Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1904-06-09
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II ever al Amalfi 2 il


ii ever at Amalfi? if not, when
i 50 are in Italy, go there. We-four
of Us, went from Capri in a small boat, and
had six oarsmen, and sail. The oarsmen
were necessary until we should be from
under the lee of Ischia, and then the sail
was adjusted in an uncertain wind which
finally died out entirely, so it was the oars
men who conducted us safely to Amalfi,
after all. We were the best part of the
day in going, but the beauty of sky and sea
was so great that we lived in its brilliant
coloring, and took no note of time. When
we reached the little town, which is on t, e
golf OF Salerno, aud hangs like bird-cage
against the mountains, it was found that
the water was two low to beach the boat.
The Mediterrean is a tideless sea, so it
was not the tide which was out, but the
water which was low. Some sturdy Ital-
JAMS waded out, and made chairs for us by
crossing their hands, and we were carried
ashore. Once landed, we followed beau
tiful broad walk, along the sea, with the
little town towering above us on the other
side. This walk led no and up by means
Of gentle steps, placed a.t intervals, until
when we reached the Albergo, HOTEL
where we intended to stop, we were three
hundred feet above the sea, and could still
look right down into its beautiful depths.
The hotel had been monastery, which had
fallen to the State after italy became
United Italy, 1t had not been changed,
with the exception that a strip of carpet
had been laid upon the stone floor, the
length of our rooms. or cells, since they
were just as the old monks had occupied
them. The beds may have been better, but
| did not seek to know to what extent
these holy men had felt constrained to
mortify the flesh. The floor in the main
hall was of mixed stone, or tiled, and we
descended five or six steps into the dining
room, where was served every delicaey
that the most fastidious palate could desire
There was little gallery, running around
near the top Of The room, from which the
Padroae Landlord would look down upon
us with the most benign benefcense and see
that we were well served. One orstwo more
steps down led into the sald or drawing
room, the long windows, of which, opened
like doors upon an iron-Tailed yeranda,
under which the golf Of Salerno flowed. 1t
looked as though space, in the rocky side
of the mountain, had been blasted, and in
this the monastery had been built. A point
iutted out and contained shrine, into
which we could see from the sdIa windows,
should we choose to look that way, the
suffering Christ upon the cross, and the at
tending saints and angels all about Here
lights were kept always burning. Besides
this, there was beautiful chapel-church
we would call it. in the ornament of which
inlaid mosaics and rare gems bore their part,
and here we worshiped on Easter Day. On
Holy Thursday we had gone to the beauti-
full Cathedral built in the Byzantine style,
down in the town, and had seen the cere-
mony of kissing the fagon containing the
holy oil; and had seen Cardinal, in his
red robes Of holy Office, washing the feet of
the poor. It is true, he only washed one
foot, and this with bOquet Of roses; but
we had been much impressed; he looked so
like saint as he did it. On Good Friday
the rain poured down. There is a tradi-
tion in Italy that i it rains on Good Fri
day it will rain for forty days, and it did
that year. Not the whole day long but for
forty days we had rain at some time during
the day This induced us to attend the
services in our church at home, and we
were well repaid. The music was good.
The Dadr0ne had fine baritone voice, and
had once been in OPERA and led the sing
ing on this occasion. Atdinner he request
ed that we should all take wine with him;
and even the most temperate had not the
courage to refuse. The wine served was an
Italion champaign called, 'Lachrima
Christa'' which means, sTears of Christ"
What has this to do with Thorofare You
will ask. Well, not much | confess; but
there is the old saying, that since 1.-THE
mountain could not come to Mohammed,
Mohammed must go to the mountain;" and
SO, since Thorofare is not given to roaming,
I am trying to make her meet me in a
Dream of Italy"
To come back to her everyday matters,
however, will say that Mrs. Lydia Gala
her, the Misses Amy, May Bell and Bessie
Rambo, Mr.. Alonzo Potter Rambo, and
their guests DIR. Ruth Clement, Miss Annie
Clement, and Miss Marguerite Belten, Of
Philadelphia, spent a most delightful after
noon picknicking in National Park on Sat-
urday. A few souls and, congenial, will
always make time fly.
Miss Anna Faunce, of Philadelphia, was
a visitor, last week, in the home of Mrs.
Rudmann...
Mrs. Mary Lord, from Camden, spent
some days with her uncle, Mr.. Charles B.
Leonard, last week.
Mrs. Rebecca Gleason is now in Swedes-
boro visiting her mother, Mrs. Margaret
Eastlack.