The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1866-12-28
GRINDER's STORY.


1 am an organ grinder. I am a
very plain, humble man, and one
who has known his share of sorrow
l am not old, for | have not reached
the age of thirty; but it seems to ine
that | have lived very long time
l was born in Italy, just on the slope
of the Apprentices, where they look
down on the fertile plains of Tusca
ny. Almost the first objects upon
which my eyes rested, were the great
Duomo, shining iu the rich sun light,
and the bright thread of the Arno,
winding among the marble walls OF
Florence.
My parents were very poor. You
do not often see such poverty in this
favored land of freedom We were
father, mother, and four children,
and had only one poor hut to live in
We worked hard in the rice fields OF
the great gentlemen in the plain be
fore us. We ate our brown bread
and our simple fruits in content
ment, and bore our troubles cheer.
fully. In spite of our simple lot
we were very happy. We had much
to he thankful for. Around US was
the pure mountain air, above us the
calm, bright sky, and below us-ev.
erywhere-Italy. My life passed on
as quietly as the lives of my fellows,
until l was twenty. one years Old
Then it changed. One day had
fingered rather long in the felds.--
The sunlight was so warm, and the
vines looked 50 lovely, that | had
not tue heart to go away. As l lin
gered thus shadow across my path
made me look up, and | saw Il young
glrl standing by me. She was about
my own age, tall, stately, and as
beautiful as the Medonna, and, like
nc, a peasant.
In Italy, we simple folks do not
take long to become acquainted, for
we do not cucumber ourselves with
the forms and ceremonies of our bet
ters. She was employed in the same
helds, and she had come with her
father to live just below me on the
slope. We waited and
talked long in the vineyard, and when
We climbed the mountain toward our
homes, the shede lay upon it, and
the lights of Florence were glea ming
in the valley below. After this |
was with Blanca almost constantly
We went to our daily task together,
and went home hand in hand In
the field | stayed by her, and light.
ened her task by increasing my own.
How it came about | know not, and
you would not care to hear, but it
ended, as all such things do, for both
rich and poor, and one evening, as
we parted at the door, | held her to
my heart, and heard her say, II love
you, Pietro." After that we had a
short but perfect happiness. We
ooked forward to the day when we
should have little hut of our own
On the mountain slope, and be no
more parted for life. We had no
ear OF meeting with poverty, for we
lad contended against it all our lives.
We only knew we loved each other
very dearly, and we thought we cod
De happy in our new lot.
The owner Of the fields in which
We worked was an Austrian noble
nan, who held high rank in the ar,
ny Of those who crushed Italy to
,arth, He loved neither Italy nor
.he Italians.
Only few months before Blanca
md l were TO be married he came to
,isit his estate. 1t was not long be
ore he saw Blanca. Her beauty
pleased him, and he resolved upon
ler ruin. What mattered it to him?
lie was lord of the estate, and she
)nly poor peasant girl.
One day when | was in the vine
'ard, heard her call my name, and
scream for help. In an instant | was
1t her side. She was struggling with
he Austrian long, who sought to kiss
ler. As she saw me shs broke from
lin and sprang into my arms. The
Fellow haired Austrian foamed with
age. "Stand away, dog!" he shout
ID, "release the grill" 81 will not
'elease her." 1 cried, Indignantly i
she is mine-my promised wifew
He carried riding whip with him
1t the time, and with that he struck
ne, The hot Italian blood within
ne flushed up in my face, and al
most before l knew it, laid him