The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1892-09-15
IN THE CAMPANILE,

In that oldest city of Northern Italy,
Padua, party Of travellers were dis
cussing its relations with Venice and
the mission of Shakspeare's character
Portia going from Padua her home
to Venice. the home of her lover.
Being only twenty-five miles distant
the writer remarked that there should
be possibility OF tracing the winding
road between and catching glimpse
of the towers of Padua from the OBJ
servatory of the Campanile. or bell.
tower of Venice, which is about 500
feet high. -. ....
An alteration in the countenance of
the writer friend ATTRACTED attention.
He was a gentleman from England,
just beyond the prime of life. of ordi-
nary stature. strong build. muscular
texture. kindly countenance and hair
white as the driven snow. He fell to
musing but presently spoke. and told
a story which is here given as he
told it:
Yes, " said he, II have experienced
the emotions of the sublime while
But once, number of yeas ago. I
met with an experience up there
which haunts all my recollections OF
the place with a shadow of an abso-
Lutte horror l mad been lettering
about the city for number of days in
the early summer when there arrived
at my hotel a gentleman from my
own country. He was in every way
we'll man. almost giant in
stature handsome in his face grace
full IN his movements powerful in his
build. His manners We're elegant
his dress faultless and his conversa-
ton polished. yet flexible. with
slight swing of humor. ,-..--' o.
I'VE strolled out together through
those winding streets where you have
just been wandering. Soon after noon
of bright and cloudless day it was sug-
gested that we take a view from the
Campanile. A few minutes later. we
were ascending the winding footway
which. instead of a stairway. leads to
the top. The lofty heights nearly
800 feet and the scenes which spread
out beneath excited my friend. We
looked out over the roofs of the
famous city over the dreamy isles.
over the cleaning Adriatic over the
fair stretching plains of Italy, away
to the Alps. their tremendous proper
tions barricading the view in that d.
rectlon and their snowy peaks glisten-
ing in the sunlight and softening the
intense blue of the sky.
MY friend was greatly agitated.
He expressed his delight in fluent
phrase. which became more and more
intense. The vast mountain ranges
affected him. and he dilated on their
sublimity. His eyes swept rapidly
over the sparkling waters and ship.
with all sails set standing olt clear
and grand, gave him new object of
talk. His voice resonant at first
became thick and harsh His ewes
fell on the lagoon and instantly he
paused. Then it was directed to the
gondoliers plying their craft at the
entrance Of the grand canal He
quickly resumed his talk and I
noticed now that it became more and
more milling and incoherent. He
gazed down on the Doge's palace and
. then swept around with glance over
the city to the left.
"A flock of pigeons. famous for
their associations with the plaza of
St. Mark, whirred through the air
and swept downward. lighting on the
roofs of the adjacent palaces. My
companion had been mixing criticism
and praise and interfering the most
foreign ideas into his rapid talk. which
grew more and more grotesque. and
caused me to glance furtively at him.
His cheeks burned aud his eyes
ghstened. but the whirr and swoop of
the pigeons completely unbalanced
him. and he rushed to the opposite
corner Of the observatory. crying:
There they go! l knew l would find
them. Ha! ha! hal!
Had been in a more critical mood
/ would sooner have noticed the
strangeness of his actions and speech.
But my suspicious came slowly. yet
instantly his wild rush and metallic
cry and laugh forced the conviction
upon me that he was mad.
He stood tremblingly leaning out
over the railing and looking down,
blurtlng out exclamation after ex-
clamation Of exultation. Then like a.
flash he recoiled and parted what he
took to be a blow. glancing with in
tent gaze into the air now this way,
now that way. crying cut: .Avaunt,
I'll not 60 with thee Get thee away
from me- Begone; this issnot the
time. All the while he was spring
ing backward and sideward and ward :
ing off some unseen object which ap
peared to him to be moving in the air
toward him. @
IL tel! thee will not. Co. In
his twisting movements he had got
opposite me- and when he had de-
livered this last cry his gaze for the
first time since his craze came upon
him, rested on me. Instantly there
was change. The unseen object
was forgotten. His eyes riveted them
selves upon me. And what eyes they
were - bloodshot blazing. bullying
from the brows, which were CORFU
gated in heavy lines. For brief
moment he fixed his piercing gaze on
ME. his head slightly lowered and
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