Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1903-03-03

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Of that remote frontier town as curious
q parsonage as the Man in the Iron
Mask or the awkward Casper Hauser,
| whose appearance at the gates Of Nu-
remberg once startled the good people
Of that staid and quiet town hoary
with the conservatism Of centuries.
The stranger who came so unexpect-
edly to Council Grove in the spring Of
1861, evidently a priest, talked but lit
tie. 1t was an exceedingly difficult task
to engage him in conversation, SO pro-
foundly did he seem impressed with
| the idea of some impending danger.
| He acted like startled deer, ever on
the alert for an expected enemy, and
weeks rolled by before two or three of
the towns most reputable citizens
could gain his confidence sufficiently
TO learn from him something of his
varied and romantic history. In
simple sketch, as this is intended to be
only. nothing but mere outline or
his checkered life previous to his adj
| vent in America can be presented. as
it was gathered. very reluctantly on
his part, in detached fragments at odd
moments in his erratic moods of COM
| municativeness. 1t certainly contains
enough of pathos, suffering and TRACE
| DIV to form the web Of thrilling novel,
Matteo Boccalini ut the date of his
appearance in Council Grove was about
Old rnCSnsgnd
eve of an artist a head that was beau
tifully symmetrical, with clasSically
nodded face, and notwithstanding his
age, his hair, of which he had a profu-
sion, was long, black and lustrous as
ravens wing. Yet the heart sorrows
he had experienced were indelibly i'm
pressed upon his benevolent counte-
nance in deeply marked lines. He was
a lineal descendant of Trajane Bocca-
| lini, the witty Italian satirist, author
Of the celebrated "Ragguagli di Par
naso" who died in Venice in 1913. Mat
teo was born about the beginning of
the nineteenth century in Capri, that
charming and most romantic island OF
Italy situated in the Mediterranean at
the entrance to the bay of Naples, twen-
ty miles south of the beautiful city
whose name the bright waters bear.
His youth was passed on the island
| in the city of Capri, the seat of bish-
opric. There he received his early edu-
cation, devoting himself to the church
and commencing his theological studies.
The island of his birth, which has so
often been sung by the muse, is histor-
ic as well as picturesquely beautiful.
It was there that the Roman Emperor
Tiberius passed the closing decade OF
his life, and the ruins Of the twelve
gorgeous palaces he erected during
that period are still visible. Capri,
too, as tourists well remember, is IA
nous for cavern called the Grotto OF
the Nymphs, or the blue grotto. Mat
teo declared it was there that during
his youth, in the calm recesses and Sc
questered hooks of that delightful un'
derground retreat, he first learned to
love the companionship Of his own
thoughts, desire for solitude and that,
to him, indescribable peace which
life apart from the 'madding crowd
assures. 1t was this strange charac'
teristic. absence Of that love Of gre
rariousneSs common to man, which
earned for him in Council Grove half
century later the sobriquet Of The Her
NIT Priest Of the Santa Fe Trail anu
a year after his departure from that
place, among his devoted adherents III
the mountains Of New Mexico, the
more applicable one "El Solitario" the
solitary mani, in contradistinction to
eel Hermito' (the hermiD, which he
never was in the strict Interpretation
| of the term.
When but eighteen, the youthful
Matteo left his native island under the
patronage Of the good bishop, who
loved him, to perfect his education IN
Rome beneath the very shadow Of st.
Peters, where he took holy orders a,
| the early age Of twenty-one. Then, ac'
cording to his sad story, began life
Of stormy passions and sorrowful pill
| grimages.
He was called by the church Father
Francesca and. although so young, was
noted for his eloquence, subtle philoso'
ply and the boldness of his political
utterances; but, Notwithstanding his
pronounced views, the pope named him
as one of his secretaries. The college
of the propaganda, however, refused
| to confirm him and placed him under
Interrogation and discipline. He elo-
uuently defended himself, and the
charges were not sustained. The Sc
we're discipline ended to which he had
been subjected, he was assigned t.
duty in the purlieus of the Eternal
City.
In short time Matteo Boccalini's
sunny nature and warm passions caus-
| ed his disgrace. He became enamored
| of fair devotee. one Of his charge, a
dark haired, lustrous eyed, bewitching
| creature of the "land Of the Vine
Alas, the too susceptible young man
succumbed to the wiles of the radiant
maiden" and he fell Poor Boccalini
was Immediately and openly charged
| with the enormity of his crime, prose
| cuted and denounced. He was despoil-
| ed Of his sacerdotal functions and CON-
| PEELED to flee. became Il wanderer upon
the face Of the earth. supping with
sorrow and despair for companions
| throughout the remainder Of his num-
dane pilgrimage.
For a short time after his unwarrant-
ed and sinful escapade he campaigned
with the heroic Garibaldi; then he
turned with appealing looks toward
America, crossed the ocean and in
few weeks began his eventful journey
on this continent. Never again was he
to behold the place Of his birth. the
chalky outlines of fair, beautiful Capri,
which so gloriously begcms the blue
Mediterranean. The phosphorescent
bay of Naples. the sky, sunshine ana
vine clad hills of dear old Italy were
neyermore to stir his once impulsive
nature or quicken into life his now
deadened heart.
Years rolled ON, youth passed by, and
middle age was upon the homeless
man, when, after having roamed wea-
rily from place to place, visiting one In
dian tribe here and another there in the
vain hope of discovering some clan or
people near unto natures heart whose