Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1895-05-23

TlON, COLI MBUS, OHIO.

, 1lon is the best Way-the only way. 1t
| is clean and safe. Why should there
he amy prejudice against it. Surely it
| is better to give the remains of what
| we loved Tor pretended 10 Lover to
! cleansing fire and pure air than lazy
| them i'll Il cold vault of Stcnc. or down.
down i'll the wet and cinying earth.
| For loatlly things are hidden deep in
the mould-thingS foul and all unnamc
abc-lonS wornS-Slinly creatures
with blind eyes and useless wonys-
aboltionS and deformilicS of the insect
tribe born of poiSt nous vlpor-cre:-
lures the very sight of which would
drive YOU. % delicate woman. into a fit
of hysteria. and woul provoke even
YOU, q strong man. to Il Shudder of
rcpulSion. But there is worse thing
than these merely physical horrors
which come of So-called Christian bur-
ial-tlnt is. the terrible uncertainty.
What. if after we have lowered the
narrow strong box containing our
dear deceased relation into its vault
or hollow in the ground-what, If af-
ter we have Worn Il Sccmly garb of
woe. and tortured our faces into the
fitting expression of gentle and patient
acknowledgement, / say if after all
the reasonable precaution to insure
safety. they would actually prove i'll
sufficient? What-if the prison to
! which we have consigned the deeply
I regretted one should not have such
close doors as we fondly imagined?
What if the stout coffin should be
wrenchcd apart by fierce and frenZicd
fingers: What. if our late dear friend
should not he dead but should. like
Lazarus of old come forth to challenge
our affection mew? Should we not
gricvc sorcly that we had failed to
avail ourselves of the secure and elias
steal method of cremation! Especially
ii we had benefited by worldly goods
or money left 10 us by the so deserved
ly lalncntcd. For we are self -dcceiving
hNpocritcS-fcw of us are really sorry
for the dcad-fcw of us remember
them with any real tenderness or af-
fcriion. And yet God knows. they
may need more pity than we dream of.
Hnt let me to my task. L. labio Ro-
mani. lately deceased am about to
chronicle the events of one short year
IL year in which was compressed the
agony of a long and tortured lifetime.
one little ycar!-one sharp thrust from
the dagger of time! 1t pierced my heart
the wound still gapcs and blceds.
and every drop of blood is tainted as II
falls!
one suffering common to many. l
have never known. that is-povcrty.
was born rich. When my father,
Count Filippo Romani, died. leaving
me. then q lad of seventeen, sole heir
to his enormous pc sessions sole head
of his powerful house-there were
mauy candid friends who. with their
usual Kindness. propheSied the worst
things of my future. Nay. there We're
even some WHO looked forward to my
physical and mental destruction with Il
certain degree of malignant eXpccta-
tion and-thcy We're cstimablc persons
too. They were respectfully connected.
their words carried wcisht-and for n
time | was an object Of their malicious
ly piouS fears. was destined. ac-
cortling to their calculations. to he n
gambler. spendthrift. a drunkard. an
incurablc roue. of the most abandoned
character. Yet. strange to say. be-
came none of these Though Il Ncapo-
Titan. with all The fiery passions and
hot blood Of my race ! had an innate
scorn for the contemplate vices and
low desires of the un1hinking vulgar.
Gambling seemed 10 me Il dcliriouS
foily-dr!nk. destroyer of health and
rraSon-and liccntiouS rNirav:2a nee
an outrage on the poor chose my
own way of lifc-a middle course he
tween simplicity and luNury-a judi
ciollS mingling of homclike peace With
The gnity of sympathetic intercourse
an even tenor of intelligent existence
which neither exhausted the mind nor
injured the body.
dwclt in my fathers Villa minia,
lure palace of white marble. situated
OH Il wooded height overlooking the
Bay of Naples. My pleasure grounds
We're fringcd with fragrant groves of
orange and myrtle. where hundreds OF
fuNHoiccd nightingalcs wnrhled theil
love melodies TO the golden moon
) Sparkling fountains rose and fell III
huge stone basins carved With many 4
, quaint design. and their ccol murmur
. Gus splash refreshed the burning 81
: lencc of the hottest summer air. In
this retreat l lived ut peace for some
happy years. surrounded by books and
pictures. and visited frequently by
fricnds-young men whose tastes Were
more or less like my own. and who
were capable of equally appreciatin:
the merits of an antique volume, or the
flavor of a rare vintage.
OF women saw little or nothing
Truth TO tell. l instinctively avoided
them. Parents With marriageabl,
daughters invited me frequently t.
their houses. hut these invitations
generally refused. My best book
warned me against feminine society
and | believed and accepted the warn
ing. This tendency of mine exposed
me to the ridicule of those among III.
5 companions who were amorously in
l clincd. but their gay icsts at what the.
Il termed my weakness never affcrtc,
G me. trusted in friendship rattle
i than love. and l had friend-one 70
v whom at that time would gladly hav
laid down my life-one who inspire
t me with the most profound attach
IL mcnt He. Guido Ferrnri. also joine
s occasionally with others in the gool