The suburban citizen., 1900-03-24

Nearly two years had passed since he
began his work. Two years, but a
great change had taken place in the
appearance of the young man. His
face was pale and wan and his high
cheek bones and sunken cheeks gave
him deathly look.
Finally he hung the last bell on the
little metal stand, fitted in it's clap.
per aud gave it gentle swing. The
tone that followed began like the sigh
of man, worn and wearied by life
of hopeless disappointment; it grew
in deep crescendo until it became II
knell, a plant for the dead, then died
away in q broken sob. The Genoan
followed the tone from its inception
until its last vibration ceased, with an
earnestness that made the veins in
his forehead stand out and drew every
muscle tense; then he sat back in
his seat with a smile of Joy that was
almost beati6c. The heavenly chimes
were complete. His work was done,
and now thousands would stand
speechless, struck dumb with the mag
nificent melody of his chimes-his
bells. He, with his own hands, would
make such music with his bells that
wherever they were the whole world
would come to hear them. These were
the thoughts that filed the mind of the
young musician mechanic as he list
ened to the reverberaiing melody of
the tone of his last bell. Then he fell
back in his chair, the color fed from
his face; the fever, which his ,untiring
energy had kept off for so long, seized
him at last.
The next morning, nelghbor pass
ing by the shop, chanced to look in at
the window and saw the form OF the
fever. stricken young man lying across
his work bench. 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 physician was summoned
and an old woman was sent to nurse
him.
For five weeks Giuseppe tossed on
his cot raving about his bells--'his
glorious chimes" children with
the heavenly voices"
In order to go on with his work in
making ,his set of chimes Giuseppe
had been compelled to borrow. What
little his father had left behind him
had 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 cathe-
dral 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 Giovani did get we'll,
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 unre-
mitting toll? He went to the physi-
clan 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 went to the
bailiffs and was told that his chimes
had been sold at public sale to the
highest bidder-a foreigner, whose
name or country was not known to
them. He begged them on his knees
to give him some clue that might lead
him to the purchaser They told him
gruffly and uncivilly that it was none
of their concern who bought his chimes
80 long as they we're sold and his
creditors satisfied. There was a lit
tie money over the claims against him
he was told--a few liras, but he flung
the offered money in their faces and left
them, his heart broken and his spirit
gone.
That night he sat before his bench
in the little shop, his chin resting on
his breast, the picture Of a despairing
and broken man. All night long he
sat thus, and when morning came he
reused himself and raising his hands
above his head, said: "God grant IL at
somewhere in this world OF Thine I
may again find my chimes my bells
and if but once, only once, that 1
may hear again their voices"
The next morning the Genoan set
out with one purpose: to travel the
world il need be. to search for his
chimes. Day after day, week after
week, month after month and year Af-
ter year he trudged along from town
to town, city to city, country to coun-
try, vainly seeking his chimes. Part
of the time he spent in various eathe-
drals and churches mending chimes
and ringing then to the delight of all
who listened, Before he had even