Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1892-12-01
A FAMILY FEUD.

Those two rival families repeated on
small scale the discords of the Mon
tagues and Capulets, only, with due re-
gard to the civilization Of the times, in
stead of spilling blood, they spilled
money. Instead of dead relatives, there
had been many lawsuits, long and en-
tangled; they went to law for spite, for
resentment, for anger; they kept at law
with that obstinate delight in litigation
which is one of the joys of provincial
life. As usual it was a question of
trihes-a stream of water that had taken
a wrong direction; an unruly goat that
had leaped from the field of one into the
field Of the other; some obscure and
stupid potatoes which, spreading them
selves underground, had disregarded the
boundaries.
Upon this showered legal documents
The lawyers toiled to write in that style
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 sure
of transmitting, as valuable inheri-
tance, those quarrels to their sons. How
the enmity between Pasquali and the
Dericca families had been caused could
not be clearly learned; affirmation va
ried on one and the other side. But it
was deep and declared enmity.
Being neighbors in town and in the
country they frequently met, looking
askance at each other; the women
heard mass in two different churches; if
the Dericca girls wore blue gowns the
Pasquali girls at once put on pink ones
in the municipal council the PasquaG
were always conservative and the
Dericca, naturally, radical; that which
one did the other would not do for a
thousand scudi; where one went the
other did not appear. And then gossip
evil speaking, complaints, eagerness for
scandal, malignity;in short, all that out
fit of pleasing things which take place
in provincial towns between two rival
families On the top Of all this Carlo, the
eldest son of the Pasquali, and Maria,
the second daughter of the Dericca,
thought it best to fall in love with each
other.
Love in small town has not much
variety. Usually it begins in childhood,
continues amid games Of blindmans
buff, is apt to manifest itself in social
dancing parties and round games and is
always ratified by the parish priest and
| Tho Frhnca INxTao ranncrY1;uaI
superintended, established, registered in
the household comings and goings; pro-
tected by grumbling grandfathers and
by priestly uncles; loves without nerves,
without tears, without tendernesses and
fancies; something extremely calm and
slow-the capitalization of love. But
Carlo Pasquai had had the incompara-
BILE fortune to pass, once, fortnight at
Naples, which made him look with scorn
upon provincial customs; and Maria
Dericca at night, by feeble lamp,
had wept over the hapless heroines
of Mastriani, and had envied them in
their fantastic passions; therefore for
these two was required an exceptional
love. First it was furtive glance; a
softly murmured word, yet heard with
singular perception by her who should
hear it; carnation pink fallen from a
balcony by reason of the wind of course
sudden pallor Of his, sudden blush
of hers; then, by the armed Intervention
of a rogue of fifteen year-old girl who
came with hatiron to smooth Maria's
linen and the course of true love at the
same time-a note and brief reply; 9
little letter, long letter, and finally
those voluminous epistles of eight or ter
sheets of note paper which mark the
highest point Of the folly Of love.
Alas! The joy of the young people
was brief, and sorrow rapidly arrived tx
destroy it. They were seen, spied, th.
news reached their respective papas, ant
all the thunderbolts of paternal wrath
imbittered by eleven lawsuits, fell upor
the heads of the poor lovers. The bal
cony windows were closed, the bolt
were fastened on the terrace doors, tht
carnation pinks on the bush were count
ed, walks were forbidden, or at leas
made without previous notice, the hou1
of going to mass varied each Sunday
but those two continued to love eacl
other.
Rebuffs, exhortations, prohibitions
difficulties availed only to infame thei
love. At night, in the winter, MARI
arose, dressed herself, wrapped hersel
in shawl, and in slippers, with batet
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 talke,
for two or three hours without carin
for the cold. the rain or the loss of SLEEP
they talked without seeing each other
from distance of FIVE meters Of alt
tude, becoming silent at every SCUM
of passer, then cautiously resumin
their discourse, with the continual fea
that Maria's parents might arouse an
find her in that aerial colloquy.
But what did it all matter to then
They had within their hearts sunshine
light, springtime, courage, enthusiasm
: If the king had come they would nc
have moved. Instead, the brother c
J Maria, one night when he could nc
/ sleep, arose from his bed and found th
! door ajar, went down the stairs, hear
| q murmur, and caught his sister in th
act. He unceremoniously barred th
shutters in the face of Carlo, gave Mar!
Q reso1nding box on the ear, and brougl
! her to her room. Next morning I'll
small window on the first floor WI
walled up.
Oh, all ye faithful lovers, who grie'
: amid the pains Of thwarted love, imagil
the despair Of those twol Their lette
J were no longer legible, for tears blott'
the words; rows Of exclamation point
that looked like Prussian soldiers und
arms. followed the daily imprecatio