Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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SAINT ZITA AND THE BEGGAR. A Lovely Legend We Picked Upn in' Bozzanello-The Candle that the Angels Set to Burn Forever. St. Zita was a little Italian. girl who lived away back in the thirteenth century-the time of crusades and tournaments and troubadours, of brave knights and beautiful ladies, and of poetry. But one would think hat there could be little poetry in e life of St. Zita; for she was only little servant maid, who spent all ,er d-ays scrubbing floors and wash ing dishes. dusting and running of errands.'And not every little girl who sweeps up. ashes and sits in fhe chim- I ney corner%an turn out to be a Cind erella with coach and four. Yet there were stories told of strange and beautiful things'that happened to St. Zita. and her nane is still dear to the people who live'in the little town where it all took place. This was the tiny village of Bozzanello in Italy, the fairest country of the world. In summer the skies are blue all day long, and the air is full of perfume and the song of birds. The village lies on the slope of Mount Sagrate, and all about are green vineyards and or ehard and groves of olive trees, whose fruit is made into oil and sent . o the town of Lucca, nine miles away. After all it is poetry enough just to live in a land where one breathes a little poem all the time, and where one sees poetry all about in flowers and sunshine, and glimpses across the blue, blue Italian. sea. But Zita had still more poetry than this in her life. More than anything else she loved to go to church. She loved the singing and the lights and the great rolling organ music; she loved the beautiful words of the hymns, and the arches above her head; for they made her feel that she was herself a part of this wonderful poem of praise. And when all is said, this was the finest poetry in the world, even in. those romantic times, and not even the knights and their fair princesses had more. Zita's parents were poor, so she had to go out to earn her bread while she was still very young. They sent her to be a little maid in the family of a kind nobleman, Cont Pagano de atinelli, and here she lived and wasI vand contented, for they loved early, and were good to her al-: Still, she had to work hard, ometimes she grew very weary e the long day was done. Buti was never too tired to go toi rch every morning, and on Sun-: s and holy days beside. She was er too sleepy or lazy, for this] her chiefest pleasure, indeed al t the only one she had. ow, one Christmas Eve Zita was to hear the carols sung in the echurch. It was very cold, and master did not think she was ssed waimly enough. So the Count t for his beautiful cloak, lined hpurple satin and clasped with clasps. And just as she was starting out he stopped her, saying, *kindly:I "Here, little Zita, you must wear m.v cloak to-night, or you will be cold. But take care that you bring it safely back to me. for it is very pre-: cious." Zita thanked him, promising to be careful, and hurried away, for she was already late. When she reached the church the doors were *closed and everyone else had gone in. She was hurrying through the porch when she felt somne one pull a corner of her dress. Turning about she saw a beggar crouching in the snow. He was a poor cripple, and looked vervy siek and .old. His face was blue i's cold and his blue, numb hands trem-i bled as he held them up, asking pit- : eou.sly for a little gift on Christmas Eve. Now Zita was poor herself, and . she had nothing to give. Bu~t it made: the tears come into her eyes to see< im so cold and miserable. If only he uld wait until the rich people came1 t of chureh, warm and happy, and: 11 of kindly Christmas spirit, she ew that they would give generous ly' But meanwhile he might freeze1 to death in the snow. What could] she do for him? A sudden thoughti ae- to her.' One had been kind to Sshe would pass the kindness on.1 would loan him the cloak. for would not need it in the church. threw off the warm mantle and, ding down, wrapped it about the shoulders of the beggar. Take this," she said, "until they e out. Poor man! It will keep you for a while anyway. I will come it when the service is over." nshe went in-to the church with a y heart. t' when, among the troops of le who passed out of the arelh an hour later. she looked around the b)eggar and her borrowed .But the beggar was gone. A lump rose in Zita's throat and S ::e ftK i a:r iitil'ar. Whlil 2a rerli .l : li( I Ilditi le(i a SIIE had etak W1ili I)elOlla d to lie r Ialte WVZIS cl. Sre Iu Iwildly arou;I seeking- anong the people isi de and outside the church, but it was of no use. So, trembling and frightened, she returned home, all the joy of her Christmas Eve dimmed and clouded by a flood of tears. Drooping her head before him, poor little Zita told her master what had happened. Naturally he was very an gry. He did not see why she should have been so careless as to loan his eloak to a beggar, and he blamed her severely. But bitterer than all t.he words he said it was to see his face, and to know how lie was grieving, for the cloak which his dear wife had iven him. Zita crawled away mis erably to bed and sobbed herself to sleep. Now, in the morning, before the older folks were astir, Zita rose to be ,in her daily work, to light the fire and get the breakfast ready for her master and mistress. Usually she arose happy as a lark, and fresh as a little pink daisy when it holds up its dewy lips to kiss the sun good-morn ing. It was Christmas Day and all the bells were ringing joyously. But Zita's heart was heavy as lead, and her eyes were red and swollen with erying, even in her dreams. What joy could Christmas Day ,bring to her, .or to the house where so unlucky a li.t tle girl lived? As she was going about her work listlessly, dreading the time when she must see her master again, there came a knock at the oor. It was too early for visitors; xho could it be this Christmas morn Zita went to the door anxiously and therb on the door-stone stood a tranger. He was a beautiful youth, and, oh, wonderful to say! there was a halo about his head, and great lum nous wings folded at his back. He smiled as she opened the door and eld out to her a cloak-the very same one which Zita had loaned to the beggar the night before. She rave a cry of joy, and reached out Aer hand for it. "Yes, Zitia," said the angel, kind v "here is the lost cloak. You shall ever suffer for being kind, on are lest for yovr goodness to the poor, 3old, shivering b'eggar. It will not be ~orgotten'.'' He gave the cloak into 1er eager hands; but when she went :o thank him he was gone, and only :he fragance of lillies remained about :he door to show that a messenger ~rom Paradise had been. there. The Zita hurried back into the iouse with a light heart and shining ves. What a rejocing there was about that breakfast table, and what i merry Christmas they had! By and )y they went out to look for the beg rar, but he was nowhere to be found. Aid to this day the people of Bozzan allo believe that the beautiful youth who brought back the cloak was the ngel who knelt, disguised as a beg rar. at the chureh door, to test the hearity of the little maid. And it is ;till called the ''Angel door'' in mem ry of the strange thing that happen After this it seemed as if the good ;pirits of another world had grown love Zita and watched over her. She felt their presence when she vent on long journeys and she knew he was always in the shadow of their v-ines. There is a story to prove this. ne. on the Eve of St. Mary Mae lalene's Day, which comes on July 22. she went on. a pilgrimage to the ~hureh of that saint. It was seven niles away on the road to Lucca and he had to walk all that weary dis :ane. It was la.te when she started. or there had been much work to do, md she did not get theer till after lark. Oh, how tired her poor little eet were when she reached the ~hurch, and how badly she felt when ;he found the .great door closed and :he services ended. Poor little child! Iad she come all that distarnee for 0thin? 'No.'' she said to herself: 'I have come to bring a candle in ionor of St. Mary and I will have a ittle service all by myself if I can 11 get into the church.'' As Zita lighted her candle and knelt efre the- church door to say her wavers she did not notice that the ~andles of the sky were all put out. Tot a star was burning and the moon 1ad put on a waterproof. There was roing to be a dreadful storm. But ita did not know. Her sun-burned yes soon began to wink and finally osed tight. The poor little head be ran to drop and at last fell over on me shoulder. Zita was sound asleep, vith the candle burning in her hand. Then the storm hegan. The wind oared and shook the trees: the raini ored dlownl and the street was turn a d in to little streams whc a all r'ound in ditffer:ent direct ins. bmnt noubs of the little stone faces carv dr(1 h d -i .fightened. It was ler rib toj see. Rut Zita kiew nwthin -it ali a5ut it. She neVer wakerned no s irred i1 her dreamless, ired sleep And when she woke in the mornin the vandil was still burnin in hei hand. For the angels had spread theii win-.s over her all the night. and had sheltered her from the wind and rain and h-ad kept the little eandle fron goi-g out. Zita rose wonderingly ir the rosy morning light. Then she glaneed down at her gown and felt her braids of long black hair. Thern was not a rain drop upon them. Ani she smiled softly to herself. and ii her heart thanked the ;ood friends who were watehing around her. shE knew. thoush she could rot see them This is how St. Zita made poetr for herself amid a life of pans and kettles, of brooms and dish-washing. And when she died a beautifu- star appeared in the sky over Bozzanello And it may be that this was the very candle of St. Zita which her angels had set there to burn forever, ir spite of storm and rain, just as it did that ni.ht. At all events, through all these years, it has shed a gleam of light for us to read her charity ani pimus faith. a.-.d it is just as brighi today as it was six hundred years aro James T. Bacon. Society item, daily paper, Jun( 2008: The bride was dressed in ai elaborate gown of real cotton." Don't Push' The horse can draw the load without help, if you reduce friction to almost nothing by applying to the wheels. No other lubri cant ever made wears so long andsavessomuch horsepower. Next time try MrCA Arrm GnPAm. Standard Oil Co. Those Odd Size d Pictures of Yours Can Be Framed at Art and Variety Store. IThey carry a f10I stock of Pictures. m , Picture Me u dineg, anything in Mat Board. and have latest rnachinery for cut ting same A Rational Ireatments ror Cath rrh *nethat soothes the inlmed ama congested membranes and heals an cleanses without "drugging" the aflien ted parts.. tar,Colds-allafetosfth miembranes of the nose and throat We Guarantee Satisfaction. Buy a So-cent tube of NOSENA fumz WV. G Mayes & Prosperity Drug Co anagetyormoneybkfnotsatisfied. Sample tube and Booklet by mail ioe. BROWN MF'G Co. ISt. Lu.Mo. Greenevle.Teaa. We Want to come an~d see the hand, In looking ove good many things that a sacrifice. "veryone Come and judg ftS.~ S f E. SHEEHAN Augusta, Ga. Bottler of Imperial Ginger Ale, Root Beer, Cham pagne Cider, Wiseola and Domestic Lager Beer in pints, 10 dozen to the cask, $7.50 per cask. Write for complete price list. Wholesale and retail dealer in Wines and Li quors. NOTICE. Before letting the contract for your new build ing see W. T. Liv ingston. B e s t Work. Lowest prices. Lock Box No. 59., Newberry, S. C HaveYouSeen Our new and up-to-date Soda Fountain? No! Well, call and e a beauty. We are ready to serve you the purest Ice-cold Drinks to be found. Our Ice Creamis well known and it shall be our aim to serve it in approved style. Call early and often and be 'refreshed. Jones'. Restauant. JAMEESTOWN EXPOSITION. Rates from Newberry S. C., as fol lows: Season -Ticket $19.55. Sold daily April 19th to November 30th. 60 Day ticket $16.30. Sold daily April 19th to November 30th. 15 day ticket $14.30. Sold daily April 19th to November 30th. ICoach Excursion $8.55. Sold eaeh Tuesday; limit 10 days. Endorsed. "Not good in parlor or sleeping e ars.'' Through Pullman sleeping ears, via Atlantic Cost Line Railroad company. Write for a beautiful illustrated folder containing maps, descriptive mater, list of Hotel, etc. For reservations or any informa tion. Address, .T. C. White, General Passenger Agt. W. J. Craig, Passenger Triffie Manager, Wilmington, N. C. WANTED OLD PIANOS AND ORGANS for which we will atllow the highest prices towards now Instruments. No Club rates to offer, but we Pledge better Instruments for the same or less money. thaan those at club rate offers. IWrite Mahlomes Music House, Co lumbia, S. C., for special prices and terms. Everyone Bargain we have on - our stock we find a we are going to sell at f them good values. e for yourself. r. i|inlua Right in The. With a great line of Spring and ing, Slippsrs, Shoes, Straw I Embroidery, the new things ij Goods a specialty. The creati< pass anything that has ever be( means that our 1907 Hats I equals. Our other lines comp and as usual you will find oi New Drop Head Domestic Ma Machine, Drop Head, 20 years People say Moseleys can't make pI ofit. What difference ple say as long as you get the g Mosele, PROSPER CALL Broaddus HERALD FC Box Paper, Tablets, Per Pens and Soaps Fin In fact anything you AL~ CIGARS ANiJ Don't forget to call They are also agent Laundry. *Prescriptior Which we use are without e We believe in PURITY. We constantly preach PC~ We always practice PUR cines. *. PURITY counts, and cou Ask .your doctor. *MAYES' DRi VERY LO3 NORFOLK A Account Jamestown Ter SOUTHERN Season, Sixty Day and Fift< daily, commencing April 19 vember 30th, 1907. Very low rates will also be BRASS BANDS in uniforrr STOP OVERS will be allos and Fifteen Day Tickets, sa ist Tickets. For full and complete ini Agents Southern Railway, c R, Froqt. Rank. Summer goods, Sp.ing Cloth lats. Elegant line.Laces and i Summer Dress Goods, Black )ns in millinery will easily sur m shown at this store, and this iave no superior and but few ete and full of new fresh goods ir prices just right. Just think chine $25.00, New Defiance guarantee, $17.93. sell the goods at the price and does it make to you what peo Dods. y Bros., [TY, S. C. SON ['HE &NEWS icils, Ink, P Extracts, &C., &C. need along that line. i TOBAC CO. on them. s for Laurens Steam |Materls: xception the purest grade.* RITY. ITY when preparing medi rts for much, in medicines.I JO STORE. M RATES ND RETURN -Gentennial Exposition RAILWAY ~en Day Tickets on sale th, to and including No made for MILITARY and Sattending the Exposition. ved on Season, Sixty Day me as on Summer Tour ormation call on Ticket r write Division Pass. Agent. Charleston, S. C,