National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1871-08-25

"What else can do 2 shall beo my
way. can sing, can dance | have my
castanets here under my shawl. oh, never
fear. Blanca Nifanto need not quite starve
while there are berry bushes by the road
side, and clear cold water in the glens."
"That's all nonsense" interrupted hon
est David Gaskin's voice from the angle in
the porch, where he had sat until now
unnoticed. "Mother, she must stay with
u.s."
"God bless you for the word, father"
Mrs. Gaskin cried, starting up "lts what
I'd most wish for in all the world, but
we've eight of our own, and it's a bard row
for you to hoe, and | didn't just like to
ask it."
"One can't turn stray lamb away from
ones door" said David huskily.
And so little Blanca Niianto stayed
under the sheltering shadow Of the farm
house roof until one day, stranger from
the city, who was down fishing in the cool
trout streams of the woods, chanccd to
hear her singing in the twilight.
81 never heard sweeter voice in my
ife,n said Mr. Milford. alt should be
cultivated"
"She goes to singin'- '-school twice week
with Dave and Maggie" said Mr.. Gaskin,
with the air of one who feels that he has
done his full duty.
Singing-school She should 60 on the
stage Such a talent as that ought not to
be hidden away in napkin"
The upshot of it was, that when Mr..
Milford went away he took Blanca with
him, to train her delicious young voice as
he believed it was capable of being trained.
THAT nightingale throat of hers will
make her fortune yet! predicted MIR. Mil
ford.
"She'll forget us ALL" wept poor Mrs.
Gaskin, when the hour of parting came.
"No, mamma dear, | won't" cried
Blanca, with a passionate burst of tears.
"I'll love you always-always-for you
were my friends when had no one in all
the wide world to turn to-"
Five years afterward, and the voice whose
wondrous strains George Milford had pro
pheticaly heard, had entranced the musi-
cal world. Blanca Nitanto was the prlma
donna of the operate stage-the canta.
trice whose ballards were worth gold
piece for every note; and she had come
down to spend the summer with her old
friends in the wn-roofed farmhouse.
As beautiful as ever star-eyed and
cream-skinned, with lustrous black hair
worn like coronal about her head, and
unconsciously graceful ways. David Gas
kin, her playmate Of olden times, looked at
her with mute wonder. Could it be posi-
BILE that she was the little Blanca who
used to climb the hay lofts with him i'll
search of eggs, and follow, dog like, at his
heels when he went at twilight to bring
home the cows
"Ah, Bianca,n he said, almost enviously
"you are rich lady now, and great
singer wonder you remembered us"
Blanca turned her soft eyes appealingly
on him.
"Oh, David, whom should remember
if not you p
David got up, and began to pace up ano
down the floor.
Il suppose that young man at the hote
is rich too?"
"What young maj" "
"That Sydney Willoughby, the one who
came down from New York just because
you were coming"
eyes he is rich, believe"
And the gentleman with the team o
cream-colored horses who is boarding al
Deacon Mosss."
"Oh. Mr. Allaire ~ said Blanca limo
Gently. " He is very wealthy too"
1T must be fine to have such train al
ones heels" said David bitterly.
"Is it my fault, David" said Blanca
almost ready to burst into tears. "Can
bid them stay away"
But David, determined at all hazard tt
be displeased had turned sullenly into th'
house.
Nanny" cried Blanca, for by this
name she still addressed good Mrs. Gaskn
'.what makes David so cross with me
What have done to make him angry I"
But Mrs. Gaskin too went into the hous'
without answering. What could she say t
tie beautiful young cantatrice Would i
be fitting to make answer:
envy son, tie working farmer lad
has ventured to fall in love with you
queen of song ard beauty. Even so TIT
feeble glow-worm aspires to the calm gilt
ter of the star"
But Blanca could not but notice tha
the ewes of the good farmers wife wer'
swollen and red the next day.
Nanny" she cried, "what is the mat
ter? Are you sick 7"
"Heart-slck, child" Mrs. Gaskin an
swcred, with a great convulslve sor
" David is going away"
David Going away Where -
"To San Francisco, he says. All, me
and | thought he would be the stay an'
prop of my old-age"
"But he sha'n't CO." cried Blanca reso
lutely. "Tll ask him not"
And she went out in the orchard, wher
David was moodily gathering basket O
gold-skinned "summer boughs," lookini
yery handsome and very misanthropic II
the green chequered light that came stream
ing down through the appe-tree leaves.
"David, is it true that you are goln
away2"
"Yes, Blanca; it is true"
"And whyN
"Simply because ] am miserable here
Isn't that reason enough ~
"David," ,"-the black cyelashes dropped
and a soft, rosy pink stole over the nc
olive cheek, as Blanca stood there beior
him in the attitude of suppliant-" DAVID
would YOU stay if l asked you"
The gold-cheeked summer-boughs wen
tumbling in yellow cascade all over tn
short, green orchard turf. David Gaski
had unwarily let go the basket handle.
Blanca. do you really mean it %
, "Yes, David" W.,
! And Mr.. Allaire, and Sydney VII
loughby 2" :. ou
I to me than both of them put together"
TT. oIosnod her little hands rapturousl