Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-12-16
CHAPTER XVIII.

Avellino is one of those dreamy.
quiet, and picturesque towns which
, have rot as yet been desecrated by
the Vandal tourist. Persons holding
through tickets" from Messrs. Cook
or Gaze do not stop there-there are
no sights" save the old sanctuary
called Monte Vergine standing aloft
on its rugged hill, with all the memo
, cries of it's ancient days clinging to it
like wizards cloak, and wrapping it
IN sort Of mysterious, meditative
silence. It can look back through a
vista of eventful years to the eleventh
century, when it was erected, so the
people say, on the ruins of temple of
tCybele. But what do the sheep and
geese that are whipped abroad in herds
by the drovers Cook and Gaze know
of Monte Vergine or Cybele? Nothing
and they care less; and quiet Avel-
limo escapes from their depredations,
thankful that it is not marked on the
business map of the drovers' runs"
Shut in by the lofty Apprentices, built
on the slope Of the hill that winds
gently down into a green and fruit
full valley through which the river
Sabato rushes and CLEANS white
against the cleft rocks that look like
War-worn and deserted castles, a
drOWsy peace encircles it, and q sort
of stateliness, which, compared with
the riotous fun and folly of Naples
only thirty miles away, is as though
the statue of a nude Egeria were
placed in rivalry with the painted
WaXen image of aha1f-dressed ballet
dancer. Few lOvelier sights are to be
seen in nature than a sunset from one
Of the smaller hills round AvellinO-
when the peaks of the Apprentices
seem to catch fire from the flaming
clouds, and below them, the valleys
are full of those tender purple and
gray shadows that one sees on the
canvases of Salvador Rosa, while the
town itself looks Like a brOnzed cary
ing on an old shield, outlined clearly
against the dazzling lustre of the sky.
To this retired spot l came-glad to
rest for a time from my work of VEN
geance-glad to lay down my burden of
bitterness for a brief space, and be-
come, as it were, human again, in the
sight of the near mountains. For
within their close proximity, things
common, things mean, seem to slip
from the soul-a sort of largeness per-
vades the thoughts, the cramping
Freshness of daily life has no room to
Loo nn+f, i+c Il GOil
the stormy waters of passion, and
like a chidden babe the strong man
stands, dwarfed to an infinite little
ness in his own sight, before those
majestic mOnarches of the landscape
whose large brows are crowned with
the blue circlet of heaven.
| took up my abode in a quiet, al
most humble lodging, living simply,
and attended only by Vincenzo. I was
tired of the Ostentation | had been
forced to practice in Naples in order
to attain my ends-and it was a relief
to me to be for time as though I
were a poor man. The house in which
[ found rooms that suited me was
a ramblingly built, picturesque little
place, situated on the outskirts of the
town, and the woman who owned it
was in her way, a character. She was
a Roman, she told me, with pride
flashing in her black eyes-I could
guess that at once by her strongly
marked features, her magnifcently
nodded figure, and her free, firm tread
that step which is swift without
being haSty, which is the manner
born of Rome. She told me her his
} tory in a few words, with such elo-
Quent gestures that she seemed to
live through it again as she spoke;
her husband had been a worker in a
|, marble quarry-one of his fellows had
let a huge piece of the rock fall on
him, and he was crushed to death.
And well do I know" she said.
that he killed my Tonic purposely,
for he would have loved me had he
dared. But I am common woman,
see yOu-and it seems to me one can
!, not lie. And when my loves poor
body was scarce covered in the EARTH
} that miserable one-the murderer
came to me-he offered marriage I
accused him of his crime-he denied it
he said the rock slipped from his
: hands, he knew not how. l struck
him on the mouth, and babe him leave
my sight and take my curse with him!
He is dead now-and surely if the
saints have heard me, his soul is not
: in heaven!"
Thus she spoke, with flashing eyes
J and purposeful energy, while with her
strong arms she threw open the wide
easement of the sitting-room I had
taken, and babe me view her orchard
: 1t was a fresh green strip Of verdure
: and foliage-about eight acres of good
: land, planted entirely with apple-trees.
: Yes, truly" she said showing her
/ white teeth in a pleasing smile as 1
: made the admiring remark she ex-
/ pected. "Avellino has long had a name
f for its apples-but, thanks to the Holy
= Mother, l think in the season there is
no fruit in all the neighborhood finer
e than mine. The produce of it brings
: me almost enough to live upon-that
e and the house, When I can find signori
r willing to dwell with me. But few
y strangers come hither; sometimes an
D artIst sometimes a poet-such as