New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-09-09
Prir1ifix'e Life of Poor Neapolifar,.
Who Hodes of Immigrants This Country Have
Almost No MISUNDERSTANDING Their Chief Diversion.

naughty names She loves dearly 20 make the
annual pilgrimage 10 Monte Yergine, up IN the
mountains near AYelno; so dearly that some
times il is even inserted in NeapOlitan marriage
contracts that her husband is 10 take her on
this trip every year She makes the sign OF me
evil eye II one Jostles her in the street or even
looks at her sharply, and she hangs all manner
Of little amuleta. OF forms antedating Chris
tianity, around her children's necks.
This NespOlitan woman Is uneducated. she Is
superstitious. she is very poor, and yet she has
endearing qualities. She loves deeply and long.
She is a most devoted wife and mother. She is
frugal and temperate. and she Will work like a
slave for those she loves. No other woman In
the world in her position. with her few adYan-
tages. has such gentle. pretty manners She
loves music, poetry. art and color spontaneously,
because she Is an Italian.
She weeps bitterly when her sons leave her.
ana remembers them constantly in her devotions-
And she looks out across the beautiful Bay or
the Sirens past Capri. lying like jewel on the
bosom OF the sea; out TO the west, where the
silken sea and sky meet and melt into one, and
wonders sadly what II IS like, that vast, new
distant land which is swallowing up all that she
loves best.
Her superstition IS at the bottom Of her gam
bling. She does not play gambling games, like
the men and boys. but she buys lottery tickets
poorer quarters there Is a lottery shop. where
government agents sell tickets on commission
Tho drawings are made on Saturday afternoon.
and every Friday night there are beds and fur
niture. and even clothes from the back. pawned
for the wherewithaL The smallest amount that
can be wagered is 215 cents. The numbers run
L
ular superstition. to some act OF life. Say TO g
Neapolitan woman OF the people. What Is a
man that dies while ne is talking2' Thirty
three" she will answer. and so she gives the
number instantly for innunerable other things.
Thus the incidents OF the week furnish the num-
bers which arc played Friday night as In
1854, when the cholera broke out. Thousands
played the cholera number. and as II happened
10 come out IN the drawing the government was
subjected TO heavy strain.
The government lottery, exciting the gam
bling propensities of the people and increasing
their poverty. is public question in Italy So
is divorce; for. curiously enough, many edu-
Gated Italians regard this country. and not their
own, as the model in divorce laws
rms woman or the populace, in the midst Of
ner gI1nding poverty, has literary tastes. II you
90 not belieye II, go down on the Molo about
o clock In the afternoon. There you will find a
public reader G. Patio di Rinaldo" surrounded
oy MS audience Why these old men should be
called Patio di Rinaldo no Neapolitan can tell
me nrst word may be a corruption Of patti
memo suffering" and the title may mean
Sufrerings OF Rinaldo." The Patio reads long
metrical ronlances OF medieval heroes cr11sad.
ers ana semi-nythical knights, like the Spanish
ca Doubtless Rinaldo was a favorite among
these. and his "sufferings" gave the reader his
ute The old man. keeping time with one hand
ike an orchestra leader reads endiessly. and
al the varied types OF the lower Quarters OF
naples pay their poor little oentesrni SO hardly
earned In this land OF low wages or perhsps
a OH OF bread or tobacco. and listen, lost 20 the
world 10 the tales Of the old poets.