Word: umbrellas
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Dates: during 1940-1949
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...imperious nose resembling a mountain bird's beak, Don Francesco majestically strides along under an immense faded green umbrella; its edges are much frayed by rubbing against the grey stone walls that lean over the narrow, cobbled streets. Shepherds, wrapped in lambskins, and black-shawled women bow low to let the priest's umbrella sweep over them as he sails by. "God be with you, Don Francesco," say the men. "God preserve you and us," say the women...
...strong in the faith," he has a smile and words of encouragement. "We shall win the elections with God's help-it's Christ against Mammon." But encountering one whose faith he judges to be wavering, Don Francesco, with a flick of a powerful wrist, lowers the umbrella on the miscreant's head. "You didn't come to the theater last night, Nicola," he says, or "Agata, your girl hasn't learned her lines...
Nails in a Good Cause. The youth of Riofreddo, who had feared that Catholic Action would be rather dull, loved the idea. The reluctant few were convinced by the monitory appearance of Father Francesco's green umbrella before their doors. Arturo Vasselli, the carpenter, volunteered to construct a rough stage in a barn. The play chosen was Le Pistrine (the name of the prisons where early Christian martyrs waited their turn to be thrown to the lions...
...good taking the umbrella to him," mused Don Francesco, "he's quite insensitive to its taps." Counting on his fingers, he said: "There's him, there's his wife Maria, his daughter. Think of it, three votes for the Communists. What a disgrace for all of us." Then he brightened. He had hit on a scheme. He knew that raven-locked Maria Conti, the only woman in Riofreddo who wore modern clothes, hated the drudgery of housework: she was a career woman at heart. Swinging his green umbrella. Father Francesco promptly departed to make Maria Conti head...
Tension drew itself in the faces of his young listeners. Their hearts beat wildley, they leaned eagerly forward. Schussboomer knew what it meant. "Yes," he said, sadly tapping his pipe on the umbrella stand. "The tea was cancelled...