The San Francisco call., 1904-08-20
MEN 1nahMAaYEERS IN
THE E9ts lie WORLD
MONIES

pupil soon outdistanced the master,
so much so that the priest thought
there was something uncanny in such
cleverness and was rather relieved
when his duties were over. Persian
came next, followed by Arabic and
Greek, and so on-dead and living lam
guages, dialects, variations of all kinds
became to him as daily food, until
there are few more left for him to
learn.
Trombetti says that he has been par
ticularly fortunate in always getting
hold Of simple and easy books with
which to begin the study of a new lam
guage. This was due to mere chance,
as he always had to take what came
his way, not being able to pick and
choose. He has never possessed more
than one dictionary-a present from
one of his schoolmasters-ande even that
he never used. II have" he says,
written books in both German and
French, but absolutely without a die
tionary"
His career as a barber ceased after
a year or two, as some eminent men of
letters, learning of his wonderful gift,
induced the municipality of Bologna to
allow him $12O yearly that he might
devote himself exclusively to his stud
les. With this income he felt so rich
that he spent nearly all of it on books,
and was continually in trouble TO find
money to buy food and clothes. For all
his extraordinary learning TrOmbetti
was, after all, mere man, and lost
no time in falling in love. When he
became professor of languages in a
public school, at a few hundred dollars
year, he took the maiden of his
choice TO wife, and has now six children
to rejoice in his good fortune, as the
Government has decided to find him a
good post where his talents shall have
full scope.
This gifted man has never known
what it is not to be hard up. With a
home TO maintain and a wife and six
children to clothe and feed, every cent
was required and had TO be accounted
for so that he had to resort to great
stratagems to find the money to buy
books and could afford only the cheap
est editions. On one occasion he was
called to a near town to superintend
some examinations. for which he was
allowed so cents for carriage hire. He
walked, bought a book for which he
had Ionged many weary months, went
home and went to bed, where he stayed
two weeks, having caught cold during
his long walk, and paid the doctor
SO, This was not all The SO were to
have bought him new shoes and a hat,
so he was obliged to wear his old ones
six months longer Whenever he came
home particularly shame-faced and
with a propitiatory gift for his wife,
she always knew what il meant. AL
fredo." she would say. pointing her fin
ger at him, let me see it," Then from
under his coat he would produce a new
book, but his delight in his new treasure
was so sincere, and even infantile, that
she never scolded him, although it
meant fresh economies for her in a
house where all was economy.
Although so much attention is now
being paid him. Professor Trombetti
is in no wise affected by it: he is as
simple as ever and declares that he has
no intention of changing his mode of
life. After gaining the prize of $4,000
from the Academy of Sciences he was
received by the King. The evening be-
fore that event he was with some
/ friends. when the conversation turned
on what he would wear the next day.
The professor allowed them to discuss
the matter for some time and then said
quietly, But 1 am going as 1 now am -
Never" they ali cried. But I am, -
he insisted. Il have never had a frock
! coat on in my life; why should l begin
now? No indeed ! have other uses
for my money. I have seen a lovely
/ book" etc. In fact, he went to the
palace in tweed jacket and trousers,
his only concession to convention be-
/ ing black tie, which he wore-because
/ it was the only one he possessed.
Professor TrOmbetti has announced
! his intention of going to America next
1 year to study the Indian dialects, as,
! though he knows so much more about
! them than anybody else. he considers
( that he does not yet know them pro-
foundy enough. Il shall write my book
| in English he says. and, of course,
want it to be perfect"
ISABELLA COCHRANE.