The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-09-28
THE MISERAECORDIA
 DE DIO OF FLORENCE

Away back in the. aaFfH days of the
 -.,eadse when 4'tfsss shattered -aival1y Of Europe fsrnlS. fe;l back
 aieeonfortets and i ih Adssspair- a sim, ghastiy shape scanvessed them !s-,roe v lrd --ritfing. ne7sN besfde tle. 'sonic, asnaor clad seigher, now march v< ssS-h tsle humble ceFsdtop. Into tsis secrecy Of their aioatF private 'I,srtnesltz t stslked--l4-sa -a !. -,Hsrrior so 'acSA j nlonzter go 'frfghsesdfSof main ;hat h.s presence sen shcsbapde in --,.v4n fligh5 from the2s IaeJEEsFf strfel1enl wives. severed brothers sila aiaaer.s and brought out in '6as-relief. ali the -,..Tsser. line cruel. and the cowardiee' human nature. -ts
 '-rhiS soiris of evil wsssthe pest. or lack piague---identifed .q by moderns AssatIc ehoiera in its most vio- ierit form. It was alrnos1 inevitably fAtal and spread with he tapidity of -iIdhre counting its yiclins by the millions. ln many <, , iitssta1cs~- the de1d-ab abaneoned byi ths, .saiving- nsained unburied for weeks at a time; s.,eh dread it invoked
 1Luas in this time of mutual dis ;rast when the slightest suspicion of the Sickness would cause one to be deser1 r1ed-sven by re5atives-that a body of men bound themselves to- together by solrnen oath to human .arian service
 The Society of sNfiseraecordia- literally Bond of MiserS''4-wae es- tsolissled as . lay order of the .-c.apucfrini''-or Capuehin Monks.
 Their fraternity assumed the long black robe and hooded. mask, and preserved a strict incognito.
 Prince and peasant noble and brave duke and soldier here met on eclael ,s, sacrifice self. that human suffer iEg and sorrow might be. alleviated. i,srectly beside the marvellous Cam pariie or Giotto,'' in the beautiful cnutsn of the Piazza del Duomo,' these splendid men met and consider 9d the means whereby .9e they might beaefit, their fellows. 1H
 Tine lolling of the great bell in Brunoiesco's Cupalo was the tocsin cali. summoning them to whatever oeattses sickness or death might en- tail upon them.
 The piague-striclsen, dying labor er-for all he knew-rnight be attend ed by Prince Of the blood. or some one of the highest digrlEtaries in the F'soientine church or state.
 Gentle. patient fear ,ess succoring the unfortunate and relieving <he dy ing these lay brothers Vent about or, their errands Of me1-cy-seSving the example ard influence of their graci- aus courage and abnegation.Aand finally .shauling the panic stricken ,opuIace iuto some seInblanee of de- rency and order.
 such wac the inception Of the SO -iety of -he Miseraecordia de bio, one 4ers in the world Its high, purposes and ideals are still maintained. and turing psriods of ealamity1as in the Mesefna esrthquake--it has -rendered magnificent service.
 The King of Italy. Duke de Abruz- zi and many of the greatest names in Italy are on its roster of member ship.
 One of the most solemn and inn orsssive of ceremonies is the funeral of brother. This is usuaffy, held in ,ne dead Of night, to the strains of he beautiful Chopin funeral march, played by a military band the pro- .csssion of hooded and masked figures Nencs it's solemn way Each member shoulders of his comrades, the dead irrarer is borne reverentlX to his last -es;iae place-and there left with God.