The suburban citizen., 1900-03-24

VIM Italy had been consolida-
tod in the monarchical
government, there lived
n in the city of Genoa a
young man called Gui.
seppe Giovanni. For mauy.cenutries the
tamily of Giovanni had been makers of
oells and chimes. In the days of the
Renaissance the name had been di Clio
vani and there was palace on the Via
Jarlo Alberto, but many wars, revo-
.utions aud intrigues had reduced the
iamily to poverty. Several genera
lions of ardent democrats bad de-
spoiled the name OF the "di, satisfied
with plain Giovani.
Guiseppe's father had made some
of the most famous chimes that rang
in Italy, but had never succeeded. in
accomplishing his idea 1t had been
ais great ambition to make a set of
shines that the whole world would
some to hear, bells Of heavenly tone.
The elder Giovanni was hot headed
man, staunch democrat and rather
200 free of speech. A few ill-chosen
sentences derogatory to the reigning
covers proved his downfall, and sone
day as Giuseppe was hard at work on
an odd bell for the Cathedraps chimes
a litter bearing the form OF his father,
with 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 il"
A year after his father 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-
tion OF toning-forks of various sizes
and metals. To one side of the toning-
forks lay dusty old violin and slen-
der silver-m ounted aute. In the rear
Of the shop was small furnace, a
half dozen moulds and a heap of scrap
metal covered with dirt and dust
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 enor-
nous bell fitted with a long slender
clapper capped on the end with large
brass knob. This bell was inscribed
with strange characters--a relic or the
last crusade.
Giuseppe was polishing away with
q sanded cloth on the surface of q
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 sue.
ceeded the sanded one and in turn
made way for one of small texture
Then the bell was hung on little
metal frame somewhat like a gallows
in construction. A drawer was opened
and a bundle OF cloth produced from
its recesses and swiftly unrolled to
reveal highly polished and properly
wroughtlittle clapper which the young
mechanic deftly 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 a subdued silvery tone filed the
narrow confines of the shop. The
tone swelled until it fairly rang, re 10
verberatlng from wall to wall, from
rafter to rafter seeking out every nook
and Granny of the shop, dying away
at last in little shudder OF delight.
The young Genoan had clasped his
hands together sand listened with an
agony of intensity, straining his ears
for a scintiIla of flaw in the tones,
and when the silvery Naturalization
had died away he leaned back with a
sigh OF ecstatic relief.
Day after day and long into the
nights Giuseppe toiled with a feryor
and energy almost fanatical. He ate
but little and slept only when natural
fatigue compelled him. He became
thin and emaciated, and his eyes
shone with feverish lustre, but not
for a single day did he give up his
work. One by one his bells grew
into the size and form he desired and
hegayet to each its proper tone. To him
they were things animate; he talked
TO them, caressed, petted and scolded,
and each night when he ceased his
labor he put them away in their al
lotted places with paternal care and
solicilude.
One beautiful August day Giuseppe
sat at his bench giving the finishing
touches to the last Of his set Of chimes.