The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-09-18
A CHILD'S LOVE.

~ SAAA1D ~ AS os
One beautiful afternoon In Nav. q
child was wandering thoughtfully along
the fowery banks of the Genes, his
back turned to the village and his grave
eyes fixed vacantly upon the blue ex.
panse of waters, like a troubled soul
vainly seeking companionship. He ap-
peared to be about thirteen wears of
age, his face was pale and sorrowful,
his eyebrows strongly marked, while
his dark eyes sparkled with a weird
brilliancy which at times had an almost
sinister expression.
He remained lost in thought for some
time, his head resting upon his slim,
nervous hand, listening to the murmur-
ing waves, as they broke at his feet,
gazing sadly across to the distant hori
zon with unutterable longing. Sud
denly the Joyous laughter of ch1ldhooi
broke upon his musings a little girl
came running across the waving field
and threw both arms enthusiastically
about his neck.
"Oh, you naughty, naughty Nicolo
what are you doing here? I've been
looking everywhere for you?" Utter
ing these half-scolding words, she con-
tinued to overwhelm him with caresses,
and laid little basket filed with wild
roses and eglantines at his feet, in token
of her childish affection. The shadow
of smile fitted across the boys face
as he looked into her laughing eyes he
ran his fingers through his fossy curls,
gave a sly, cautious look around, and
whispered
"I ran away from my father, Gia-
META he gave me leave to rest, so I
came to thi lovely place-you know
how / value my short liberty, and how
I adore the murmuring of these waves
Listen TO their weird music !"
"It is too bad of your father" sighed
the child, "to torment you with those
hateful exercises you will die of over
work? poor Nicolo,' so mother said
to me, SIS too delicate his bawitched
violin will be the death of him before
long, and it will be his fathers fault ! ,
And mother is right " she added, look
ing At the young boys worn face.
"Do not fear for me, Gianetta," re-
piled Nicolo "I shall not die yet /
must grow up to be man Look, how
strong I am I" He drew himself up to
his full height, his dark eyes flashed,
and a smile of rare tenderness played
around his ripe lips, With his strong
arms he lifted his little playmate and
held her suspended over the water for
some seconds. Sadness does not linger
long in the heart of a child Gianetta
seeing him so gay, commenced singing,
pausiug ever and anon for some bit of
childish gossip. Nicolo listened, anus
ed, at the artless prattle about her
flowers, her doves, her games, and her
dolls, and whenever he sank into an I'M
conscious fit of abstraction, Gianetta
quickly brought him to himself with
playful shake or tender kiss.
The children remained on the strand
until the stars came out one after an
other, smiling alike on the serious eyes
of NicolO and the drowsy ones of the
pretty Giapetta. Then, indeed, they
turned their steps homeward, their arms
wound around each other in the innO-
cent, loving embrace of childhood. At
ter long walk, they turned down a
narrow lane, at the end of which stood
two humble cottages, overgrown with
vines-one the home of Gianetta, the
other of Nicolo. At the threshold of
the former stood the mother of the little
girl, anxiously awaiting the return of
the children, whom she tenderly en-
braced as they came running up to her;
then, wishing each other goodnight,
Nicolo crossed over to his home.
On entering his dingy little room, he
sighed deeply, raised the window to let
in the mild night air, and opening q
chest, drew from it an old violin. Seat
ing himself near the easement, through
which the silvery moonlight flooded, he
passed his fingers across the strings,
and drew from them the most entranc-
ing strains of music, dying away at
times into woudrous melancholy, then
swelling into triumphant gladness.
Scarcely had he commenced playing,
when large spider crawled out of the
vines and came on the shutter.
Welcome ~ cried the young musi-
clan, eayly: and as it advanced, he
laid his finger on the window sill, al
lowed the spider TO make its way over
it, and placed it in triumph upon his Vi
olin, where it remained during she
whole performance, as if enchanted by
the wonderful magic of the music.
Nicolo continued practicing until his
eye-lids closed in sleep, and not until
the sun shone into his eyes did he awake
from his sound slumbers. He arose,
carefully upon the vine
leaves.
Every time that he laid aside his viO-
lin, when inspiration or strength failed,
he saI into his habitual morbid revery.
The absence of the spider increased
his feeling of solitude, for he was at
.ached to the creature with all the pas
,ion of fervent and unhappy disposi- |
Io,.1 opI r.o1a,,k
ess master-his dead mother he only
!imly remembered as having smiled mp
IN him with ineffable sweetness as she |
,ung him to sleep with her gentle lul- |
aby. But that was so long, long ago, |
md now he had no friends; for the |
children of his own age avoided the |
lreamy, reserved lad. Only little Clan
stta was good to him, coming often to |
his ro m and listening in silent admira- |
ion to the inspiring music of his violin. |
But Gianetta detested his spider. |
' There is witchcraft in it I" she would |
lay, with dainty little shudder, and so |
he insect was never admitted during |
Ter visits. When his fingers grew stiff |
With exercise, NicolO enlivened the |
hours by telling fairy tales, romantic
ldventures and his own hopes for the fu- |
ure to his delighted little companion,
vho would listen without daring to in
errupr, her eyes cleaning with joy, as
he pressed the feverish hand of the ag- |
tated narrator. Sometimes Nicolo told |
Ter of Mozart, who was already famous
It the tender age of six. "Oh, Clan
,tta, " he would exclaim, how small /
eem beside him % And hot tears |
hased down his attenuated cheeks. In |
ain the pitying Gianetta tried to con
ole him-his was the jealousy common
O genius
One day the young musician, under
he direction of his father, had been
performing a series of monotonous ex- !