Omaha daily bee., 1874-05-28

ana crisp lrOn Tue uTc.
Sand say it is not true, Filippo
Does not Messer Dante take me OIL
his knee every afternoon, and dos
think 1 could not tell it?"
0You! Pooh-h-h in long
drawn-out accents of boyish con
tempt. "You cannot see anything
or smell what is under that mic,
little nose of yours, when you ar,
listening to those long tales about
Filippo stopped short, and shrugged
his expressive boyish shoulders.
"Thou knowest nothing about it
thou hast not heard the Stories
answered Blanca, her blue eyes full
of tears.
al care not to hear them, "scoffed
Filippo. ~ had lather listen to the
duke; Della Scala talketh about
Brescia and Padua he letteth heav'
Ell and hell alone"
"Can Grande is very great; but
he goeth above or below, like Other
men ~ retorted Blanca.
What dost say, Blanca ?" laugh.
ed a gay voice behind the children.
"Nhere didst send me to, cdrinO
mid?"
Truly, the children were caught
now; and il took all their italian
courtesy and court-breeding to KEEP
them from running away. FilippO
stood, cap in hand and head bent
Blanca courtesied, wishing that the
ground would open and swallow
her up. Can Grande della Scala,
lord of Verona, Ghibelline con-
queror, patron of the arts, and
withal a gay, handsome man OF
thirty-three, looked down on the
boy and girl, well pleased to find a
new pastime in teasing them.
nWhere didst say I was to go, Bian-
ca 2" he repeated, seating himself
on II of the garden benches, and
holding the child fast before him,
her hands clasped between his own.
The poor little maiden! Never
had her nine summers brought hei
SO hard a question. Shake out her
curls as she might, they would moi
hide the scarlet flush on neck and
brow, she slowly answered, ~ only
said"
"Well, what is the restof it,"
al did say that your excellency
would have-would have to go Ia
heaven or hell at the last" she fal-
tered, very low.
"Aiw Can Grande let go her
hands IrThou ort x,oupr 10 no Spao.
ulating about such matters" Then,
with surprise turned to bitterness,
"Wouldst have me go speedily, sig
norina?"
"OhwI cannot tell thee how il
was, eccelenza," and Blanca began
to cry i'm good earnest.
"No, eccelenza," spoke Filippo;
"we did speak of Messer Dante; and
1 said / liked better thy talk of the
camp and the wars than his gloomy
stories about heaven and hell. But
Blanca, she liketh his tales; and
then it was she said that-what she
told your exceiiency now"
$50 that was the way, was ito"
said Della Scala, rising, his hand on
Fillippo's shoulder. "Well, We will
not flout thee, little one; but Messer
Dante himself often wants to I'M
sheath my sword. FilippO and j
will do the fighting, and leave thee
and him at Verona to dream about
heaven and hell. One cannot dc
two things at once"
"Did your excellency say you
would take me to the wars with
your" cried Filippo, jumping up and
down with delight.
"Some time, some time, Filippo
/ see 1 must be watchful of my
words. How old art thou, boy?"
"Twelve, next April, your excel
lency.r
"This being Mayw laughed the
duke. "Four years from this, FLIP.
pc, will be time enough to think
about that. Nc need of looking SC
gloomy about it, boy" as Filippo's
face fell. "Bianca cries, and thou
like a thunder cloud. 1 like not
these long faces about me. Come
into the banquet room, and let Us
see what we can find there" Sc
saying, Della Scala walked off, FIJI,
ippo clinging to his hand. cart no
coming, Blanca ?" he called back
perceiving that the girl had not fol
lowed them.
She hesitated, for it would not dc
to refuse the duke. However, hi
only laughed and said; "She viii
none of us, Filippo. Messer Dante
perhaps, will come to console he
by and by. But you and / lik,
good cheer better than long faces
Filippo milo. Is ii not so ?"
Filippo's laugh of delight was hi
only answer, as the duke led hin
through the hall into the banquet
ing-room. Others were already
there. The guests were as variou
i'm degree and quality Is the dishe.
that graced the board; but one fig
ure stood out among the others, hi
plain sombre raiment thrown int,
strong relief by the gay dresses o
the company. Dante Alighieri
poet, patriot and exile, showed hi
dark, pole face, so wierd i'm its pal
lor, so worn, yet so powerful, tina
Filippo shrank back as the poe
passed to his place, thinking: az
must be true what Norma Giovan
ma says the women i'm the Plaza tel
her: Messer Dante has been to hel
and seen it all ~
Whatever his visions, the Floren,
tine seer had little to say that night
To tell the truth, his speech was no.
much sought; for his waning favor
in Can Grande's eyes was losing
him many of his courtly summer
friends. FOR Wss the fault all theirs
How greatly the spirit of Dante al
tered we may tell as We note tn,
difference between the portrait by
Giotto and the death-mask. The
first-smooth forehead, calm eyes
peaceful mouth-show the gray,
and thoughtful scholar, loving Flor
ence too well to dream that sh,
should one day disown him. TIL,
second-furrowed brow, eyes draw
back into their sockets, scornfu
lips-all tell another tale. Hoy
should a hunted exile not be suspi
cious? How should he not be scorn
full, whose lot ii had so often beel
to weigh men in the balance an,
find them wanting? To me, tina
face is the noblest that painting ha
kept for US, and / look up from m,
writing to study it once again. i
hoe praanhs.i mo many a Sarp,o, ~,