The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-01-05


our ears by our monkish guide seems
fitted TO the surroundings and Is awe in
spring and impressive.
some weeks after the terrible earth
quake OF 1888. which almost leyeled Mes
sina TO the ground, this Duomo being APP
parently miraculousy preserved, a French
priest came here for the purpose Of max
ing copies Of some OF the inscriptions
SO absorbed was he I'm his work that lie
scarcely realized the lateness OF the
hour. until darkness was upon him, and
then taking up the results Of his days
| labor he FASTENED 10 the door TO ma
IL locked. The Custode, at the usual hour
for closing, seeing no one In the church,
/ the priest, being engaged behind one OF
/ the smaller affairs fastened the door ana
went 10 his monastery. Realizing that
| uolens volens-he was prisoner until
the next morning-he resigned himself 10
| his fate and retired to one OF the confess
! SIGNALS. where he prepared to make him
self comfortable for the night, aud was
soon fast asleep.
At midnight he was awakened by the
| Duonnos bell soiemnly intoning the hour,
and as he opened HIS eyes he lay appalled,.
/ for on the high altar before him the can
! dies were alight, and from behind IT there
walked with slow. majestic and noiseiess
tread a cowled and habited monk.
glance at the face told the startled priest
/ that he who stood before him was not
/ of The earth earthly. but one Of those be
/ ines whose mortality had long before been
! shrouded. hearsed and shriyed for IL was
! a deaths head.
pausiur IN the centre OF the chancel
! these words I'm a tone Ike the wall OF
! a lost spirit. issued from the agure and
reached the listeners ears;
rs there a priest who VIII say mass
/ now for the ropose Of my soul?'
Fain would the priest have answered,
I but his ips refused 20 do their duty. IN
/ an instant the lights We're extingiiished,
and the church was I'm darkness. but at
half-past midnight again they were light
cd. and again the same figure appeared.
rs there a priest here who Will say
mass now for the repose Of my soul?'
And from the confessional came forth
the reply:
There IS. The damned return not.
For thee in purgatorial pain Will / offer
the sacrifice
And following the figure 70 the altar
he found spread thereon the vestments.
I'm which he ROBBED himself and celebrated
the mass. At the end as he turned from
! tho altar the figure rose and with fea-
| lures glorihed. said;
For over one hundred years I have
/ asked the question that ! asked tonight.
one mass ] needed TO break the shackle,
/ that held me here below. You, my liberia
tor shall share my reward and proht by
/ nv example FOR 10 thy death thou shalt
not go unpreparod / will be al thy side
TO warn thee OF thy approaching end.
/ FAREWELL And "a from angelic choirs
there resounded throughout the Duomo
! "Gloria. Gloria in Excellsis Dec" the monk
! faded into nothingness as the priest fell
/ Unconscious TO the floor where he was
found next morning ROBBED I'm vestments
which were supposed 20 be under lock and
kew. and on the altar were the sacred YES
/ sells. which ON the evening before had
been carried by the Custode as usual 10
a secret place for safe keeping.
When The priest told hIs story, he OF
/ course. met with many cavilers 10 whom
his only reply was MY own death VIII
prove my story"
He returned to France, and early one
/ morning three years afterwards he called
/ his relatives. and said.
Last night the monk Of Messina stood
beside me. not in cOwl and habit, but as
o spirit glorihed. and said 20 me;
as lie OF Nazareth said unto the
roniferr upon the cross. go say I 10 thee;
I This day thou shalt be with me IN Para
disc"
Al tho altar o few hours afterwards.
as he repeated the cite mssa est, ne
sank gently TO the floor as II supported
/ bv invisible hands and hrcathcd his last
So runs the legend: and rs our guide
! concludes his story. he turns abruptly
10 "A portion OF the wall which his lamp
| uridly illumcs. and says
i About forty years ago some repairs
| were being made here. which made II
| necessary 10 remove a portion or the
/ wall. and right on this SPOT was found
/ the grinnlng skeleton OF monk and II
| was from this exact spot that the ngure
/ appeared 90 the French priest
As he speaks "a cold shudder seizes MS
as n we were I'm an uncanny atmosphere,
and Fl is with "a sigh 81 relief that we find
/ ourselves az the door bidding farewell 10
] our guide. who seems 10 h. the veritahle
/ genius Of the place. \ short step and we
I nass from these confines. every inch OF
/ which rocks with feudal lore, and from
. those monuments. whose every inscrip-
ton speaks OF murder. rapine. and OPP
/ urossi0n. and beneath whose stones rest
/ both ouprcssor and oppressed. out under
. tho star spangled Siciiian sky spread over
country I'm which neither Norman
/ Bourbon. Greek. Roman nor Saracen hoids
ponulace in subiueation. but a coun-
try whose spiritual fealfy is 10 the creed
/ nreacrod I'm her streets by Paul OF Tafsus
/ fortv-two years after the Christmas night
at Pofb1.hcm. and whose patriotism is
welded 20 the lri color Of green, white
/ and red.