Smyrna times., 1873-04-30
Romance in Real Life,

The ST. Louis Republican, publishes the
following: A poor girl, now about nineteen
years of age, was born in Rome, and received
the name of Lima POselli. Her father was
probably an organiSt of the wandering class,
and her mother may have been a fish woman.
There is no doubt her parents were poor, and
they may have been honest. Lima very early
conceived dstaste for life in Rome, and |
started out to make her fortune. She was pretty
-ltaly's sun burned in her veins and Italy's |
skies shOne in her eyes. She got away from |
home at fourteen and threw herself upon the |
wide world with that dangerous companion,
beautiful face. She drifted to New York and |
soon became noted as a ''pretty flower girl
She did not stand on the corner with her
blooming basket, but carried it around in
fashionable avenues, and to the brown stone
mansions seated thereon. Her fresh stock Of
flowers every morning, and her bright eyes and
the roses on her check and the perfect pic
| ture of beauty she made, harmouized with the
ari>tocratlc locality she loved to frequent
She always sold out and then glided away into
the solitude of the great city, no one knew
whittier. Her swift foot defed followers
She became a curiosity-and then a sensa-
ton. David Simmons, an old. rich, retired
merchant, saw her and became one of her
daily patrons. He was often seen talking to
her on his marble steps, and afterwards with
|
tried to find out where the beautiful vision
vanished when the basket was empty, and
because he could not he became greatly dis
tressed. Mr.. Simmons was a widOwer, hut he
had daughter who was married, and she and
her husband lived with the old man in his house
The daughter saw the beautiful Italian girl, and
did not like her. She objected to her father
making an old Ounce of himself, and the guam
tty of flowers which old Mr.. Simmons bought
every day was something astonishing.
The more his daughter scolded, the more he
filled his room with flowers and the more he
displayed the choicest and rarest Of them in
his various button holes. He was a king
conservatory and hot house, though he could
not be called greenhouse. His white hairs
T too, nearly resembling dead leaves. Hi,
daughter and her husband made an effort tC
= get his property taken out of his hands, bu
: failed to establish a case of insanity This
i angered him, and when it was all over, ht
ordered his covetous children TO leave his hOus'
;, entirely, and they went sorrowing away
y The old man then turned all the property b,
i possessed into money and disappeared from
v New York. The beautiful flower girl disap
!. peared at the same time. She had made he
% fortune. The old man and his Italian charac
Is ter went by TO Savannah, Georgia, wher
, they were duly and properly married.
, David Simmons on the same day executes
I
> bonds were left to his wife. In few days h
10 met with an accident which injured his spin,
20 cord, and he lay down and died. Nothin
NJ was heard in New York OF the fate of Smmor
of for six months, aud, in the meantime, the gi
Q had left the country, and was safely back
a = her own sunny land. The only thing left to te
ve of David Simmons was an empty trunk, whic
on was found in New Orleans hotel.
Lima POseli has been heard from. She ha
W been seen in Rome by one who, like old Sin
h. mons, had been infatuated with the bare leggC
nm flower girl of New York. 1t was at Il
4r carnival last spring. During the last days
-er this fantastic saturnalia, he saw gorgeous
If apparellcd wOmsn in an elegant open carriag
We who attracted almost universal attention, al
m. commanded the plaudits of the throng tn
ost beset her carriage.
1t was Lima Poselli. Her form was near
. /" lost amid the banks of roses and exquis
me flowers that surrounded her. Her face W
row wreathed in smiles as she pelted with sugt
,ail pluns the occupants of the carriage next
nill front or next behind her in the prOcessiC
in Her eyes danced and laughed and sparkled Ii
go light in water. Her whole being was in a &C
,r ditOn Of bewtching madness and tumultuC
ds merriment-the very intoxication of costa
N enjoyment. She had made her fOrtur
led What connection has Lima POselli hencefo
mn. with the pretty flower girl of New York, or
on. old empty trunk in New Orleans2