The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1894-11-21

donna, who, standing on the altar, her
forehead ornamented with crown Of
precious stones, her shoulders covered
with gold embroidered cloak, held in
her arms the infant Jesus, deoked like
his mother, the merchant said to the
Jew. 'This is my security
Eleazer looked with q subtle eye at
the Christian merchant, the Madonna
and the child, bent his head and said
that he accepted the security. He
brought Fabio back to his house and
gave to him SOC ducats, saying;
'This is yours for year. If in year
from now, day for day, you have not re-
turned to me this sum, with the inter-
est fixed by the law of Venice and the
custom of the LombardS, imagine, Fa-
bio Mutinelli, what will think of the
Christian merchant and of his security"
Fabio, without loss of time, bought
vessels and loaded them with salt and
various other merchandise. which he
disposed of in the cities of the Adriatic
at great profit. Then. with new
cargo, he sailed for Constantinople,
where he bought carpets, perfumes, pea
cock feathers, ivory and ebony, which
his clerks exchanged on the coast Of
Dalmatia for lumber. which was bought
from him in advance by the Venetians.
By this means he multiplied ten times
in six months the sum which he had re-
ceived
But one day that he was in bark on
the Bosporus with Greek women he
was taken by pirates and brought cap
tive into Egypt. Happily his gold and
his merchandise were safe. The pirates
sold him to Saracen lord. who. having
put his feet in irons, commanded him
to cultivate the wheat, which is beauti-
full in that country. He offered ransom,
but the daughter of the Saracen lord,
who loved him, dissuaded her father
from surrendering him at any price. He
he used to cultivate the fields, fed,
reached the Nile and went out to sea.
After eight days of travel in a Span
ish ship, which had picked him up a
tempest threw him ON the coast of Dial.
malta. The entiye crew was drowned,
and Fahio, supported by chicken coop.
reached the coast with great difficulty.
He fell insensible and was brought to
the house of widow, who was quite
beautiful and whose name was Loretta.
When he regained consciousness, he
was surrounded by perfume of myrtles
and roses, and he saw from his window
q garden which descended gradually to
the sea- Mme Loretta took her violin
and played tenderly. Fabio, i'll his
gratitude, kissed her hands thousand
times. Then he asked what was the day
of the month. When she told him, he
began to groan and to lament at the
thought that in "a hours the year would
be ended and the date would come
when he would fail to return the 500
ducats which he had borrowed from
the Jew Eleazer. Nine. Loretta having
asked the cause of his despair, he made
it known to her. As she was woman of
great piety and very faithful to the Holy
Mother of God, she sympathized with
him. There was no difficulty in obtain
ing the 500 ducats, but none could
think of going from the coast of Dali
malta to Venice in "a hours in bad
sea and with contrary winds. Let us
have the money in the first place, " said
Fabio.
When a servant of his hostess had
brought the money to him, the noble
merchant asked for bark, which he
filled with bags containing the ducats,
Then he took from Nine. Loreta's ora
tory an image of the Virgin with the
infant Jesus, which was made of cedar
wood and was very venerable. He plac-
ed it in the bark near the rudder, and
he said to the image:
Madam, you are my security. The
Jew Eleazer must be paid tomorrow.
My honor and yours are at stake, mad
am, and also the renown of your Son.
What mortal sinner like me may not
do you shall surely accomplish, pure
star OF the sea, you whose breast nour-
ishes the one who walked ON waves.
Take this money to the Jow Eleazer, in
the Ghetto of Venice, so that the Jews
will not say that you are bad security. :"
Having pushed the bark in the wave,
he took off his hat and said softly:
"Adieu, madam" For a long time the
merchant and the widow followed the
bark with their eyes. The night fell. A
furrow of light was traced in the peace
full sea.
The next morning Eleazer, having
opened his door, saw in the narrow Ca
nal Of the Ghetto bark loaded with
bags and guided by little figure Of
black wood, resplendent with the clear
ness of dawn. The bark stopped before
the house where was carved the seven
branched golden candlestick, The Jew
recognized the Virgin Mary and the in
FAINT Jesus. security Of tho Christian
merchant. Echo.