One of Their Own

Jacqueline Kennedy had originally planned to stay at Ravello for two weeks.

But the two became three, and now they have stretched into four. She was having such a wonderful time that it almost seemed she might yet declare herself a permanent resident.

The sun-drenched life was all the more pleasant because the pace had slowed. To be sure, she still kept photographers busy--with profitable results. And the Ravello villa was still a crowded place: on the premises with Jackie and little Caroline were Jackie's sister Lee Radziwill, Lee's three-year-old son and two-year-old daughter, a dozen or so U.S. Secret Service agents, a score of Italian cops, and an ample household staff. At home Caroline played hostess to some of the village children--the daughters of a carpenter, a boatman, a laborer. None of them spoke English, and Caroline does not yet speak Italian. But in the international language of kids, they communicated perfectly.

By and large, Jackie settled into a holiday routine of reading and children-watching, with occasional water-skiing and village-strolling. Late one day she went on a shopping spree, bought a variety of silk blouses in greens and pinks, along with some velvet rope-soled shoes. She seemed just another mother when she took Caroline to an ice-cream party at the villa of an American friend, Dr. Judith Schoellkopf.

An earthquake that hit Naples, 20 miles away, caused a slight tremor at Ravello, and Jackie quickly sent a message of sympathy to the Neapolitan victims. "I am deeply distressed by the destruction caused by the earthquake in Southern Italy," she wrote. "The past two weeks have reaffirmed my admiration and affection for the people of this part of the world and filled me with gratitude for all their kindness and courtesy. That they, who give so much in heart and spirit, should suffer loss of life and home is truly a calamity. I pray that all who have suffered may speedily be helped in their great need."

Her sympathy plainly came from the heart, and Italians sensed it. This week Jackie planned to celebrate with the citizens of Ravello as fireworks splashed the sky at the Feast of St. Pantaleone. She could feel right at home among the villagers, who were beginning to look upon her as one of their own.

Also representing the Kennedy family in Europe: Rose Kennedy, the President's mother, was vacationing on the French Riviera; Pat Kennedy Lawford and Jean Kennedy Smith, after helping Actor Jack Lemmon celebrate his betrothal in Paris, stayed on to enjoy the city.

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