Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-09-20
THE CONVENT BELL.

Santa Martorana was a small old church
attached to convent in Rome, of which
the sisters were becoming slowly but sure
ly fewer, because when the old nuns died
or sickness carried away one of their num-
Der none was found to replace her.
1t was a mean building enough, except
for its marble columns and pavement in
which, however, nearly every church In
Rome is rich.
The facade was in bad taste and decayed
the affairs poor and tawdry, but it had one
supreme glory, and that was its bell. OF
all the bells far and near this had the rich
est. fullest sound and sweetest tone, and as
in Rome bells seem oftener to be ringing
than silent this was no small matter to the
ueighhOrs.
The bellringer was man Of about 20
yrl"f of age, short, thin and pale, with
clean, clear cut features, such as Italians
generally have, his chin and checks of
blue gray hue except the day after his
weekly shave. His bent form was incased
in a long cassock, which mt some remote
period might have been black, but was
now, moro exactly speaking green. His
scant gray hairs escaped from well worn
skullcap, and he lived alone, having APP
parently Mother relatives nor friends.
Altogether only a shabby, commonplace
little old man. But Sior Antonio had
two great joys in his life-few can boast
of more than one-and these were his
snuff and his bell
The latter he was accustomed to call his
mistress, and when not occupied with
his ringing he used to stand, snuffbox in
hand, gazing adoringly at "her," his be-
loved La Catarina
And indeed the bell looked very we'll up
there in its weather stained brick belfry
The bronze Of which it was made was q
beautiful pale green, the beam to which it
was fixed was brilliant red and up in the
deep blue italian sky it made q pretty pic
ture enough.
The boys, who in Rome are no better
than other boys-indeed If anything lit
tie worse-were accustomed to jeer at the
poor old man as he stood gazing with
weak, dim eyes into tho sun saturated
blue, but he paid no heed to them; only
muttering a few words which sounded
like, "How long?"
When Sior Antonio had occasion to
speak to one Of the sisters about the bell,
he would do so thus:
LA Catarina does not seem so sound as
she used to be, l fear madre. l hear
change in her voice as if she were lament
Ing the good old days, and like mo she is
worse for the wear and tear of years. AS
soon as my rheumatism will let me will
climb up into the belfry and sec what is
the matter with the dear one.
Or he would say to ncighbor, How
xupli Cipr Dinpn To
There is not another like her in Rome,
where bells are not few"
The good sisters, as their revenues di-
mlnished, wished to dismiss Sior Antonio
and do their own ringing themselves, but
the old man steadily refused to go, saying
itwOuld break his heart, and when money
almost entirely failed he continued to stay
on, lonely and sad, existing no one knew
how, probably picking up few stray soldi
from strangers who came but rarely to
visit the church.
But one day the eldest of the last three
sisters died, and orders came from the
Vatican for the removal Of tho remaining
two to another convent of the same order,
and the suppression of tho church of Santa
Martorana followed. Then there was no
help for it. The last mass must be said
and La Catarina rung for the last time.
Sior Antonio, with tears in his eyes and
despair in his heart, once more prepared
to exercise his beloved Office. He began by
pulling the rope tenderly, tendcrly, and "a
wall rs of sorrow and farewell noatcd out
from the swaying bronze.
He pulled harder, and the sound was
one of anger and lament-lamcnt loud and
inconsolable, as of a strong heart which
would rather burst than submit. And the
belf swung angrily in the eternal blue,
making itself voice, as it were, for Sior
Antonio's embittered feelings.
At length, almost as he was about to
pull the last stroke, loud crash startled
priest and nuns and the few women and
children gathered for the service. The red
beam had given way under the unwontcd
vehemence of Sior Antonio's arm, and La
Catarina lay in many fragments on the
belfry floor. Sior Antonio was extended in
the midst Of them. A large piece Of bronze
had struck him on the forehead, and he
was senseless. They took him to the hos
pital, and he was carefully tended, but he
never spoke again. On taking off his
clothes round his neck n leather bag was
found containing thick gold ring with
the word "Catarina" engraved inside it.
When he died, he was hustled with many
others into the common grave.
La Catarina had called him, and he
went.-Margaret Thomas in Queen.