The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-13
SONG OF WEEPING WILLOW

The bell announcing dinner chimed out.
From every side came the sound of hurry
! ing sandals on the marble floors, and in an
instant the refectory was filed by good
| Capuchin friars Then came the guardian
the name given by the lesser Franciscans
/ to their superior. The pork SOUP the soup
of fete days. was steaming in the deep,
wooden plates. The heavy wine casks were
| placed on the floor, instead of the table
| The menu consisted of a roast leg of NUT
! ton with peas, cooked onion salad and fruit
| tarts.
The festival of BaIthazar. Lucullas at the
triclinum of Lucullus A repast which they
will always remember The friars were in
fine spirits and their appetites ferocious.
The chief of the community a little fell
low, with long, white beard started the
conversation:
| My dear children, this is a holiday.
| have ordered an excellent repast If it is
| sin to eat bountifully of good things in
| carnival times, we will do penitence by
fasting during Lent. But is it a sin? For
myself, l have doubts upon that subject
| Our Savior. from time TO time, honored with
his presence some sumptuous banquets. At
the wedding at Cana-all ministers of the
church admit 1.-THE service was ire
proachable Well, them
Ah guardian father. you express yourself
wonderfully well. Bravo!
my children, l am keeping a surprise for
| you for dessert But I don't see our
dear Calixte among you! Our companion
Furnishes himself too severely. Fasting and
discipline daily: it's pushing the limit too
| far! God does not wish us to be without
pity for ourselves, for God is infinitely love
and mercy! Father Nicolas, go tell
4 ~
and restore himself, in company with his
| brothers"
Calixte, pale and feverish, slowly ad-
vanced. He fell on his knees before the
black crucifx on the white wall He muir
INJURED short prayer then seated himself
at table. He hardly touched the meat and
wine. His thoughts were far, far away
| A singular face: the features of a cor
saire, with red eyes, pale lips and thick,
black beard; thin as an ascetic, square
| shouldered an athlete.
The guardian continued:
MY sons, the news of the town does not
| always stop at the convent door. We are
not ignorant of the fact that the celebrated
| Malibran has been in Ancone for two weeks
| She is, it seems, a most charitable young
girl of an angelic beauty. Her voice is
| that of a seraph her life that of virtuous
| Christian We, poor begging monks to
whom the theater is forbidden, may not
hear her on this earth. If God grants that
we may enter heaven, we will hear Mali
| bran sings in the chosen choir. She sings
in the opera "Othe,lo,'' the music of which
is written by Signor Rossini. This COM
poser, they claim, promises great things.
The poem is by the illustrious Marquis
| Berio, who took it, adding greatly to and
| thus improving it, from drama written in
English by comedian called Shakespeare
| The Capuehins, much interested by this
story forgot their last glass of wine, and
| gathered around the superior CaliXte re-
manned seated, dreaming sadly.
The guardian continued:
"Othello is a tragedy in which the char
! acters are nicely expressed. i see no harm
! in reading-this is your surprise--the libret-
| to to you Moreover, the maestro, Ghiri-
goro, has promised me to come this after
noon and play the principal selections for
| us on the organ"
! printed matter from his pocket and, in
! firm harmonious voice, he read of Bra
bantio demanding justice of the, Duke of
Venice because the Moor is loved by Des-
| demona; he read of the ingenuity of Cassie,
! the perfidy of Iago and the fury of Othello.
so diabolically defames the virtuous BESIDE
mona, Brother Calixte seemed to wake from
his sleep His eyes dilating, his hands
! trembling, his chest heaying, he listened:
| Othello:
20 blood, blood. blood!''
! Iago:
| Patience, I say; your mind perhaps may
change"
| Othelo:
| Never, Iago. Like to the Pontic sea.
! Whose icy current and compulsive course
! Meier feels retiring ebb, but keeps due on
TO the Propontic and the Hellespont:
Even so my bloody thoughts, with violent
Shall ne'er look back, ne'er ebb to humble
Till that a capable and wide revenge
Swallow them up. Now, by your marble
In the due reverence of sacred vow
(Kneels)
/ here engage my words,1
| Iago:
| do not rise yet (Kneels.)3
| Witness. you ever-burning lights above.
| You elements that clip us round about,
Witness that here Iago doth give. up
The execution of his wit, hands, heart
To wrong'd Othello's service Let him COM
mand
And to obey shall be in me remorse,
| What bloody business ever
Calixte tore his breast with his bloody
! nails.
Here is the romance Of the Weeping
Willow-'Chantez e saule ct sa donce verdi
| ure.'
The reader told of the jealous Moor,
smothering Desdemona with pillow. He
| told Of how Emilia ran to declare the inno-
cence of Brabantio's daughter, the wife of
| Othello:
Emilia:
''Thou art rash as fire. to say
That she was false. Q she was heavenly
true!'
CaliXte gave an awful cry and fell in. an
| epileptic fit. The blood flowed from his
mouth and to the stupefaction of his COM
! panions, he sWore an awful oath.
II.
Brother. do you feel better?''
Father superior, better than have felt
for long time. My nerves, completely UNI
| strung by the attack, leave me now an en-
tire lucidity of mind and a physical calm
-. I beg you grant me one favor!
In my delirium 1 said some words
which scandalzed my brothers. wish, in
atonement for them, to spend the night in
prayer on the altar steps. 1 must do pen
ance for the oath which was, without
doubt, suggested to me by evil spirits, at
a moment when 1 no longer6could control
myself"
$50 be it, If your health permits"
CallXte remained alone In the vast nave.
He listened to the ringing of the Angelus.
He heard the friars retire early to their
cells; and, when the last sound had died
Away, he walked toward the statue of the
| Virgin, which was poorly lighted by the
| dying candles.
Il must! I must go to that the
alter! Holy. Virgin. immaculate, full of
| mercy, forgive this Sacrllegious theft"
And from the ring hand of the Madonna
| he chose the most simple, light band of
| gold, the gift of widow. He drew the
| bolt of the door, and rapidly left the sane
| tuary. The rain was falling. But it eased