The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1920-07-29
! Life IN Italy Today.
AIfrsd P.nzeni, "a ID G iern.I. dlta. 1f,om.,.

4 - -
All. the beautiful first class waiting
room in the Bologna railway station,
with its red velvet sofas, where gen.
tlemen and ladies used to wait in
such dignity for their trains. and
where an atmosphere of good breed
ing imposed itself as soon as you en-
tered. and even those who dozed did
20 with refinement! Is it gone? No.
not that; it is not. gone; it is still
there. But 1t is crowded with a diff
ferent kind Of people, crowded to the
limits. They sit around with their
feet on the sofas, in clumsy attitudes,
and they sleep. But they look as ii
they would start q row the moment
they woke up.
The beautiful waiting hall seems
to have undergone process Of ac-
commodation. The sofas are caved
tn. The upholstery is threadbare;
everything Is covered with a crust of
dirt. Part OF :. IS honest dust; bat
general human greasiness is diffused
over everything. Seen from dis
TANGO the trains look just as they
used to. But as soon as you enter
you note the tremendous change. The
cabinet work is bruised and broken.
Window panes are lacking. Shades
are IN tatters; and the toilet accom-
modations are neglected. dirty and
out Of order. But with all this, the
number Of people who are travelling
is simply incredible. Before me two
men are sitting. One is rather ell
derby. and at first glance both men
seem to belong to the petty bour-
gecsie. It is mistake though. From
their conversation, discover that
they belong to the so-called prole-
tariat. One Of them, in fact, is re-
counting his life history to the other;
and it apparently typifies the rise Of
his class. Bear in mind, am not
inventing this. am reporting the
story literally as l heard it.
He said that he began as a little
boy, blowing bellows in a black
smiths shop. He carried bags of coal
and worked IL hours a day. He slept
in a black hole behind stall where
two horses were kept. At mid day
he ate a piece Of black bread which
? his mother gave him. Sundays his
n1cther told him to wear shoes, but
has shoes would not go on his feet.
Whenever he met a gentleman, he in
'Torsa!" (your servant, sir). But
now? He boasts Of his success; he
asserts that he has never had an edu-
cation, but he does brave horse sense,
He says that all snan needs is horse
sense. On the basis Of this, he talks
with confidence about art and ;ssists
and monuments. He refers to the
ancient artists, sculptors, and archi.
tects who worked for a few sous.
get the impression that he takes
much amusement, with his 'horse
sense" in the thought that artists and
scientists work for practically moth
inc; and assumes that they do SO fol
their own amusement. There is more
or less truth perhaps in his opinion
He got out at Castelbolognese, to &C
down ito the sseashore where he say:
he hasa couple Of villas.
A eeup4et Of villas? No one seem:
surprised. Il ponder on this new SO,
cial epider1nis now in process of for
matioH--a new bourgeoisie, to be more
specific. 1t is a real physiological
process. When man is wounded ant
the wound heals, you find a scar
Whatsseems an overturning of every
thing TO some. appears an orderly
course Of development to. others.
Isssopped for day at a village %
thefRomagna, at the seashore-a Itsl
village which / knew well. All il
peace. The villagers are mostly sznal
nronnietors-well to do, industrious
thrifty. And yet I find here the sam
abnormal symptoms. On a whit,
wall nnder the letter wv and tdh
name "Lenin," is painted in black
sickle and a hammer. New TsiGme
have i!been given to the streess AN,
squares. There IS a Lenin street, !;
bolshevist square, and a soviet roaG
And all this has happepeG Ike i!
dream. do not try to explain lit: ii