Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1859-10-27

1child on his arm might be seen fitting across
the more stationary shadows of pillar and mul
lion, and making its way towards little tinse
Madonna hanging in retired spot near the
choir. Amid all the subimities of the mighty
cathedral, poor Sarti had fixed on this tinsel
Madonna as symbol of Divine mercy and pro-
tection.-just as a child, in the presence of a
great landscape, secs none of the gories OF the
wood and sky, but sets its heart on a floating
feather or insect that happens to be on level
with its eye. Here, then, Sarti worshipped and
prayed, setting Caterina on the floor by his side;
and now and then, when the cathedral lay near
some place where he had to call, and did not
like to take her, be would leave her there in
front of the tinsel Madonna, where she would
sit, perfectly good, amusing herself with low
growing noises and see savings of her tiny body.
And when Sarti camo back, he always found
that the Blessed Mother had taken good care of
Caterina.
That was briefly the history of Sarti, who
fulfilled so well the orders Lady Cheverel gave
him, that she sent him away again with stock
Of new work. But this time, week after week
passed, and he neither reappeared nor sent home
the music entrusted to him. Lady Cheverel be-
gan to be anxious, and was thinking of sending
Warren to inquire at the address Sarti had given
her, when one day, as she was equipped for
driving out the valet brought in small piece
of paper which he said had been left for her
ladyship by man who was carrying fruit. The
paper contained only three tremulous lines, in
Italian -
"Will the Eccelentissima for the love of God
have pity on dying man, and come to him y
Lady Cheverel recognized the handwriting as
Sartl's in spite of its tremulousness, and, going
down to her carriage, ordered the AIilanese
coachman to drive to Strada Quinquagesima,
Numero 10. The coach stopped in dirty mar
row street opposite La Pazzini's frut-shop, and
that large specimen of womanhood Immediately
presented herself at the door, to tho extreme dis
gust of Mrs. Sharp, who remarked privately to
Mr.. Warren, that La Pazzini was " hijeous
porpis." The fruit-woman, however, was all
smiles and deep curtsies to the Eccelentissima,
who, not very well understanding her Milanese
dialect, abbreviated the conversation by asking
to be shown at once to Signor Sarti. La Pa
zzin preceded her up the dark narrow stairs
and openeda door through which she begged
her lodyship to enter. Directly opposite the
door lsy Sart, on a low miserable bed. Hi
eyes were glazed, and no movement Indicate,
that he was conscious of their entrance.
On the foot of the bed was seated tiny chilt
apparently not three years old, her head cover
ed by "a linen cap, her feet clothed with ioathe
boots, above which her little yellow legs Shove,
thin and naked. A frock, made of what hat
once been a gay howered silk, was her onl,
other garment Her large dark eyes shono frou
out her queer little face, like two precious stone
in u grotesque image carved in old ivory. Sh
held an empty medicne-b)ttle in her hand, AM
was amusing herself with putting the cork ii
and drawing it out again, to hear how it woul'
pop.
La Pazzini went up to the bed, and said
" Ecco Ia noblissima donna " but directl
after screamed out, Holy mother he
dead /"
1t was SO. The entreaty had not been sen
in time for Sarti to carry out his project o
asking the great English lady to take care o
his Caterna. That was the thought that haunt
cd his feeble brain as soon as he began to fea
that his illness would end in death. She ha'
wealth-she was knd-she would surely d
something for the poor orphan. And SO, at las
he sent that scrap of paper, which won the ful
fment of his prayer though he did not live t
ute, it. Lady Chevercl gave La Pazzini none
| that the last dccencies might be paid to tn
+ dead man, and carried away Caterina, ineanin
to consult Sir Christopher as to what should
, done with her. Even Mrs. Sharp had been S
smitten with pity by the scene she had witness
ed when she was summoned upstairs to fetc
. Caterina, as to shed small tear, though sf
was not at all subject to that weakness indee
she abstained from it on principle, because, {
she often said, it was known to be the wor
:. thing in the world for the eyes.
: On the way back to her hotel, Lady Chever
turned over various projects in her mind regar
ing Caterina, but at last onvgained the prcfe
4 cnce over all the rest Why should they n
% take the child to England, and bring her |
, there? They had been married twelve yeal
- vet Cheyerel Manor was ,cheered by no chill
"a rem & yoices and the old house would be all t
{ better for u little of that music. Besides,
:, would be Christian work to train this lit
. baptist into good Protestant, and graft
much English fruit as possible on the Itali
N stem.
N Sir Christopher listened to this plan wi
hearty acquiescence. He loved children, a
=; took at once to the little back-eyed monkey
n. his name for Caterina all through her short Ii
ar But neither he nor Lady Cheverel had any il
v. of adopting her as their daughter, and givi
~ her their own rank in life. They were mt
=. too English and aristocratic to think of al
=. thing SO romantic. No The child would
m brought up at Cheverel Manor as protegee,
dv be ultimately useful, perhaps, In sorting wo
vt eds, keeping accounts, reading aloud, and otf
j. wise supplying the place of spectacles when
M ladyshp's eyes should wax dim.
,,or So Mrs. Sharp had to procure new clothes
,.s replace the linen cap lowered frock,
"a leathern boots and now, strange to say, Ii
~ Catina, who had suffered many unconsci
evils in her existence of thirty moons. first be-
,ne TO know conscious troubles "lgnoranc
Drv says Ajax, {" is a painless eyil;" SO, sho
q think is dirt, considering the merry faces
Ter go along with it, At any rate, cleanliness
;ny sometimes painful good, as any one can vo
4 = n. lol kba ~