The Moonlit Path: Katherine's journal from 1914 by Peter Powers Goodman

Author:Peter Powers Goodman
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Peter P Goodman

Saturday, June 13

Antonio came by today. Sometimes when he delivers plants or vegetables, we share a smile and a simple joke, or I inquire after Mr. Edmonds, or he asks about Lucius. Today, I learned more of his unfortunate past, after asking whether he had considered becoming a teacher in this country. Before answering, he took up his glass of lemonade and looked out at the garden. “Is difficile. Yes, I want teach, to teach. Però first, I work, I study. I make my English more better. Is fondamentale. To write English more better. Then I teach americano children. Però I am contrastanti. I love teach. Help alleivo, pupil, find curious nature and grow. Give pupil word and idee and scienza, like give farmer horse and plough. Is bellissimo. You same, paint tree, paint flower. Is bellissimo. Però no more teacher I think. Is rotto, broken? Work farm is silenzioso, facile. Horse, wagon, land, sky, vegetable, manure, smile, good people, drink cold lemon water. No anger, no assassinio, no tradimento, no jail.

“This country different? Maybe yes, maybe no. Here is problem. I read is trouble, men speak good for worker. Teach some, però no truth totale is bad. Però teach truth totale, make pupil angry, want to change bad, maybe die, maybe go to jail, because I teach truth totale, cose buone, good things and bad things. More better to live vita silenzioso, work farm, work bank, marry, make child, take picnic to lake, consumare good drink, good food. No too much think, more better.”

Antonio took another long drink of lemonade, then he smiled. His smile seemed to wriggle out from his usually serious mien, like a cat from under a porch, to stretch in the sunlight. “Talk sometimes no good thing. Comprendere? Better not know precedentemente.”

I felt moved by his words. I understood this much: The betrayals and misfortunes he suffered because of his political beliefs caused him to withdraw to the peaceful farm, like a turtle into its shell. I once would have suggested that things are different here. But with such news as Wheatland and the tales Frederick Mills told us, and all the talk of class war and the I.W.W., perhaps our countries were not so different. Still, it is disconcerting to think that if Antonio had remained in Sicily, this gentle, caring man would quite probably have been executed.

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