Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1858-02-17
Casta Diva.

and esconced himself therein, Wrapping
his trl-colored dressing gown about him.
81 wish were married know a lady
-~boards in tile same house, ,too-and
believe, she'd have me, if / were to ask
her. 1mean the pretty music teacher.
She is young, delicate, and amiable; on
'ly there seems to be something melan-
choly about her, as though she had
known sorrow: besides she is widow.
| ike her though, and I believe she
likes me. I'll think this over, I have
plenty Of money, and nobody to spend
it upon. Yes, / think | viii ask the
pretty Madame Victor to marry me-"
Rap, tap, tap.
sCome in who's there %
s'Please, Sir, it's your clean clothes.' 81
''Clean clothes! and pray who are
you, you little cherub, and where do
you come from %
81 am Laurette, sir: and I live with
Bridget, who washes your clothes, and
she sent me with the basket tonight"
eyes, should think she had, YOU
little ducklin; and the baskets bigger
than yourself Come and sit down iii
this chair by the fire and warm your
toes-there now! I want to talk with
you. Areyou Bridget's child 90
: ooh no, sir and a look of care pas
sed over her little face.
"No, [ thoughtnot. Washerwomen's
children don't have such eyes nor such
broad foreheads, nor such soft hair
Well, birdie, how how came you with
Bridget? have you no parents %
81 don't know only dream | have
Bridget lets me stay with her because
l can sing
'Smg! and what has that to do with
it %
ooh, sir, ! sing my songs in the great
houses and they give me sixpences,
and | take them home to Bridget
'Aha you pay your board, then :?
Well, little Laurette, will you sing for
me now %
eyes, indeed" and the little one
stood up in the middle Of the rug, and
opening her rosebud mouth, she sings
CAsTA DIVA.
''Bless my stars, what voice! I
know something Of music myself; at
least to know that such a voice should
be fortune to one who possesses it
Little one, where did you learn that %
''Nurse taught me-"
sNurse who is Nurse -
"Nurse is dead" The dark eyes
fill 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. .-r
sPlease, sir, shall I have my basket?
Bridget viii scold if I stay too long,
"No, little one, / viii carry the bas-
ket; am going home with YOU
s'It's up five flights of stairs, sir, and
there is no light in the passage
'sAll the more reason [ should 90
with you. Now / am ready. Como
my little singer, you and [ will be bet
ter acquainted before long. Don't fall
down those stone steps; keep hold my
hand !; there, we are In broadway
Now where do we turn ? down Prince
Street, hey? and down Crosby? what!
do you live in this alley? Oh, never
fear, little cAsrA DIVA, I shall tread
safely enough while this little hand
leads me. Ugh! how many more
flights are there ?-only two? Well,
well, I can climb them if you can. So,
is this the door %
"Och' and isit you sir, that would be
after coming to see poor woman at
this hour? VIII you be seated, sir %
said Bridget, wiping a wooden chair
with her apron. sYour shirts were
not ironed to be suiting We, maybe %
"Shirts all right, Bridget. I came
to bring home your little girl, and tc
ask something about her. She has
been singing to me. Will you tell me
where she came from %
eye takes deal o trouble for 9
lone bit O. childer, indeed, sir; but hel
story is not SO very long. She lived
with q furrin woman, in the room be
low, named Theresa. The woman
said she was waiting maid in Laurette'.
family, in Italy, somewhere, and wher
she was out-with the child, then onl,
/ two years old, for the sake of the air
there came a big row in the city, an6
the childs father was in the middle o
it, and got kilt and when she reached
the house, all in a fright, sure and i
was all on fire, and the mother gone
and never was she able to find her a
all. So she kept the child and come
to America with it: for she heard tel
how the streets were paved with gold
and when she came and found mar,
4 gold nor food but for the working, sh
had to 90 to work lis in washing below
stairs: but never bit would she lie
this child do for itself, but waited o.
it and only taught it to sing 'as It's moth
er did before it. she said; and las
year Theresa died. This poor lit
creature took on for her so bad that
took her myself, only I'll be, bringin
her up different entirely; I'll tache he
to earn her bread at any rate; and S
/ sends her out to sing to the grea
) folks, and makes her help me carr
, round the clothes, and that is all, sir.
ssIt was very good in you, Bridge
to take the little orphan. You hav
saved her from a sad fate. You wi
be rewarded, you may depend,
> L