George E Westinghouse High School - Sketch Book Yearbook (Pittsburgh, PA)

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Y' I1 EZ -' g' If lim - 1,7 Y -If im The Mystery of an Old Italian Villa BOUT an old Italian villa clings a mysterious legend. I shall not attempt to dissipate its mystery by turning upon it the cold light of reason nor sophisti- cate it with an invented plot. I shall write it down just as it has been told to me many times by one who vouches for its truth. A very rich man named Don Felipe decided to make his home near Vesuviana. a little town in southwestern Italy. Here he had a very beautiful villa built on the top of a hill facing Pompeii. Painted pictures of flowers and dark-eyed girls decorated the walls of its eight spacious roomsg a winding marble stairway with marble statues at the base led from gorgeously painted halls to the floor above. Highly polished doors invited entrance to each room. At night the villa was lighted by candles, except for an old lamp at the front entrance. The kitchen was lighted by a large eastern window. In the slanting rays of the sun a multi-colored cloth glistened on a long table in the center. The fire place with its sturdy copper pots and pans hanging in a row completed the old- time picture. A pair of winding stone steps led from the kitchen to the cantine, or wine cellar, below. Far back against the wall stood a row of gigantic barrels, whose wooden spigots afforded egress to rich red Italian wine. Adjoining was the store- room, where cheese, preserved meats, fruit, vegetables, nuts, Wheat, and corn were stored for the winter. The interior resembled an old Spanish castle. A small pathway led from the door into a perfume-laden garden, from which rose vines crept stealthily to meet thexflower-balcony at the windows above. Under a weeping willow tree at the opposite end stood a charming bench of marble-just the place for lovers to meet. A fountain sprinkled close byg doves cooedg and a peacock strutted proudly among the flowers. Above arched the gold and opal sky. In the large verdant pastures beyond grazed the cattle, horses, and sheep. Adjoining the garden were the vineyards and the orchards. This spot became paradise to Don Felipe. Here he sat and dreamed of Donna Carolina. Here often she walked with him while her mother, Donna Vittoria, sat discreetly near-by sewing on fine wedding garments. None were more happy than they in those days of love. Then came war in Africa. Heavy in heart, but valiant in spirit, he answered his country's summons. I'll meet you in the garden when your regiment returns, whispered Donna Carolina as she tearfully bade him farewell. But the war dragged long yearsg and when Don Felipe returned, he found his betrothed married. Never shall I love or trust a woman again, he swore. That vow was kept. Don Felipe became a recluse with the church and his young friend, Don Eduardo, his only consolers. He loved Don Eduardo as a son. They shared their imnost secrets, trusting each other to keep them. Time passed, and Don Felipe became confined to bed with a melancholy sick- ness. Calling Don Eduardo he said: Friend, my days are almost ended. As I have no heir to my vast estate. I shall leave it to you--however, there is one con- dition. I You must not talk like this. Felipe. replied Don Eduardo. Wl1at you say is foolishness. ' Not foolishness. I was foolish once, but I learned wisdom with experience. I tell you I am dying, and no doctor can cure me. You are my only friendg here. .S'e2'01zteen 'I L T I in if'-' -funi -T 1-4:

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.ini --ur in ? -' 'lr -'lsr that she might have an audience when the turn came for a recital of her adventures in surgery. Mrs. Blum scored a triumph with the details of her sudden attack of appen- dicitis and an operation at three o'clock in the morning. Ptu, ptu, ptu. spat Mrs. Rubenstein, Nit doh gedachtf' Amusement and fear of giving offense drove me from the room. Wl1y on earth did she spit three times ? I asked Riva. To spit the devil away. Wlieii one hears of misfortune to which she fears she may be subjected, she spits three times and repeats those words to ward off the evil spirit. Friday morning I encountered new magic. It was in a friend's kitchen. Spicy odors lilled the room: the steam which rose from the pots almost shut out the View of Masche, who was bent over the dough that was soon to be baked into large loaves of shining twisted bread. The sun is already high and the dough isn't in the oven yet! Judith, dear. please get the pans out of the cupboard and grease them for me. Oy, oy, Judith, look what you've done! Step back quickly. No, no-with the same foot! Schleniiel! Don't you know that if a person steps over a child's leg or arm he puts a curse on it unless he steps back again with the same foot? Be very careful not to do it again. To please her I stepped back againg but I smiled to myself as I recalled the many times I had been stepped over without crippling results. About dusk that evening I decided to write to Mother. Before I had written more than two lines my aunt entered the room, and with arms a-kimbo stood watching me. I honestly believe that you are a Shiksaf' she said. You seem to know nothing at all about our customs. The Sabbath started at sundown tonight and will last until sundown Saturday, you aren't allowed to work during these twenty- four hours. Even my six-year-old Rosie knows that. I'm not working, Auntieg I'm only writing a few lettersf, f'But that is considered work, she continued in Yiddish. Not now, Auntie. Long ago there were no fountain pens and fine paperg then if one wanted to write, he had to chisel the words out of stone. At that time writing was indeed very tedious labor, but it is no longer so.', Indeed! she rejoined scornfully. VVell, it breaks the Biblical injunction: 'The seventh day is a Sabbath unto the I.ord, thy God, in it thou shalt not do any manner of work.' We must keep it sacred and not let modern convenience destroy its original meaning. Oh, I would that there were a native land for the Jews-one that they could really call their own. Then, and I'm afraid not until then. shall we be able to teach and keep the truly beautiful things which compose the foundation of the Jewish religion. Here, in this great melting pot where all nations become one, the present generation takes little or no interest in the tra- ditions which were handed down to us by our forefathers. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I laid aside my pen, and she left the room. But long I sat alone and pondered. Was this really a little town in New .Ter- sey! Or had some magic carpet transported me to an old, old country in a bygone age! Elisabeth Lczwfin. Sixteefzt 'Alf ,Y--A' if 1 .1 A I 4ll'l' 'fl ,1 :fi , ini I int

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lag, ig- .3- . ': ,L T ...ir L1-r lm, -L-v- - Ep- f , take this key and open the top drawer of the cabinet. Bring me the rolled manu- script within. Don Felipe unrolled the manuscript and read as follows: I, Don Felipe, hereby leave my estate, both real and personal, to Don Eduardo, providing that he has seven masses a year said for me for twenty years. Don Eduardo vowed to obey his friend's wishes. They embraced for the last time, shedding tears of deep emotion and repeating words of farewell. Soon Don Felipe breathed his last words: Remember the masses. Don Eduardo had the funeral arranged according to Don Felipe's wishes: quiet and beautiful. Every Easter for two years he covered the grave with flowers from the garden and had the priest say the seven masses. In the third year Don Eduardo married Donna Angela and brought her to live with him in the beautiful villa. When he told her of the condition under which he inherited the estate, she asked permission to arrange for the masses each year, and her husband readily assented. Six years they lived happily. Three children blessed the1n: Papino, Leonardo, and Maria. Crops and animals flourished so that they hired many laborers to do their work. They had plenty of everything and were content. But toward the end of the seventh year strange things began to happen. One morning the pots and pans, which had hung neatly over the fire-place the night before, were found scattered on the Hoor. They questioned the children and the servants, but they knew nothing about it. Seven mornings in succession this happened. Then the frightened servants fled the villa. Meanwhile Don Eduardo and his wife thought, and thought, and thought. No human hand has done thisf' reasoned Don Eduardo. We must have offended the spirits. But howl We have gone to church regularly, we have kept faith with Don Felipe. Donna Angela started. Oh, I forgot! Maria was ill last Easter time. I meant to arrange for the masses later, but I forgot to do so. He has come to chastise us. It is the spirit of Don Felipef' groaned her husband. Go quickly and ar- range for the masses lest it do us harmf' Donna Angela covered herself with her yellow silk shawl and ran to the nearest church. The old priest jotted down the name of the person and the number of masses and took the money from her trembling hands. On her way out she said a prayer for poor souls in purgatory and begged forgiveness of the spirit of Don Felipe. For seven more years life was kind to the heir of the villa. Pepino was almost as tall as his father and assisted in overseeing the farm work. Often he and Leonardo accompanied Don Eduardo on hunting trips, from which they brought home many wild geese, foxes, and rabbits. Maria helped her mother about the house. Then a great disaster befell Don Eduardof In early spring nearly half the sheep were devoured by wolves, and the bank with his savings became bankrupt. With difficulty he raised enough money for the spring planting. In July a drought burned the crops. So great was his loss that even Donna Angela went with the boys to the Fields to help the men work. One day in late summer Maria went to the cantine to get wine for the family dinner. Taking a lighted candle and a jug, she started down the steps. As the light made weird shadows dance on the walls, she became afraid, she had heard many haunting stories of spirits and goblins and the fantastic shadows recalled them to mind. Eighteen ' int Ll 1-fl 'Jii' 'LY 'FY Q