The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-02-08

from his bench, pushed back into grooves con-
trived to receive them the coarsely- figured
and gaudily colored sides of the travelling
cayrsoa.
"Is parrwla better 2" he then cried, with the
privileged freedom Of On old and attached
domestic, or of one who, in the far more On
dearing parlance of classic times, was a faith
full familiaris that is, a member of the family.
=" Is the little one better The dust is laid now,
little one; the evening comes; the light
slants the sun smiles not higher than your
self, instead of burning overhead. Sec, the
beautiful country Let the breeze bring o bloom
to your cheeks, as it brings the perfumes to
your mouth. All! the pa,psla smiles. Fate is
not always angryw
dear old Philip said the child; and then,
turning to her mother, she added -
Just now, mother, you walked me from q
frightful dream. thought that the man who
has our fathers estates was dead but he came
from the dead, and was trying to kill Paulus,
my brother there and for that purpose was
striving to wrest the sword from Paulus
hand; and that the man, or Tor, laughed in q
hideous manner, and cried out, It 10 with his
own sword we will slay him Nothing but his
own sword ="
The old freedman turned pale, and muttered
something to himself, as he stood by the side
of the vehicle and while he kept the horses
steady, with the long reins in his left hand,
glanced awfully toward Paulus.
Brother" continued the child, at forget
that mans name. What 10 the namef"
"Never mind the name now" said Paulus !;
dead person cannot kill living one and
that man is not 10 Italy who will kill me with
my own sword, if be not asleep. Look at the
beautiful land See, as Philip tells you, the
beautiful land where you are going to be so
happy"
The river Liris, now the Garrigliano, flowed
all gold in the western sun some dozen of
meadows behind them, between rows of linden
trees, oleanders, and pomegranates, with
laurel, bay, and long bamboo-like reeds of the
arunda dOnas, varying the rich beauty of it's
banks. A thin and irregular forest of great
contemplative trees; howerless and sad beech,
cornell, alder, ash, hornbeam, and yew lowered
over savannahs of scented herbs, and glades of
many-tinted grasses. Some clumps of chestnut
trees, hereafter to spread into forests, but then
rare, and cultivated as we cultivate oranges
and citrons, stood proudly apart. A vegeta-
ton, which has partly vanished, gave its own
physical aspect to an Italy the social condi-
tions of which have vanished altogether and
were even then passing, and about to pass,
through their last appearances. But much
also that we in our days have seen, both there
and elsewhere, was there then. The flower or
blossom of the pomegranste lifted its scarlet
light amidst vines and olives; miles of oleander
trees waved their masses of hamo under The
tender green fligree of almond groves, and
seemed to laugh in scorn at the mourning
groups of yew, and the bowed head of the
dark, widow-like, and inconsolable cypress.
ALI over the leaves Of the woods autumn had
strewn its innumerable hues. In the west the
sky was hung with those glories which no
painter ever reproduced and no poet ever sang;
it was one Of the sunsets which mako all per-
sons Of sensibility who contemplate them
dumb, by making all that can be said Of them
worse than useless. A magnificent and enor-
nous villa, or castsllam, country mansion
palace it seemed-ShoWed parts of its walls,
glass windows, and Ionic columns, through the
woods on the banks Of the Liris; and upon the
roof of this palace q great company of gilt
tinted, and white statues. much larger than
life, in varieus groups and attitudes, as they
lifted their arms, knelt, prayed,
stopped, stood up, threatened, aud acted, were
glittering above the tree-tops in the many
cOlOred hghts of the setting sun.
"Ahi let MS stop; let rest few mo. |
ments," cried the child, smiling through her |
tears at the smiles of nature and the en-
chanting beauty Of the scene; only q few |
under the great trees, mother"
1t was q group of chesnutS, q few yards from |
the side of the road; and beneath them came |
10 join the highway through the meadows, and |
vineyards, and forest-land, bread beaten |
track from the direction of the splendid villa |
that stood on the LiriS.
Psulus instantly sprang frsm the earr1ca, !