The San Francisco call., 1908-10-04

before earthquakes had become such
frequent devastators of fair places as
of late, an earthquake toppled over
nearly every house in the town and
killed more people than perished in
the destruction of Pompeii. The new,
low corrugated iron buildings. replac-
ing the fallen, several storied stone
ones were many of them investments
of money earned in America
In Capri we made the circuit of the
island and went into the far and long
famed grottos In the cliffs at the
waters edge in a boat bought with
american money. One OF the rowers
was the proprietor, lately returned from
Milwaukee.
We trayersed the Sorrentine penin-
sula on foot. The road led for a few
miles along the ridge within view of
the gulf of Salerno on the one hand,
Naples bay on the other. At one spot
an old woman was gathering heads of
wheat by the roadside, passed over by
the wielders of the siclkles. She left
her work to follow behind US. When
she was about to drop out of the race
with WEAKNESS or wien she had salts
fed herself as to our nationality she
called to us, You Mericun? How do
Me Mericun. Me San Luce" Finding
us pleased to listen to her story, she
continued: Me. my Marito keep lit
tie store San Luce, little botega fruit,
vegetables. Us old, us save little money,
us come back, buy little field. little
campagna, this us little campagna, -
pointing to one of the grain fields,
scarce larger than a good sized town
garden. My son, he named Gabrielle.
he stay in de Merica. He send me
money two, three dollar ebry month.
Me likee San Luce. me likee more bet
ter de Italia; more better air. more
warm sole, you tink bella de Italia?"
Crossing the ridge and following the
road as it descends to the coast on the
Salerno side we passed through that
most picturesque of Italian towns, Posi-
tano, House above house rose from the
waters edge upon shoulder of the
hills under overhanging mountains. A
beautiful domed church was above all.
The sea was the magnificent Medfter-
ranean color and Ii threw its hues In
reflection over the entire landscape
Standing in. the road at the entrance to
the town, wrapped in admiration of the
beauty below and above us. we were
suddenly accosted by two small bows
running up the road toward us. How
YOU do? You Mericun?" and as they
insisted on taking our hand satchels
and accompanying us on our way they
pleasantly chatted in a most familiar
and unabashed way for boys you
come Stati Until? We Mericun. We
born Nuovo Jersee. Our fadder Nuovo
Jersee. Our mudder bring us back
Italia. You see that store sell ebry
ting. Dat our brudder Paolo. He make
plenty money in de Stati Until. He buy
store. He buy big galotte. He berry
rich. When we big man we go back
Nuovo Jersee." And be II said to the
honor of these little compatriots of ours
in that far away place that in spite of
all our persuasions they remained firm
in their refusals of proffered pieces of
money for their assistance on our way,
but declared in excuse, as they bade US
goodby on the further side of the town,
a full two miles beyond the last house.
I'VE berry happy see Mericun. we
like berry much talk de English
Getting farther north above Rome. in
one of those villages in the Sabine
mountains. funeral procession crossed
our way-the coffin covered with a
crimson pail and borne on the shoul-
ders of men. There walked behind
: the professional mourners with white
cotton gowns and white pointed hoods.