Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1900-05-18

j
seat with & smile OF JOY that wassal-
most beatifc. The heavenly chimes
were complete. b His work was done,
and !, now thousands would stand
speechless, struck dumb with the mag
nifcent melody OF his schimes-his
bells. He with his own; hands would
make such music with his bells that
wherever they were the whole world
would come to bear, them. These were
| the thoughts that filed the mind Of the
young musitian-mechanic as he listen
ed to the reverberating melody OF the
tone Of the last bell. Then he fell back
in his chair and the color fed from his
face. The fever, which his untiring
energy had Kept off for SO long, seized
him at last. .'.t~~ Il#
The next morning a nefghbor passingl
| by the shop CHANGED to look in the win
! dow and saw the form of the fever
| stricken young man lying across his
workbench He went inside, thinking
that he might be dead, and when he
found what his real trouble was lifted
Giuseppe to the cot he had used for
bed in the back of the shop. A ply
sician was summoned, and an old wo-
man was sent to nurse him.
| For FIVE weeks Giuseppe tossed on
J his cot raving about his bells-"his
! glorious chimes''-"his children with
the heavenly voices"
In order to 60 on with his work in
making his set Of chimes Giuseppe had
been compelled to borrow. What little
| h
been exhausted before the end Of the
first year. He had borrowed on the
strength of the generous sum that had
been promised him by the cathedral
which was to have his chimes. When
he fell sick and gave promise never to
regain his health again. the bailiffs
came and took away his chimes to
| satisfy his creditors.
But Giuseppe Giovanni did get well,
his health came back. and when he had
strength enough to get up from his
couch he went to find his children-his
bells. His first thought was to hear
again their voices. to make them sing
such melodies as the world had never
heard. as no bells had ever sung. And
when he found that they were gone he
became stupid-he could not realize
that they were gone. Who could have
come and taken away his bells, his
children. whose conception had taken
years-long years of unremitting toll?
He went to the physician who had
| tended him during his fever and was
told that the bailiffs had come to his
| shop and taken them for his creditors.
He vent to the bailiffs and was told
| that his chimes had been sold at pub
| lie sale to the highest bidder. a foreign
| er whose name or country was not
knownt to them. He begged them on his
knees to give him some clew that might
lead him to the purchaser. They told
him grutfiy and uncivilly that it was
none of their concern who bought the
chimes so long as they were sold and
his creditors satisfied. There was a
little money over the claims against
him, he was told-a few lire-but he
flung the offered money in their faces
and left them. his heart broken and his
spirit gone.
That night be sat before his bench
in the little shop. his chin resting on
his breast, the picture of a despairi1g
and broken man. All night long he sat
thus, and when morning came he rous-
ed himself and, raising his hands above
bis head. said, God grant that some
| where in this world of thine i may
again find my chimes-my bells-and,
again their voices"' =
| The next morning the Genoan set
| out with. one <purpose-to ira vel the
world, if need be. to search for his
| chimes. Day after day. week after
week, month after month and year aft!
er year he trudged along from town to
town. city to city. country to country,
vainly seeking his chimes. Part of the
time he spent in various cathedrals
and churches mending chimes and ring
ing them, to the delight of all who lis
tened. Before he had even reached
middle age be was a bearded old man,
bowed and bent and travel worn; but,
like the Wandering Jew. he pursued
his weary way T.. -. :yy.......>@
| The broad waters ofssthe Shannon
were colored axbeautiful red by the
fading rays Of the setting sun. which
| was almost visibly dropping through
the trees to the west Of the city of
Limerick, when an old man with head
and shoulders bent and leaning heavily
on stout staff came slowly along the
| highway that led to little ferry at the
[ river bank. His long beard was as
white as, snow and hung nearly to his
| waist His face was swarthy like that
Of man constantly exposed to the
sun. When he spoke to the ferryman,
it was in a voice used to many tongues.
The boatman helped him from the
shore into his skiff and gave him his
coat for a cushion on the rough hewn
plank which answered for seat. The
old man raised his head feebly and
locked about him. Finally his eyes
fell on the spire of Hereford cathedral,
and there they rested, lighting up for.
| few seconds with glimmer OF hope.
+ The boatman pushed off from the.
shore, and slowly and noislessly the
4 80 ~