Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1895-08-08
THE CONVENT BELL.

Santa Martorana was "A small old church
attached to convent In Rome, OF which
the sisters were becoming slowly but sure
" fewer, because when the old nuns died
or sickness carried away one Of their mum.
Der none was found to replace her.
II was u mean building enough, except
for It's marble columns and pavement, In
which, however, nearly every church In
Rome Is rich.
The facade was In bad taste and dccaycd,
the affairs poor and tawdry, but 1t hhd one
supreme glory, and that was its bell. Oh
all tho bells far and near this had the rich
est fullest sound and sweetest tone and M
In Rome bells seem 0ftener to be ringing
than silent this was no small matter TO the
ncighbors.
Tho bellringer was n man of about 40
years of age, short, thin and pale, with
clean, clear cut features such ns Italians
generally have, his chin and checks Of n
blue gray hue except tho day after his
weekly shave. His bent form was incased
In long cassock, which at some remote
period might have been black, but was
now, moro exactly speaking, green His
scant gray hairs escaped from well worn
skulloap, and ho lived alone, having APP
parently neither relatives nor friends.
Altogether only shabby, commonplace
little old man. But Sior Antonio had
two great joys in his lifc--fGw can boast
Of moro thnn one--and these were his
snuff and his bell.
Tho latter ho wns accustomed to call his
"mistress," and when not occupied with
his ringing he used to stand snnifbox In
hand, gazing adOrngly at cher" his be-
loved In Catarinn
And indeed tho bell looked very we'll up
th0ro In It's weather stained brick bclfry.
Tho bronze Of which IL was mado was n
beautiful pnIe green, tho beam to which IL
was fixed WINS brilliant red and up In tho
deep blue Italian sky 1t mnde u pretty pio-
turo enough.
Tho boys, who In Rome nro no better
than other boys.-indccd II anything n lit
Ito WORSE woro accustomed to jncr ut the
poor old man NJ no stood gazing with
weak, dim eyes into tho sun saturated
blue, but no pnid no heed to thom, only
muttering few words which sounded
like, GLOW longY"
Whom Sor Antonio had occasion to
speak to ono Of tho sisters about the bell
no would do so thus:
Elm Cntnrnn does not seem 70 sound NJ
sho used TO be, fcar, madrc. ] hcnr n
change In her voice ns if she were lament
Ing the good old days md likc mo she Is
worse for the wonr and tcnr of years. AS
soon M my rheumatism viii let mo ! will
climb mp into tho bolfry and SEQ what Is
tho matter with the dcnr ono.
Or ho would sny to noighbor, How
well, Sior plppo, In Cntarlnn goes today.
There IL not another lik0 her In Rome
where bells nro not fow.
Tho good sisters, nv their revenues d.
unfinished, wished to dismiss Sior Antonio
and do THOR own ringing themselves, but
tho old man steadily refused 10 go, saying
IL would break his heart, and when money
almost entirely failed no continued to stay
ON, lonely and sad, existing no ono know
how, probably picking up II few stray soldi
from strangers who cnmO but rarely to
visit tho church.
But ono day the eldest Of tho last three
sisters died, and ortlors camo from tho
Vatican for tho removal of tho remaining
two To another convent of ho snno order,
and tho suppression of tho church Of Santa
Mnrtornnn followed Then There was no
help for It, Tho last mass must bn said
and In Cntnrina rung for tho lust time.
Sior Antonio, with tcnrs In his eyes and
despair in his heart, once moro prepared
to exercise his beloved office. llo began by
pulling the ropo tondorly, tcndorly, and u
wall rs of sorrow and farewell ilontcd out
from tho swayinp bronze.
Ilo pulled harder, and tho sound WINS
ono Of anger and lamont Lament loud aud
Inconsolnblo, MS Of u strong heart which
would rather burst than submit. And tho
boil swung anRrily In tho eternal blue,
making itself u voice, rs it WERE for Sior
Antonio's ombuored feelings,
At lcnRih, almost ns he was about Ia
pull tho last stroke, u loud crash startled
priest and nuns and tho fuw womon aud
children gathered for tho srrvico. Tho red
beam Ind given way under tho unwuntcd
yohcmonoc Of Sor Antonio \ arm, and Ii,
Cntarinn lay IN many fragments ON tho
bolfry floor. Sor Antonio was extended In
tho midst of them A large picCcur bronze
hnd strucl, him on tho forehead and he
WINS sonsolcss They took him to tho hos
pital, and he was carefully tended, Nut hu
never spoke again. On taking of his
clothes round his neck u leather bag was
found containing thick gold ring with
tho word "Catarina" engraved inside II.
Whom he died, he WAS hustled with many
others into tho common grave.
Ian Catarnn had called him, and In
went, Margaret Thomas In Queen