Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1857-06-11
CASTi DIVA.

forlom life it is to live alone?'' and he
drew his chair close TO the fire and enscon-
ced himself therein, wrapping his tricolor-
ed dressing grown about him. / wish |
were married! l know a lady-boards in
the same house too-and | believe she d
have me if were to ask her, mean the
pretty music teacher. She is young, deli
cate and amiablc: only there seems to be
something melancholy about her, she is
widow, / like her though and believe she
likes me; I'll think this over. / have
plenty of money. and nobody to spend it
upon. Yes, think l will ask pretty Mad
anne Victor to marry me-"
Rap, rap, rapl
s'Come in--who's there?"
please sir, it's Your clean Clothes
"Clean clothes! and pray who are you,
you little cherub, AMI where do you come
from?"
81 an Lauretta, sir. and ! live with Bird
get, who washes your clothes, and she sent
me with the basket tonight.
"Yes, should think she did, you little
duckling; and the basket is larger than
YOURSELF Come and sit down in this chair
by the fire and warm your toes-there, now,
/ want to talk with you. Are you Bird
gets child?''
"Oh no. sir" and look Of care passed
over the little face.
"No. l thought not. Washerwomen's
children don't have such eyes, nor such
broad foreheads, nor soft hair Well,
birdie, how came you with Bridget? Have
You no parents?"
Il don't know. 1 only dream have.
Bridget lets me stay with her because can
sing"
'.Sing, ani what has that to do with it?"
"Oh sir. l sing my songs in the great
houses and they give me sixpences, and
take them to Bridget
AHA. you pay your board then? Well
little Lauretta, will you sing for me now?"
Eyes indeed" and the little one stands
up in the middle of the rug, and opening
her rose bud mouth, she sings Casta Diva
Bless my stars, what voice l know
something about music myself; at leas;
enough to know such voice should be
fortune to the one that possesses it. Little
one, where did you learn that?"
Nurse taught me?"
"Nursel Who is nurse?"
Nurse is dead" The dark eyes I'll with
tears, and the ruby lips are quivering
Mr. Patron walks up and down the
room; his curiosity is excited as well as his
pity.
"Please. sir, shall ! have the basket
Bridget will scold me if stay too long.
"No little one, | will carry the basket,
am going home with you"
.It's up five flights of stairs. sir, and
there is no light in the passage
"All the more reasons l should 60 with
You. Now ! am ready. Come nv little
singer, you and l will be better acquainted
before long. Don't fall down these steps.
keep hold of my hand; here we are in
Broadway. Now where do We turn? down
Prince Street, hey? and now down Crosby.
What! do you live in this alley? Oh
never fear, little Casta Diva, / shall tread
safely enough while this little hand leads
me. Ughl how many more flights are
there!-only two.-Well, / can climb
them if you can. So is this the door,"
"Och, and is it you, Sir. that would be
after coming to see poor woman at this
hour? Will you be seated sir, said Brid-
get, wiping wooden chair with her apron.
Your shirts were not ironcd to be suitino
We, may be-"
"Shirts all right, Bridget / came to
bring home your little girl and to ask Won
something about her. She has been sing
ing to me- Will you tell me where she
came from?"
Eye take deal o'trouble for lone hi.
of a childer, indeed sir; but her story is not
so very long. She lived with furren wo.
man, in the room below: named Theresa.
The woman she was waiting maid in Lam
retta's family, in Italy, somewhere: and
while she was out with the child, then only
two years old, for the sake of the air there
came big row in the city, and the child's
father was in the middle Of it, and got kilt;
and when she reached the house all in n
fright, sure it was on fire and tn. mother of
it gone, and never was she able to find it.
So she kept the child and comes to Amer.
ia with it; for she heard how the streets
were paved with gold, AMI when she
came and found nary gold nor food but
for the working, she had to go to work, as
all we poor creatures do; an she took in
washing in the one room down stairs; but
niver bit would she let the child do for it.
self; bat waited on it like a slave, and only
taught it to sing, Gas its mother did before
it," she said; and last year Theresa died.
This poor creather took on so bad that
took her myself only I'll be bringin' her up
differently, intirely; I'll teach her to earn her
bread, at any rate, and so / send her out
every day. to sing to the great folks, an
make her help me to carry around the
clothes, and that is all SIR" at was very
rroo1 An, xro, Rridsrnf "a ol-c tho La tlo a.,