Note: Translator Pauline Bancroft Flach died in 1966, less than 70 years ago. Therefore, this work is protected by copyright, restricting your legal rights to reproduce it. However, you are welcome to view it on screen, as you do now. Read more about copyright.
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THE OASIS AND THE DESERT 325
It now happened that everything that Diamante
hoped and strove for was denied it.
Donna Micaela and all Diamante longed to get
Gaetano back. When the railway was ready Donna
Micaela went to Rome and asked for his release,
but it was refused her. The king and the queen
would have liked to help her, but they could not.
You know who was minister then. He ruled Italy
with a hand of iron; do you think that he allowed
the king to pardon a rebellious Sicilian?
The people also longed that the Christ-child of
Diamante should have the adoration that was his
due, and Donna Micaela sought an audience for his
sake with the old man in the Vatican. “Holy
Father,” she said, “let me tell you what has been
taking place in Diamante on the slopes of Etna!”
And when she had told of all the miracles performed
by the image, she asked the pope to have the old
church of San Pasquale purified and consecrated,
and to appoint a priest for the worship of the
Christ-child.
“Dear Princess Micaela,” said the pope, “those
incidents of which you speak, the church dares not
consider miracles. But you need not at all despair.
If the Christchild wishes to be worshipped in your
town, he will give one more sign. He will show
Us his will so plainly that We shall not need to
hesitate. And forgive an old man, my daughter,
because he has to be cautious!”
A third thing the people of Diamante had hoped.
They had expected at last to hear something from
Gaetano. Donna Micaela journeyed also to Como,
where he was held prisoner. She had letters of
recommendation from the highest quarters in Rome,
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