The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-12-12

me better to be up there, among the poor,
hard-working people, who are so brave
and hardy than down here among folks
VINO 40 ii-~ldng but enjoy lie, just because
they cannot help enj"ving ift. Ono seems
TO breathc pure air mp there one feels at
least 80 mucn nrlfcf iiaivcu.-
looked at her usiOuisncd These were
most daring democratic sentiments 10 be
delivered 10y such pretty little uiistOcrat'
What would Miss brooke have sHidf
"Nuu have strong FEELING fOt the pcn-
pic remark; $50 huYc |. But 10 u.''
nwrec with yuu about the mountaI'.. |
have just come down nom I'VE at titp
TOW of some Of thcnI. aud ,iii uot f,rl
half so near h r1Nct thea -. do now" II
was the stupidclt kLDli OF compliment to
pay but il glanced of her n hafmlusslyus
4 pei pncl uil'| Oh Il magic shi 1T.
Ut is lll', rs Onc-kuows,' she replied
quietly. And then she looked up ut the
uarlt mountains rraiu; and somehow ~
eue looked, il seemed to me uut the light
tadci cut Of her eyes, and The glow from
her checks, aud that her tips parted with
u sigh. only why should she SIGH when
she looked nj the hilisf
"FtounW said an old qunveriug voice
rather sieHpily. "Whnt are NOu doing,
cGrilGY star-gnlluc "a usualY' The voice
was not uukind. only II sounded rather
harsh aud airing al thai momcnt. And
indeed now should an old man Ike that
ever ba able 10 rhtsr INTO the feelings az
80 young girl even though size happened
10 BE- h,s own dnugutet1
at is too dark to ruid." said F'ronn
meckly. "Besidr., we are getting very
near BtvenO now"
And al Baveuo they landed. so did I.
had forgotten Ult gctiicr Tao connection
between Strcsa mad dinner, and 7 am not
sinc that IL would have made much dlDCr-
cuce cvcu II had retuemh rcd.
All that mgnt | seemed to bo dream-
INK of Fruua. The name wis an odd one,
nut liked II sGmc how. There was some
thing quaint ana Unusual about Il, like lis
owner drtiut pi her on tht mountain
tops, with the hight Ot the sky ia ncr eYds,
ana the hi cele lifting her hiur. Gnd blow
llii- IL all about Arr SWe pt, sttDuy, rosy iu""
| dtPatut OF her In the inid-t OF - gay
world, all dccNed out in Jewels ana gold.
and beautiful, triiling, un.t-u<c dr'sse. ,
but Win thr same iuuoct nt, boWliuer"'i.
esiucs. -ale Ia her great blue ey -. AMI
taen | tieN with her back To the moan
GuuS; that WAS the iciit back ground for
her. after all, nut pictured hcr trottIng in
ami out of the quaint little Rumauscn
houses, with their bulcIuic, aud small
round windows and hIg wooden doors and
talking 10 the ptasaut-, Hnd relieving
their wants ana wondering over their
brave hardy ways. An, no, not
wondering; she must under taud them. |
think. She had known them. sbo said.
That was the strdugcst part OF all.
dill not gee her at all tho next day.
They told Us in the hotel that an invalid
gentleman had arrived the nirht before,
and begged tbs 10 make as little noise a.
possible IN the passages. The invalid
ndmc WAS Marchv,c san GInrgl0. lie came
from Venice, and wis Il great man In hi .
own country AiJ perspiotcity was not at
futit, you See
Bdvcno Is famous FOR its chestnut woods
They rise All arouut II, thick aud BnudN ,
hiding away anon. the shadows the pretty
little pace thar lic nesting ON tine hills.
There are iEuuni rable pltts winding
through the woods, iuuuy httle paved.
stony WAYS, bounded 10y low gIty wall.
All day long poi pie 20 up and down them
Oh their bare brown feet, men, women.
aud children, with. long, uecp haskcts on
thcir backs, stun tuu O, LINUS, Or
apples or grapes. They move very slowly
in q peculiar, sWavtne, Swinging motion Of
Their own, AMI thoy rest their baskets on
the walls Ia you pass. and stare at you with
great melancholy lark cN ~. They have the
greatest respect FOR tine stranger Eng
hsh,' but they marvel at ms power of
lUcumutiOu. "Did the si<nore walk all the
way from England hcreY they ask won
derlug. Nothing short OF an earthquake
or THUNDERSTORM seems to rouse them to
ANYTHING like activity or anN,r;y.
There was such Il storm one dav-one
night, / should say, IuthrT. Az th.Ough
the dark h0urs had heard II ra1iugriiuu
ana round the hotel, now shaking the POI
Sit..uts, now tapping at the windows u, ii
To DC lei IA, now bursting INTO torrents OF
IA n, OF utAhiuH OUT sudden tUnguts 81 nIe,
and nhatiy growing away IN the distance,
Ike an nngrY, disappointed boast OF prey.
When the morning came, however, all
Traces OF tho storm scented 90 nave diSap-
pc;tred. The sky was rs clear rs though
there had never been cloud across IL; tue
lake laughed aud Qimpled like a child NJ
play. The little town md I'd looked rather
damp, aud there Was perfect harvest ui
chcatuuts uuArr all thc trees. one Stuui-
blcd upon them AZ every ST y. They rolled
! itll ID 3D. al fltt
wood sm.lt sweet, rs | went mp through
tnt N TO RuinauIcO, uttic Village bcnlul
BdvenO. 1t was "a deserted village Ion
once. No Chnt,Vllug OF Cldil 'Ting from
house 70 house; no children playing on the
dOor-steps; IL all seemed silent gs tomb.
donkey stood in the principal street.
His nose was stuffed into one door, his tai
into another, The opposite one. Ii was "A
urht III, but he seemed TO enjoy IL; and
election was apparently impossible. | wa
just me ltatluE Il living leap. when an old
woman'r head appeared over the donkey
tai. She uncereinoniously dragged the
obtuse quadruped backward into hel
kitchen.
1T is my daughters dsino," she ex.
planned. She has gone to glther chest
nuts. They have ali gone except me.
shall go no more, mchVu, WfuVt."
Al the end of the v,iiagea pretty tumble
Of sights met my eyes. A pump, u SHRINE
with the picture OF red saint in ii; q
house all balconies ana outside Stairs au0
wi II strings OF golden maize hanging round
ii; n road slantmg down 10 ia cemetery
n brook trlckGug away III various direc-
tious; II dazzle of sunshine zilZaEginn
through the wet, inteilac!ng leaves; and
uuuer the trees, a group OF villagers III
their muny-colored petilcOats aud broad
| brnnlned hats, TasIug up the chestnut,
| tlWl had fallen uurins the masht. Thoy
| talked together very last III their quaint
| clipped Italian pQtO{S, but they WORKED
voIy slowly IN languid spiritlysa sort ol
! way. rs II such unwOuted eXcIuOus WeaIleI
| tncm greatly. one figure among them
| however, seemed to be working " it'll "a Will
1 could see it dlrting hither and thithcr IL
quick, eager way-a lttle, child sh lgur,
! in some dark kund OF dress, and quantity
| of soft, far nair, knOttcd up behlni. sud
| denly the knot Of hair turned round, unO
| l saw Instead the sweet, flushed, Hover
| like face OF the old Maicheac's Frona.
She threw down her rake when She saw
me. A chorus of voices rose round her.
"Oh, do not go yet, bCii siyaNoi0 MOI
| just yet. You teach us how 10 work. NOI
work yourself like all the angels. Yo,
sec, slgnore,' Uhis vas addressed to me
oOnildentiaiiy, by au old touoW in shin
sleeves ana a velvctccn waistrOat,) til,
| boU SiJnlOd comes from country wher,
| ohestnuts are us scarce as gold; 70 sh,
| knows how 10 value thcm.'
| He was evidently chuolklng to himself
over the superiority OF Lombardy to Vene
| tia.
| 4