The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1900-05-16
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The Chimes Of Limerick. :;

|
Nearly half n century ago, before
the various provinces of Italy had been
consolidated In the monarchical gov
! ernment, there lived IN tho city OF
Genoa 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-
compllshing his idea. 1t had been his
| great ambition to make set of chimes
that tho whole world would come to
hear bells of heavenly tone. The elder
Giovanni was n hot headed man,
| stanch democrat and rather too free
OF speech. a few i'll chosen sentences
derogatory to the relgnIng powers
proved his downfall and one day as
Giuseppe was hard Mt work on an odd
bell for the cathedrars chimes litter
bearing the form of his father, with
deadly stab wound In his back, was
brought into the dngy 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."
A year after his fathers death found
the young artisan hard Mt work In his
shop. When his father died, he had
made vow to accomplish the ideal
that his father had vainly struggled
| for. The bench ut which he was work
Ing was rough hewn, long aud broad
and Uttered with Il confusion of TOOLS
bits of metal and unfinished bells. On
one corner of the bench was n collcc-
tion of tuning forks of various sizes
and metals. At one side Of the tuning
forks lay dusty old violin and slen-
der silver mounted flute. In the rear
of the shop We're Il small furnace, n
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 ma enormous
capped on the end Win n larpe brass
knob This bell was inscribed with
strange characters relic Of the last
crusade.
Giuseppe was polishing away with II
sanded cloth at the surface of bell
that already shone lustrously in the
dim light that struggled through the
"A.
His fingers fairly flew MS he turned,
twisted and rubbed the shiny bowl of
metal. A rough cloth succeeded tho
sanded one and In turn made way for
| one Of soft texture. Then the bell
| was hung on n little metal frame some
| what like II gallows In construction.
| A drawer was opened and bundle of
cloth produced from It's recess and
swiftly unrolled to reveal n highly pol
ished and properly wrought little clap
per. which the young mechanic deftly
fitted In the inverted bowl of the bell.
A piece OF Irvine was attached to
little knob on the bulb Of the clappcr.
A gentle pull and subdued sllyery
| tone filled the narrow confines OF the
| shop. The tone swclled until 1t fairly
rang, rcverberatlng from wall to wall,
from rafter to rnfter, seeking out every
nook ana Granny or the shop, dying
away ut last In little shudder or de-
light The young Genoan had clasped
his hands together and listened with an
agony OF intensity, straining his ears
for scintilla OF flaw In the tones.
and when the sllVery Naturalization
had died away he leaned back with n
Sigh OF ecstatic relief.
Day after day ANA long into the
nights Giuseppe tolled win ferYor
and energy almost fannticaL lie ate
but little ana slept only when natural
fatigue compelled him. lie became tlln
ana emaciated, ana his eyes shonc with
feverish lustcr, but net Tor single
day ala he give up his work one by
one MS belIs grew mo the SIZE ana
form he desired ana he gave 10 each
lts proper tone. 10 nm they were