The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1908-01-07
GARABALDrS W00ING.
Magnetic Daring With Which Anita
Riberas Was Won and Welded.

Magnetic Daring with Wnicn Antta
Riberas Was Won and Welded.
The whole life of the great Italian
liberator. Garibaldi. was one of roman
tic adventure. but nothing else in it
was more romantic than his wooing,
which is described in his own narra-
tive. He had been driven from Italy
in 1886 and landed in South America,
where he Joined the struggle then be-
ing carried on by several small states
against the empire of Brazil. He had
with him many devoted comrades,
whom he loved with his whole heart
One day, however. he was shipwreck-
ed on the Brazilian coast of Santa
Catharina, and several of his dearest
friends We're drowned in getting to
shore The survivors at once Joined
the local army led a successful attack
on Laguna and were hailed as liberia
tors. Garibadi was made chief Of the
captured Brazilian feet. He paced up
and down the deck of his flagship, but
in no victor's mood. The loss of so
many friends had filed him with mel
ancholy, and he began to feel his lone
liness His mind turned to natural
remedy. He determined to seek a
bride among these people who so idol
lied him.
''The loss of Luigi. Edoardo and 9TH
ers of my countrymen," he wrote in
his own story. cleft me utterly isolated.
felt quite alone in the world. need
ed human heart to love me. one that
could always keep near me. l felt
that unless | found one at once life
would become intolerable.
"By chance | cast my eyes toward
the houses of the Barra, hill on the
south side of the entrance to the la
COON, where few simple and pictur-
esque dwellings were visible. Outside
one of these by means of my telescope
espied a young woman, and forth
with / gave orders for my boat to be
got out, as wished to go ashore"
This girl was Anita Riberas, eight
cen years old, young woman of I'M
usual beauty, of great bodily strength
and endurance and of an unusually
fine type of intellect, as romantic as
Garibaldi and as untiring as he In her
labors for liberty.
II landed says Garibaldi, "and, max
ing for the houses where l expected
to find the object Of my excursion,
had just given up hopes of seeing her
again when / met an inhabitant Of
the place whose acquaintance l had
made soon after our arrival. He In
vited me to take coffee In his house
Eve entered, and the first person
who met my eyes was the damsel who
had attracted me ashore. We both re-
manned enraptured and silent, gazing
on one another like two people who
meet not for the first time and who
seek In each others faces something
that will make it easier to recall for
gotten past At last greeted her with
the words in Italian, Thou oughtest
to be mine
'My insolence was magnetic. l had
formed a tie, pronounced decree,
which death alone could annul."
The young woman was at that time
betrothed by her father to a wealthy
sutton whom she had refused to mar
ry AS her father and the sutton were
determined, however, and she had no
option the arrival of Garibaldi must
have been extremely welcome In
moment she had given her life to him.
Her father refusing to change her
destiny, Garibaldi came ashore with
small party a few nights later and
carried her of by force-with her en-
tire consent-and they were married
at another port,
Later. when he was fighting for
Uruguayan independence. she rode
with him through prvation and starva-
ton over the prairies, and on one
march, while they role together, he
carried their three months Old son in
a handkerchief slung round his neck.
Never were man and wife moro pas.
sionately devoted to each other than
these two. and when in the terrible
retreat from Rome in 1919 she sue
cumbed to fever and died in hut in
the marshes Of the Pc delta it seemed
to the soldier that not only the light of
Italy but the light Of life itself had
gone out