TOLD BY A NUN.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 127, 26 June 1909, Page 4

TOLD BY A NUN.

Of intense interest is the story to.' in the last "Century" by Robert Richeiu tie brilliant novelist, who visited Mes siua within a few days of the disastrou earthquake. Detail of horror is spare in the recital, though the intensity o horror is inferred. "Sister Mary, of th Sanctuary, Franciscan Missionary u Mary attached to the Convent of San Orsoli, Foruaci, Messina, but who ha lived and worked for long in Taorminu and is known to all who go there, toll me several strange and interesting inci dents connected with the carlliquakt which I have not seen in print," he say i and whatever one may tlitak of th stories, there is no denying the fact tha they were worth telling. "The first is the story of the ma: with the bell. About three months be fore the earthquake, one of the sister of the convent wa6 passing along a bus, street of Messina at when aibovc the many noises of the city, sh heard the loud sound of a bell. It cam nearer, and presently at a corner sh saw an old man. He had a big hell ii his hand, and was crying out somethiiij in Italian. When he was close to th' sister she heard the word 6, 'The ipoopl of Messina must repent and lead bette lives, for a great disaster is comim upon the city. Repenti Repent! i great disaster is coming!' Round ahou the old man were people laughing a him, sayiug that lie was an old mail man. Two or three, thinking that h was a crazy mendicant, offered hill money. But" he refused to take it, a:n disappeared, still ringing his bell an crying his dismal prophecy. At inter vals before the earthquake ho reap (reared, and many people in Messina sa\ and heard him. Never would lie receiv alms. He was there, he said, not to gai: money, but to warn the people of Mes sina of disaster, and to urge them t prepare by leading good lives and avoid ing evil ways. No one seemed to kno\ who the old man was or whence h came. A little wltilc before the earth quake he vanished,"' The second story is - even stranger.' i woman, after the shock, was burie alone in her room.- The door wa Hocked by fallen masonry. There wa no means of ingress or egress, and th rest of 'the house was fallen in rain: She wag uninjured, but she was' in prisoned. In this room she rcmaine eight, days. It was a bedroom, and cor. tained no food. During the eight day sire gave birth to twins. When scarcl crs with picks and spades dug dawn t where she was, they found her and .th twins strong and well. They took then out, and questioned Ivor as to how sh' had managed to live, and why she ha< not starved. "Every day a woman cami ind brought me food," she answered. They pointed out that this was im lossible, as there was no means of getting into or out of the room, and the ■est of the house had fallen. "I know," she slid. "Nevertheless, it s true. I do not know how she came >r went. She never spoke to me or ooked at me. She was there every day, mt food for me on the table, and disapleared. I had never seen her before, nd do not know who she was."

They asked for some description of the visitor, but could obtain no details. This woman was not raving. She was in good health, well'nourished, and the twins are thriving. She persists ia her story. I told it to a Sicilian. "It was the Madonna who brought her food. She often does such tilings," he said.