Military life in Italy : sketches - Societa italiana di storia militare

DEPARTURE AND RETURN. 339
Reply : "Whom have you been digging up ? For pity sake,
do be careful ;
"
do be judicious
!
17 'th September.
. . . Another strange phenomenon to be noted after a war, is the
passion for reading which awakes again in all, even in the most indifferent,
either by nature or from lack of culture, to this kind of occupation and
pleasure. All read and hunt up books ;
the parish priest is obliged to
put in circulation all the books in his library. With me, who always
go to extremes, as you say, it has become a regular mania ; it is no
longer a desire for books, but a genuine hunger. Yet I am always faithful
to my old friend. During all the leisure hours of the day and evening I
read and re-read, thinking over and analyzing that blessed, much-beloved
novel " I Promessi Sposi." My eternal companion and friend, source of so
much sweetness, consolation, and of that even and sweet tranquillity of heart
and soul, in which every affection of mine is purified and strengthened, each
thought elevated, and things, men, the world, and life are presented to my
mind under their best aspect, all surrounded by love and hope. I do not
know how it is, but I feel that I love my country, my regiment, you, my
friends, better and more nobly, in thinking over that gospel of literature.
And there is not one page with which there is not connected some souvenir
of our first readings when you held the book on your knee, I read and you
;
listened, my tears falling on your hands, and at certain points we closed the
book and kissed each other. If I read it in my room I left it and came to
hunt you up so as to cry in your arms. I have this book before me I hold
;
it in my hands, pressing it to my heart, and
" say to it: By all the tears
thou hast caused my mother and me to shed, by all the holy affections that
thou hast roused and kept alive in my soul, by all the love that thou hast inspired
in men, life and noble and good things, I swear to thee, as thou wert
the first book I read, so shall thou be the last, and as long as my hand can
hold thee, my eye see thee, I will always seek thee, thee always, oh, book
of "
paradise !
After this letter there is the announcement of the departure
from Martellago, and then, day by day, a notice of fresh departures
and arrivals, from Padua to Rovigo, from Rovigo to
Pontelagoscuro, from Pontelagoscuro to Ferrara, from Ferrara
to Modena, and from Modena to Parma.