Smyrna times., 1900-09-26
|; The Chimes Of Limerick.
A Beautiful Story of How the Bells
Found Their Way to the Banks
of the Shannon.
1oeoCoeoCo0ooooOoooooO

NedTly udlI century ago, before |
the various provinces of Italy had been
consolidated in the monarchical gov |
ernment, there lived in the city of
Genoa a young man called Giuseppe
Giovanni. For many centuries the fam
lily of Giovanni had been makers of
bells and chimes.
Giuseppe's father had made some of
the most famous chimes that rang in
Italy, but had never succeeded in ac-
cOmplishing his idea. 1t had been his
great ambition to make a set of chimes
that the whole world would come to
hear, bells of heavenly tone. The elder
Giovanni was hot headed man, a
stanch democrat and rather too free
of speech. y few i'll chosen sentences
derOgatOry to the reigning powers
proved his downfall, and one day as
Giuseppe was hard at work on an odd
bell for the cathedraPs chimes a litter
bearing the form of his father, with a
deadly stab wound in his back, was
brought into the dingy little shop and
set down before the son.
Giuseppe" said the dying man,
keep out of politics and live only in
your work. Strive only for your ideal.
and in the end you may succeed where
your father failed. Aim for the very
highest, and may God grant that you
accomplish it,"
year after his fathers death found
the young artisan hard at work in his
shop. When his father died, he had
made a vow to accomplish the ideal
that his father had vainly struggled
for. The bench at which he was work
ing was rough hewn, long and broad
and Uttered with a confusion of tools,
bits of metal and unfinished bells. On
one corner of the bench was a collec-
ton of tuning forks of various sizes
and metals. At one side of the tuning
forks lay dusty old violin and a slen-
der silver mounted flute. In the rear
of the shop were a small furnace, a
half dozen mOlds and heap of scrap
metal covered with dirt and rust. The
ceiling of the shop consisted of several
heavy beams covered with rough
boards to which hundreds of spiders
had fastened their webs. From one
beam hung suspended an enormous
bell fitted with long, slender clapper
capped on the end with a large brass
knob. This bell was inscribed with
strange characters, a relic of the last
crusade.
Giuseppe was polishing away with a
sanded cloth at the surface of bell
that already shone lustrously in the
dim light that struggled through the
little windows in the front of the shop
His fingers fairly flew as he turned
twisted and rubbed the shiny bowl OF
metal A rough cloth succeeded the
sanded one and in turn made way fol
one of soft texture. Then the bel
was hung on little metal frame some
what like n gallOws in construction
A drawer was opened and n bundle o
cloth produced from its recess anC
swiftly unrOlled to reveal highly pol
ished and properly wrought little clap
per, which the young mechanic deftl.
fitted in the inverted bowl of the bell
A piece of twine was attached to
little knob on the bulb of the clapper
A gentle pull and n subdued silver
tone filed the narrow confines of tn
shop. The tone swelled until it fairl
rang, reverberating from wall to wal
from rafter to rafter. seeking out ever
nook and Granny of the shop. dyin
away at last in n little shudder Of dC
light. The young Genoan had claspe
his hands together and listened with a
agony of intensity. straining his ear
for a scintilla of a flaw in tine tone
and when the silvery tintinnabulatio
had died away he leaned back with
sigh of ecstatic relief.
Day after day and long into til
nights Giuseppe toiled with a fervC
and energy almost fanatical. He at
but little and slept only when naturi
fatigue compelled him. He became thi
and emaciated, and his eyes shOne wit
a feverish luster. but not for sing
day did he give up his work. One b
one his bells grew into the size an
form he desired, and he gave to eaC
its proper tone. To him they wei
things animate He talked to theI
caressed, petted and scolded, and eaC
night when he ceased his labor he pl
them away in their allotted plac'
with a paternal care and solicitude.
One beautiful August day Giusepl
sat at his bench giving the nnlsnil
touches to the last of his set of chime
Nearly two years had passed since
began his work; two years, but
great change had taken place In Z
appearance of the young man. II
face was pale and wan, and his hi
cheek bones and sunken cheeks ga
him deathly look.
Finally he hung the last bell on I
little metal stand, fitted In his cia
per and gave 1t gentle swing.
tone that followed began like the 81
OF man, worn and wearied by a u
OF hopeless disappointment. 1t gre
In a deep crescendo until 1t became
knell, plaint for the dead, then dl
away in a broken sob. The Geno
followed the tone from its incepti
until It's last vibration ceased with
'earnestness that made the veins In
l. u n