National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1871-08-25
BIANCA'S LOVE LIFE.

W ell, Ii | ever! cfleu nOllcst Mis.
Ga.kin, staring delightfully."- at the tricks
Of the trained monkey that was attached
to Michael Pcroni's barrel organ.
The noon shadows slanted along across
the green sward in front OF the farmhouse
door the tall white lilies and thickets OF
blue larkspurs dropped in the hot sunshine,
and the corn fields at the back of the house
nodded their multitudinous green heads IN
the occasional zephys, as the farmers
wife. with her little ones clinging shyly to
her skirts, stood in the doorwa listening
to the drone of the organ and little Bianca's
shrl vet sweet voice, as she danced and
sang gathering her castanets high in the
al.
"And I don't believe she's day Older
than my Maggie" said Mrs. Gaskin, as
little George, scarcely asyet able to toddle
without assistance, creep across the short,
jandelion starred grass to put his penny IN
thcmonkcy's withered palm. "Dea: heart
alive there's something sad about it, too y
And when the song and dance was fin
shed Mrs. Gaskin beckoned to the bril-
liant eyed swarthy elf who stood pushing
the wayy, jet black locks away from her
forehead
"Youre to come in, my DEAR" she said,
"you and your father"
But he is not my father" interrupted
\ the child, almost mpaticntly.
"Well, the foreigner, any how, and get
slice of my homemade loaf and good
dish Of milk. I'll go bail he won't object
to ho'."
Little Blanca turned and chattered some
thing in Italian to her companion. lie dis
payed his glittering white teeth in smile,
and bowed obscquiously to the farmers
wife Mrs Gaskin led the way in, and
with bustling hospitality spread the board
for Peron, Blanca, and even the poor
,hryelled face monkey.
Isn't she pretty child ~ whispered
Mrs Gaskin to her old maid sister, Miss
Drlsilla. and she was right. Blanca was
very beautiful, in spite Of her sun-em-
Drowned skin, bare feet and ragged scarlet
frock. Her eyes large and liquid, were
full of the deepening sunshine of her native
Italy; her features were small and regular,
and her mouth as ripe and rosy as the
biggest strawberry now ripening on the
vines under the south garden fence.
"Ah p sighed Drusila Peck, "it is a
pity she should have to tramp round the
country to sing songs and dance dances Tor
livin'"
And when Blanca turned away, fantasti-
cally returning thanks for the entertain
ment she had received, by kissing Mrs:
Gaskin's toll hardened hand, the good
woman's motherly heart fairly ached for
the lonely, lovely child, who seemed as II
1t were adrift upon the world.
Not until the party of foreign adventur-
ers had been gone more than two hours
did Mrs Gaskin discover, to her unspeaka'
bic diSmay, that one of the silver spoons
which had been heirlooms from her dead
and buried grandmother, and the little sil,
yer mug that David, her eldest boy, had
had in the days of his babyhood, were gone
:iso.
81 knew it " dolorousy groaned Miss
Drusilla. "These foreign jugglers are all
lght-fngered. What else could ye expect
Amanda Ann ?"
Mrs. Gaskin fairly sat down and cried
not so much, it must be confessed, Tor the
battered silver mug and antiquated tea
spoon, as for the ruthless demolshment o
the many castles in the air she had buil'
around the sweet face and fairy figure o
oack-eyed little Blanca.
81 never, never will believe in anybody
again." sobbed the farmers vile.
The purple shadows of twilight Were
Just stealing down over the corn-heids
and making dreamy sort of chidro -osc'tr'
over hill and slope and misty river vale
when Mrs. Gaskin, rocking George to sleeI
on her lap with one of the sweet, stereo
typed old cradle songs that all mothers
know by heart, was startled by light tai
on her shoulder
"Signora 2" cried soft voice in her ear
Why, bless my soul ?" cried Mrs. Uas
KIN, "it's the little foreigner /"
I've brought back the cup and spoo'
OF isilver," said Blanca "He took them
l saw it, but dared not speak, tor he l
cruel in his wayward moods, and bears
heavy hand. Tonight, when he lay aslee
under the hedge, l stole them from hi
pocket, and here they arc"
Mrs. Gaskin started first at the unex
Pbectedly recovered property, and then
Sit down and rest yourself spell,
said she, "before you 60 back. You're a
out Of breath.n
am not going back" said Blanca resc
Intely. "He would beat me to deatf
But you kissed me, and gave me bread t
eeat and milk to drink. ] could not lie
MN steal your treasures"
a, What are you going to dop' aske
hrs. Gaskin, still mechanically rockin
NeOrpe tsnL sod ccrxb ~, bar kpao