for the cold. the rain or the loss Of sleep
they talked without seeing each other
from distance of five meters of alti
fude, becoming silent at every soun0
Of a passer, then cautiously resumine
their discourse, with the continual feal
that Maria's parents might arouse anC
ind her in that aerial colloquy.
But what did it al matter TO them
They had within their hearts sunshine
light, springtilne, courage, enthusiasm
If the king had come they would moi
have moved. Instead, the brother o.
Maria, one night when he could no'
sleep, arose from his bed and found tn,
door a5ar, went down the stairs. hearc
At murmur, and caught his sister in tht
act. He unceremOniously barred The
shutters in the face Of Carlo, gave Maria
q resounding box on the ear. and brought
her 10 her room. Next morning the
small window on the first floor was
walled up.
Oh. all We faithful lovers, who grieve
amid the pains Of thwarted love, imagine
the despair Of those two! Their letters
were no longer legible. for tears blotted
The words; rows of exclamation points,
that looked like Prussisn soldiers under
arms. followed the daily imprecations
against fortune, destiny, fate and other
impersonai beings incapable Of resenting
them; a thousand fantastic plans were
created and then rejected Carlo wonld
have liked tO.elope with Maria, but his
father allowed him no money. and it
would have been difficult TO put together
tie nine lire and fifty centesimi for two
tickets Tor the journey TO Naples; they
thought for a moment Of suicide, but
found that it wcnld not solve the diff
Guilty. Then, in the long run, their love
became systematic. the imprecations
were always the same. and they could
not 90 10 their beds without having
poured forth upon the faithful paper
the fullness Of their grief"
In the town nothing was talked Of but
their unshskable love and their torments;
they were the objects Of general inter
est; if Neapolitan arrived. the towns
folk took him 10 see the ruins Of the
and related the case of
Carlo and Maria Therefore the young
people, BATTERED IN their amour propre.