The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-10-09
The Bell Ringer.

Biasce vas in love. For two or three
nights ne could not sleep.
A new, fresh and sharp smell Of sap,
which began to circulate N the young
chestnut trees. entered into his den. one
does not know how. Upon St. Barbara.
it was because OF Zolfina.
The most remote line of the Adri-
ATTIC Sea was already lighted by the
first bashful looks of the day
break He got up and climbed. by
wooden stairs. to the pinnacle of the bel
fry. Strange. indiStinct voices. similar
TO the rustling of leaves. TO the grazing
OF green shots, to the futtering of the
wings, were floating IN the air.
The three motionleSs bells. ornament
ed vita arabesQues were waiting for
Biasce. 70 throw their triumphal vibla-
tons in the air.
BbaSce seized the ropes. The first pun
gave powerful shiver to the largest bell.
called she Wolf. its big mouth dilated,
contracted. dilated again: wave Of me-
tailic sounds. followed by kind OF long
roaring, spread over the valley and over
the shore And the tinklingS were rush
ing and rushing; the bronze was more
and more animated-it was like a mon
ster which became crazy through love
and wrath: IT oscillated dreadfully to the
left and TO the right, showing its mouth,
throwing large, deep notes. united by the
continual growing, unit, II was melted
III one shiver Of crystalline harmony.
growing larger and more solemn in the
space.
The tide of sound and the waves OF in
creasins light began TO chase away sleep
in the country: the mist was rising like
smoke. and then slowly disappeared.
chased away by the brightness of the
morning; the hills began to be unged with
copper color.
All at once another bell resounded-the
chimes Of the Etrige; its voice was sharp.
harsh. broken: II sounded like the barking
OF a pack of hounds and bowling of a
wild animal Then was heard the rapid
hammering OF the Singer. a joyful. clear
and tumultuous hammering similar TO
the noise of hail striking a glass roof.
Finally there resounded the bells OF 9TH
er belfries; the belfry of San Rocco-that
reddish church nesting among the oak
trees-the belfry of Santa Teresa, the bel
fry of San Franco. Fifteen metallic
mouths were pouring on the fields the joy
full variations and holy Sunday hymns.
Biasce was intoxicated by this thun-
dering noise. 1t was worth while to see
him, that nervous boy. with the large red
scar on his forehead; how he struggled,
how he hung on to the ropes like mon
KEY, now ne CLIMBED IN OTuST 10 give the
last pulls TO the Singer.
They called him an idiot, the poor
Biasce; but there on the belfry ne was Il
king and a poet! When the clOudless
sky was stretched over the poisoning
country. when the -Adriatic Sea was shin
ing, when the streets were swarming with
the working people; he rrnained on the top
top of his belfry like a wild falcon, doing
nothing. With his ear on the side of
the Wolf, of that terrible and superb an
imal which one evening split his fore
head, from time to time he knocked the
bell with the joint of his finger and lis
tened to the long drawn and delicious vi
brations. Near him the Singer was shin
ing like a jewel. with an image of St.
Anthony in relief. Farther on the Strge
was showing its notched lips and its old
body furrowed with long crevice. What
a dream among those bells, What lyri-
cal flight of passion and desire, And how
beautiful and refined was the image of
Zolfina, emerging in his imagination over
this sea of sonorous waves. or vanishing
in the twilight when the bells assume their
tone.