Semi-weekly herald., 1915-07-26

told me-. Oh, my God spare us from
the Austrians."
Both the young woman and the old
one looked anxiously overhead, for
throughout Rome there was whis
per that no illumination would be per-
mittcd on the Piazza of San Giovanni
and those squares in the neighbor-
hood-for reasons of discretion. And
those reasons-the two women scan
ned the blue sky with the moon shin
ing triumphantiy-were Austrian
aeroplanes.
They'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.
eve got the news last week.
"Four other grandsons and great
grandson are fighting them,' she
said fiercely, "God help us-they
reach into our homes and now they
reach into our religion. I came to-
night so that ! might be among the
first to enter the church for mass to-
morrow morning on st. Johns day.
I came. with a prayer for my grand
sons fighting against the Austrians
came top ray for all the grand
sons and all the sons of Italy who
are there in the north"
'But you can pray just the same,"
l suggested.
'No, it won't be the same" replied
the old woman, "San Giovanni" she
pronounced the name lingeringy-
"What must the good saint think
of it all ?"
Throughout the moonlight drenched
Piazza men and women were discus
sing what had befallen Rome. For
this vigil of St. Johns is one of the
most ancient and most Picturesque
Of Roman customs. 1t is fiesta of
the people with an origin dating back
so far that some presons place it
even in The tenth centruy when the
church was first dedicated to St.
John.
OF late years the festival or vigil,
has, like all ancient customs, chang
ed somewhat to more riotous adj
venture, with noisy crowds slishing
about with garlic stalks and inter
rupting the song contests. But the old
custom of families bringing their
candles and their suppers, spreading
their tables on the ground, eating
snails in commemoration of st.
Johns locusts and wild honey, ex-
lists today as in olden times. That
is it did exist until tonight.
As locusts have never been plenti-
full in Rome, as in Kansas, the snail
has become the century old substi-
tute for St. Johns days piece de re-
sistance. The restaurants in the gate
| and tirz pia-a17 themselves in the
neighborhood have been filled with il
Illuminated booths making a blaze of
light Here venders Of garlic flow
ers (Which have the power to dis
perse witches) lavendar, carnations,
terra Gotta bells, snails as well as
other foods, cry their wares.
81 wish l could buy all the garlic
flowers in the world this year." said
the old woman, "to chase away the
evil spirits right into the mids of the
Austrians."
A solitary garlic flower vender
wandered across the piazza thinging
of the Roman village cut ups whose
habit it is to run through the crowds
tickling the unsuspecting with the
odorous plants. All kinds of divert
isements arose from the vigil which
was originally instituted by the de-
vout who wished to be on hand early
in the mornings when the doors of
st. John Lateran were opened for
the first mass in honor of the Bap-
tist.
"But the war-it has cvhanged it
all-the war-the war" moaned the
old woman.
But even the good st. John would
not wish candles and torches lighted
in his honor is they might attract
The deady Austrian bomb throwing
aeroplmos.
TALES OF THE TEL EGRAPU