The Republican journal., 1873-07-10
MY Little Nun.

Ali, lady it is in Italy only where blue
skies are. Here with the great brown
mountains tipped with snow, they shine
glorionsy: and, lady. there are eyes in
Italy as blue as its own bright skies, hair
as rich as the brown mountains, and faces
tairer than the drifted snow.
! was soldier there.
la PlacenZa is a castle built on a preci-
l1ire. high above lake, where the clear
waters sleep calmly in the moonlight. and
splash gently in spray under the glitter
ing sun.
Down by the crag is q struggling vii
ia~e. and near, bleak, dark and dismal,
IS monastery and a gray stone church.
nlnamcnted inside with rich paintings
1atur-. and windows-sifts of dead old
fngs and mobiles years ago. Here | was
once sick, wounded and dying.
was only poor French soldier, fight
me- ton Free Italy" and, as it is some
times our soldiers chance, after a long,
Wild charge. J was left one day upon the
i.eld
could not complain when | was taken
with the rest OF the wounded to the hos
pital Parbleu would have died there,
-ptt, cool hand on my hot mad head and
a voice SO soft and sweet Poor signor
maybe he has a sister or mother at home ;
ttEe him 10 us" And 50 | was taken
away, where, | did not know nor care,
my head so panied me- | knew when |
ieit the soft, cool hand on my head that
must rest and pray. All J such a soft,
cool hand 1t held me down; it chained
nav life and soul and being. When a
sweet voice prayed for my poor self |
lived again, and when was better lay
on my couch in the glorious sunlight and
heard her read to me it seemed more and
more like my dreams of home and love-
So ii was that my little nun came to be
all and all to me.
She was only little nun-fair, delicate
and trail with soft. brown eyes, and a
sweet, sad face, and /, French soldier ol
The guard; but sometimes strong men
weep childish tears, and one time when
stood mp to say goodby it was terrible
agony 10 ne.
Lady" said, "Sister Inez you have
told me to call you, you know that | love
you, and that my life is yours. Three
leagues behind yonder mountains is 8
blue sea. There are swift vessels there
and beyond the sea is free America where
all are Us they please in religion and love
come with me, come
1 knelt at her feet as | had neve
before knelt, even to my God. "Inez
come with me to America, and YOU cal
there be free
No, Signor''-she withdrew her han(
tod is everywhere !" and she turned
and left me.
was wild. She had been so much t,
me, and now-nothing. She had nurset
me and watched, and I, when | wa
stronger, had gone and brought he
flowers, while we sat and talked of tai
France or sunny Italy.
She and the abbess lived alone wa
had frightened the rest away, and so
was perhaps, that | had been allowed t
ie with her at all and she had grow
.crV dear to me.
Lady, you smile. L see, but then W
men haye mad passions sometimes, an
10. when weeks after oufr trumpets BILE,
shrill triumph over Solferino and Ma
grnta, aud Wore on my breast the eros
ui the legion as the bravest of alp
would have given it and them for on
bright hour, AS OF days past, in the oil
monastery at Placenza-
did think Of her? Yes, always, unde
the blue skies they were as her eyes t
me; and at night, waking and dreaming
she was my all.
You have never been with a fierce army
elated with victory, | know, and so car
not even dream of the weary, waywor
DAYS and nights there are sometimes.
OF advances, retreats, and bivouacs
the mountains or on the plains; of whit
tents, sentinel calls, and camp fires, song
and rhymes have enough been sung an
aid; but never yet have the feelings ,
all the hearts of all those hosts been ev,
strung into any poetic rhyme or gent
fancy; and if they were, what could the
tell? All my thoughts tended 10 one en-
must see her again.
But my duty kept me; and thoue
sometimes in all those weary weeks
eau ght in the distance CLEANS of PLacem
Castle crags, never could be near to h
in this home in the mountains.
Well, after Magenta there were rumo
OF peace, and in time it came, and Il
weary, gallant troops were ordered hom
How weary was that journey to me al
when in Lorraine once more | asked f
leave to return and it was given, wi
what glad steps did | turn to glorio,
Italy.
Days seemed almost months or yea
until. in the bright midnight, l stood
the village below the castle.
On the past evening the Austrians h
evacuated the place. blown up their stor
and arsenal, and filed slowly away, carr
ing with them many curses, loud al
deep, from the villagers, who hated the1
as might be believed, most hearth
Their magazines, which had been set
fire, were still smoulderirg when ,
rived, and the gray smoke rose heav
from the crest Of the mountain.
| asked if any harm had been done
the monastery: but no one knew. WIS