The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-07-23
81. JOHNS EVE
IS Different.
For the First Time in Age. the Vigil
Of San Giovanni Was
Il Not Kept In
Rome.
AFRAID OF AUsTR1ANs
Candles Were Not Allowed to be
Lighted For Fear Of
Attracting the
Aviators.
OF AUsTR1ANs
TBy Alice Robe United Press starr
Correspondent.l

Correspondent
ROME, June 20 (By mail to New
York)-St. Johns Eve-and TOT the
first time In centuries centur
les than the dazed old woman py tne
steps Of ST. John Lateran could coun,
upon her withered fingers-tne VIII
of San Giovanni is not kept.
Mother of God" cries the old "on-
an, what has happehed!"
Don't you know there is to De NJ
vigil tonight?" replied young no
man matron OF the people, Daoy
nursing Justify and unashamed at her
hreas "Did YOU not read in the pa
pers that the vigil cannot be kept-be-
cansen and her voice became vibrant
and her black eyes dialated-"be-
cause of the Austriars? We cannot
light our candles, we cannot light the
torches. The inkeepers cannot 1llum
mate their places nor can the venders
nut up their stalls. You see for your
self how the Piazza, how all the
souares from the Gate OF st. Jonn
even TO San Gerusalemma and Santa
Maria Maggiore, are dark and WITH
out the sellers of snails, OF lavenuar.
of carnations. of garlic flowers. OIL
terra Gotta bells. It is a sad year a
terrible year-when we cannot Keep
our vigil to the good st. John.
The old woman gazed with startled
ewes at the young mother. at me. at
the darkened piazza. Then she raised
her shriviled hands to the Famous
church before us.
aMay the evil spirits blast them
the Austrians." she cried. No Vigil
for St. John. II is the first time 1t has
ever happened. Ny mother, before
me nv mothers mother-have never
missed a vigil Of st. John. And be-
fore them my grandmother has told
me and her grandmother told her
they were always here, always with
their candles and their suppers, eat
ing snails as did st. John chen The
wandered IN the wilderness HOW
could ] know there was no vigil!
she said simply turning her old eyes
on me. ~ cannot read-and no one
told me. oh. may God spare US from
the Austrians!
| Both the young woman ana the oia
one looked anxiously overhead, for
throughout Rome there was a wh1s-
per that no Illumination would be
Permitted of the Piazza OF San Clio
vanni and those squares in the neigh
! borhood-for reasons of discretion.
scanned the blue sky with the moon
shining triumphantly-were Austrian
aeroplanes.
.sThey've killed my grandson said
the old woman, who had come all the
way from beyond the Tiber near st.
Peters to keep her accustomed vigil.
1--WE got the news last week. -Four
other erandsons and great-grandson
orc nm there fighting them" she said
fiercely, God help us-they reach In
to our homes and now they reach IN
to our religion. came tonight SD
that 1 might be among the first to en-
ter the church for mass tomorrow
morning on st. Johns day. l came
with a prayer for my grandsons fight
ing against the Austrians. came TO
, pray for all the grandsons and all
the sons Of italy who are there In the
north" :.
But you can pray just the same"
suggested.
mo, it won't be the same" replied
the old woman, San Giovanni, she
| pronounced the name lingerfngly-
What must the good saint think OF
| it alp
Throughout the moonlight drenched
! piazza, men and women were discuss
| ing what had befallen Rome. For this
vigil OF st. Johns is one of the most
ancient and most picturesque OF Ro-
man customs. It is a fiesta of the
people with an origin dating back so
! far that some persons place 1t even
/ in the tenth century when the church
was first dedicated to st. John.
| OF late years the festival or vigil,