Maitre Adam of Calabria, Chapters VIII - X [pp. 565-574]

1853.] Mazire adam, of Calabria. 565
our holy religion-controversies in which the
sceptic was not too often victorious. At
length the corporal signified his acceptance
of Fra Bracalone's tenets with a humility
which deeply touched the holy father, who
became truly attached to his neophyte. So
that it was not without real regret that he
had seen him depart for Messina. And it
resulted from this tender affection with which
the son had inspired him, that he forgot his
ancient animosities against the father. Our
readers have already divined this when they
have seen Fra Bracalone courteously send
his ass to Maltre Adam, and not a doubt has
been left them on the subject in seeing the
sacristan go forward with provisions to
Maitre Adam's death-bed. Fra Bracalone
seemed truly affected when the old woman,
Babilana, walking before him into the first
apartment, related the calamity which had
happened to her, and asked if he would not
say a prayer at the pillow of the bed of
death. But the story of the old woman remr.inded the sacristan of another promise he
had made; it was that he would provide for
his friend, Maitre Adam, a funeral solemnity
worthy of him. He therefore declined, saying that he had not too much time to make
all the arrangements for the funeral, and that
as it would be necessary to keep the vigils
over the dead in the church, he would recite
at the coffin all the prayers that the most exacting soul could desire. In saying this he
withdrew, leaving the provisions and promising to send immediately a decent coffin
which should not be used a second time.*
Maitre Adam had not lost a word of this
conversation, and he saw at once in what
the sacristan had said and done, a good and
bad side; the good side was the provisions
he had brought, of which the dead man began to feel the want; the bad side was the
scrupulous exactitude with which Fra Bracalone had kept his engagements, and at
which the living man was terrified. In effect, if Fra Bracalone should remain all night
near the coffin, MaItre Adam must determine
He felt his wife's embrace, his infant's kiss,
And his soul reveled in the envied bliss,For which he had so toiled and fought, and borne
All the privations which his framie had worn.
His fad'rite spaniel came his step to greet,
And play'd, and gamboled round his dust-worn feet;
Each kind domestic smiled, his voice to hear,
And pour'd their gladdening welcomes in his ear.
Shrub. tree and flower, as they met his sight,
blade him forget awhile his Country's fight.
Sleep on brave soldier! morn will come again,
And bring to thy glad heart. distress and pain;
Thou'lt know that joys which now so real seem,
Are but the sweet delusions of a dream.
And'mid the angry cannon's deepening roar,
Those voices of thy home thou'lt hear no more.
C. L. M. JORDAN.
Scarcely had Matteo returned home when,
for the thi rd time, some one knocked at the
door of Maitre Adam; but this time it was
a friend. Fra Bracalone, in making his collection, had been apprised of the accident
which had befallen Maitre Ad am, and hastened to offer the sufferer spiritual and temporal relief. The spiritual relief consisted
of such common-places as he recollected of
the exhortations in extremis of Father Ga6tano; the temporal, of a flask of good Catanzaro wine, a fowl for broth and some fish
famous for their delicacy and tenderness. He
was a brave man, as we may see, that Fra
Bracalone, the slave of his word, and as soon
as he had learned that Corporal Bombarda
was in danger of death had hurried to bring
to him the promised indulgences. But unhappily the corporal had already recovered
his senses, and, as he was a bold spirit, had
repelled, in his attachment to the things of
of earth, the advances Fra Bracalone had
made towards him on the part of heaven.
The worthy sacristan did not consider himself defeated; he rarely suffered more than
two or three days to pass without betting up
between himself and the wounded man some
controversy as to the different mysteries of
I In Italy, interments are not made, as with-us, in a
cemetery, but in an immensete vault, situated in the middle
of the church, into which they penetrate by raising a
flag stone. They let the dead fall into this charnel house
and upon each body they throw quick lime to prevent
mephitic exlhalations. This will explain how one coffin
, could be used several timles.
I
Maitre ddam, of Calabria.
565
1853.]
Lync7tbur,,-, Virginia.
MAITRE ADAIV, OF CALABRIA.
TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH. BY S. S.
Vill.
THE GREEK CAP.