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THE . VIA TORIAN. F~C
VOL. XIV.
ST
SPEFH\:,
OCTOBER, 1896.
NO.1
• dawn of wakefulness I looked and f·e lt around to find who or what. shook my ' The last night of October, 1895, was bed thus; next-for thoughts rush in a starlit and balmy night in the old so fast, and memories, too, in .such city; a quiet n!ght, too, disturbed only . moments-I remembered that my door by tbe always extraordinary cries of was fastened and that no one couldtb~ venders of La Tribuna, t-h e almost have come in. The shaking did not . '*·' uninterrupted passing of vehicles over last more than a few seconds; howthe rocky pavement, the songs .of ever, I knew it shook. It must be an street musicians,. the shouts of mid- earthquake, I immediately though~. night carousers, and several other While I busied myself in , trying to ·· noises. · Accustomed, however, as all piece a prayer together, and began to cities are to be lulled to sleep by the think and ask myself whether others very regularity o{ their own peculiar had not noticed what I could not benoises, so Rollle this night, as on other · lieve to have been an illusion, I heard nights that enshroud the brightest a loud and repeated cry of d.istress, and loveliest days of anitali.an aut.u:r..n, and at the sam~ time voices questionfell asleep to the full measures of her ing each other, and footsteps on tbe . nocturnal orchestra. Very little did floor above. I lit my candle, and saw any of her unsuspecting sleepers dre.am it was 4:40, or thereabouts; opened my of the . singular reveille that was to door and saw lights in 'the rooms here startle her, and fo~ a moment sow con- and there, and presently inmates cotnste-r nation among her liveliest, gayest, ing out with "That was a good oneF' and sunniest citizens. That unex- ''Did you feel it?" ''Did you hear Horpected, almost sinister/ and rather misdas (the domes tic)?" ''He is frightearly fOuser was nothing else than an ened to death, poor fellow, and was in earthquake. This is the way I :find his alarm calling for Andrea (another this event and other happenings of All servant) and Padre Vacher." Thus did Saints•· Day recorded in my note book: we mutually whisper our fears in : (}ana dian College, Nov. 1, 1895.small, more or less excited and sbiverThis morning early-at.4:35-I was ihg groups, until the bell, an almost awakened by an earthquake! I f~lt superfluous number this morning, rang my little iron bed shaking and ·E waying ' at 5 o'clock to call the few too sound as if some one had been trying thus to sleepers. ~ake me up. I awoke, and at first By this time the entire population of REMINISCENCES OF ROME.
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