The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-08-13
WALTER: BLOOMFIELD
lsss By Rosrnr B,xxra,s soxs.

| sufficient to hang him on the nearest
gallows for 50 insolcntly aspersing the
| character Of an honorable gentleman.
whereon I pulled out Of q satchel
which depended from my girdle a
passport signed by King James, with
| His Majesty's seal attached. When
| he looked on this document the inn.
keeper turned pale and trembled. and
without further ado told out from a
long purse as much money as I had
asked for the horse. and withal shared
with me q quart Of choice canary at
his own expense.
After diligent inquiry I obtained nm
Introduction to the captain Of a
barque. who designed to presently
proceed to Calais. and he contracted
to transport me to France for twenty
shillings. It was two days before we
set sail, and the barque was no sooner
at sea than the wind proved contrary.
and we beat about the coast OF Tha-
net In imminent peril for a day and q
night. was sore sick from the tur-
bulence Of the sea, and almost starved;
for nv inclination for food was but
small, and the only victual aboard
musty biscuit and sour wine. After
two days Of dire misery ] was carried
ashore, more dead than alive. at Dun
kiruue, where recovered my wonted
health very speedily. though / soon
came near to losing It again BY sur
felt Of oysters and onions prepared for
me By q Hshwife of that town. Ny
clothes were torn and spoiled BY the
bufyetings I had sustained In the
haroue, SO I bought me others Of
French make. which served excellently
for a long time. being exceeding
strong, though such as would denote
French mariner rather than an Eng
lish gentleman making the grand tour.
When I was perfectly recovered from
the Ill effects Of my voyage l bought q
horse and set out for Paris. spending
my money with great economy on the
way. and carefully avoiding such COM
pany as I Judged might be dangerous
for the safety Of my thousand pounds.
into which l had dipped but spar!ngly
as yet, and I doubt not my security
had IN additional warrant In the fact
that I was tall and muscular. ut any
time prepared for combat with the
best man In France. In this manner
did I Journey across the continent OF
Europe. staying many days In the dne
cities Of Rouen. Paris. Dion. Geneva.
Turin, Milan. Verona and Padua. OBJ
serving all that Is remarkable therein;
and 30 at last came to Venice. fair city
OF the waters. Inasmuch as Venice Is
beautiful beyond the power Of words
to depict. and had been travelling
with but brief rests for seven months.
I purposed living among the Venetians
one whole summer at least, and so in.
deed It fell out, rs shall presently ap-
pear.
I had always heard that Venice was
the most beautiful city Of Italy. quite
fascinating the stranger, who reveled
In q constant succession Of delightful
surprises MS he paced her stately
squares and colonades or luxuriously
silded over the surface Of her wonder
full canals. with sky Of unbroken
azure above and historic palaces
around. and 90 indeed I found 1t.
Here, therefore. I resolved to stay un-
til I had mastered the Italian tongue.
Of which at present knew only In
considerable Fragments, picked up
haphazard since ! had come to Italy.
and l rightly appreciated my want
when presented my letters to signor
SImona. who spake no English. French
I could speak tolerably well before !
left England. thanks to Monsieur Fe-
Liz Lamonte. who. when I was pupil
at King Edwards Grammar School.
Bury St. Edmund's. impressed upon
me the irregularities Of French verbs
by the regularity Of his 6oggings.
which were frequent and severe.
Touching this Monsieur Lamonte. ]
retain to this day q vivid recollection
Of his skill In tying up birch rods (for
he would use none but those he had
made himself. Of the graceful curves
described by his right arm when be
fogged any Of his pupils. and Of his
boast that he could produce by six
strokes q posterioral agony as exqui.
site as an English master could pro-
duce by q dozen. Though in bitterness
Of spirit I had often cursed Monsieur
Lamonte. I had OF late had cause to
think more charitably Of him. for he
was q good teacher. and now expe-
rienced the convenience Of his lessons
as much as ! formerly did the incon-
venience Of his methods OF inparting
them. 1t was q great boon to me to
be able to converse with SIgnor ST.
mona. who was q good French scholar,
which would not have been the case
II l had been ignorant Of French.
When first ! beheld Signor Pietro
Simona l was deeply impressed by his
venerable aspect. His years then num-
bered as many rs mine do now. which
Is to say seventy-one. but he appeared
much older. his vitality being sapped
by his intense application to affairs Of
commerce in early manhood and mid
die age and by stress Of recent sorrow.
to say nothing Of the patural ravages
Of time. Nevertheless he exhibited
traces Of nobility Of features and
stature which m attenuated face and
bowed back failed to obliterate. The
moment Of my introduction to him
was a painful one. for be had just re-
turned from celebrating the obsequies