The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-10
SAINT PANTALEON.
GABRIEL D'ANNUNZEO.
Translated From Italian by :. C. de scissors
By Gabriel D'Annunzio. Translated from
the Italian by 5. c. de scissors.

By Gabriel D'Annunzio. Translated from
the Italian by 5. c. de scissors.
l.
The sand on the big square shone like
crushed pumice-stone. All the houses
around il, whitened with lime, reflected
strange metallic lights. and looked Ike
the walls of an immense oven in which
the fire is dying. On the other side of the
square the church reflected the illumina-
ton in its stone pilasters which became
red like granite. The windows glared as
though fire had burst forth in the nave,
and the figures of the saints with their
colors and their attitudes, had the ap-
pearance of living beings.
The streets of the town of Raduse pour
ed into the square a stream of Yociferating
and gesticulating men and women. Super
stitious terror increased UNNECESSARILY
in their souls; ali these uncultivated i'm
aginations were haunted by a dread vision
of divine punishment. The commentaries,
violent controversies. pitiful lamentations,
stories without sense, prayers and vocif-
erations were melted into one deep roar
like that of a hurricane ready to burst
forth. For the past few days this bloody
redness had been seen in the sky after
sunset, disturbing the calmness of the
night, and throwing a tragical glitter
over the sleeping country, augmented by
the bowling of the dogs.
Several people who until now had been
talking quietly in front of the church, pc
gan to make violent gestures:
In answer to this call a man came out
through the big front gate of the church
and approached the group. He was tail
and thin, bald on the top of his head,
while his temples and the nape of his neck
were covered with long red hair. His
small hollow eyes, uncertain in color.
held the flame of wild passion. When
he spoke the notch made in his upper
Jaw by the loss of two incisors, gave
bizarre appearance of faun-iike sen'lty
to the movements of his pointed chin, SOW
ed with a scanty beard. His whole body
was only a miserable bony framework,
hardly hidden by his clothing. His hands,
his arms and his chest were covered with
blush figures, tattooing, In memory OF
the holy places visited, of favors received
and of VOWS accomplished.
When this fantastic figure had Joined
the people standing near the pillar, con-
fused anxious questioning commenced.
well, what says Don Console? Are
they going to bring the silver arm? Only
the arm? Would it not be better TO
bring the whole bust? What time has
Pallura to bring the candles? VIII he
bring 100 pounds of them? Only 100
pounds? When are they going to begin
to ring the bells? Well? Well?"
The clamor around Giacobbe increased.
From all sides they rushed into the
church. The crowd flowed In from all
the streets, flooding the place. Giacobbe,
in answering the questions spoke very
low, as though he were revealing some
dread secrets-as though he were the
mouth of an oracle coming from the end
of the world. He saw in the air, in a
cloud of blood, first a threatening hand,
then a black veil and then a sword and a
bugle."
Tell us! Tell usr'
An evident desire TO hear of these mar
Vicious things took possession of all souls
They urged him to tell more. They looked
at each other and the tale flew from
mouth to mouth, across the compact
crowd.