Semi=weekly graphic., 1897-04-10

flnkler which dif duev fa Inc monastery. But this was casily accom lislcd. The next problem that ye.e.l the worthy rrel- ate's mind was where to Lee his new contrivance so thas it's yoicc could be heard from afar
 There was. however, on tho roof of the basiliea of St Felix q sort of eurola known as @ lantern Ii vss oFen ca all sides, it's principal purpose being, as it's name inn plies, 10 give light to the interior of the structure ca which il rested. It was in this lantern that the hishop of Nola yoked the first church Ecll
 Most probably it was of tho miter class and looked for all thew world like good sized metal bowl with D claprcr inside. Nor WIS it large affair The fifteenth century was well advanced before bells of any considerable dimensions were fash toned
 At any rate the worthy bishops bell was set up in it's place, and right royalty did it serve it's purpose. Ono can easily imagine tho flutter of excitement it caused among the good people of Nola in those placid times and fancy tho congregation of St. Felix, in picturesque garb and san daled feet, vending their way to their church, guided by the changing reverba- tions of that wondrous bell, which rang out it's Easter roundelay on the plains of Campania nearly 1, ,G00 years ago In those days it must have seemed as marvellous to them as tho telephone did to us.
 Truly that was a momcnteus Easter, and tho excellent prelate's new departure was destined to have farreaching eonse- quenccs, of which his sincere and single minded soul could never have had the re- motest conception. Without specially in- tending it he had developed the best meth cd yet discovered for signaling by sound for long distances, a discovery that could be applied to all manner of uses in the practical affairs of life. From Nola the use of church bells soon spread oyor Chris tendon, and at the beginning of the sev- enth century Pope Sabinius, by some CT roneously supposed to have been the in= ventor thereof, did all he could to encour- age their adoption.
 It was probably not great while there- i after that the custom of baptiziDg church l bells originated This process, according to q high authority, includes naming, anonting, sprinkling, robing, sponsorial | engagements and every initiative accom- l raniment which marks the admission of rational beings into the gospel Not that 1 bells, say the advocates of this system, arc baptized for the rcmisson of sins, but that l they receive power to act as conservatives against thunder and lightning, and hail and wind, and storms of every kind, and that they may drive away evil spirits.
 Other important innovations in church affairs were also effected by Paulinus' first church bell It changed the entire char acter of church architecture. That the i hcls might Ee heard for long distance, it was necessary that they he hung at q high elevation. Hence bell towers were constructed, and every high tower i'll the i Christian world owes it's erection te the bishop of Nela and his Eell
 At first the towers were merely an en- largement of the lantern already described. l This was subsequently, heightened and ire i qupntly finished with Il conical roof To extend this roof to tapering spire was an easy transition, and thus the church stee- ple originated, it's belfry being known among architects as the lantern to this day.
 So runs the story of Paulinus and his godly work and the first Easter bell Though it rests largely on ortl tradition, there is much strong presumptive evidence to support it. The name of his city, Nola, for example, is the name given to q small bell attached to the neck of u dog, the foot of bird or the housings of a horse. The word eampana is the Italian and Spanish name for boil, tho Italian, as We have seen, designating a bell tower as Il cam panile, both words being clearly derived from the same locality.
 Many episodes, commonly accepted as historical facts, rest upon no better author ity than that which proclaims Bishop Paulinus the discoyerer of tho church bell. In these days of research and close investi- gation it is more than likely that eyi- dence such as will place his fame upon an unassaiablc foundation will be unearthed in the near future. IG. W. POTTER.