Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-02-19
FIR ON A!
IFTon the Temple Bar.l


nres, peak behind peak, slowly revealing
themselves IKE virgin daughts rs OF q dying
monarch gathering around his bedside; aud
bHeD oy uegrees, the sky had grown sharp
and clean, and cold, aud blue as a glacier
ana the old 8 airs had come out, and a vain
young moon as well, and gaZed at them
serves In the depths of the dark green lake
and we had butt)ned up our coats as we
paced the terrace, and By and by had gone
In and Toasted off channels outlets and Walt
ellina, after which we had betaken ourselves
70 the salon and talked.
viewers pie aSant party ABOUT TO break
up, ana there ~ al ways something rather
h0Weyec, as Enc lsh people ! generally do
talk of such things, without the least trace
OF sentiment, laughing over past adven-
lures, and making plans for future meeting
I'VE must DO the Sella pass, next year"
said one of the ladies. Ladies' usually are
foremost In these proposals. "Mr. W,
at P3ntresina, has been telling me all about
IL. You must sleep at the Roseg inn. and
start al In the morning. 1t only takes Is
hours If the snow is in good condition, aud
you have the most magnificent views in the
world. Oh-and there Is the Piz Campac-
clo-l can't bear going away and leaving
that uDdOne, Gus"
We'll, we DID try that, last year, you
Enow," tatd Gu sSoCth ngly. "But that
tlre-ome snow 81, rm caught us up, lust as
we got 10 The Bernlna pass We had some
fun out oil III, though, all the same. Don't
you remember the snow balls? and how we
pelted a travelling carriage that happened tn
be passing a. the time"
'lt was some Italian nobIeman's car
rage, said Gus's sister. "He aai lust mar
r1ed young girl from one of those villages
and was taking her back to Italy with him
1 remember her face-such "A pretty, bright
lace; she put itup To one of the windows aud
laughed at the snow balls" And Miss
BroOks went on talking in a pleasant mic
turesque way which She had; but we none of
us listened very much, / am afraid. We
We're tired, or Dull, or sorry to part, or glad
topart. and presently we all shook hands
with each other, and, before the next DAVIS
sun was fully awake, we were most of us
scattered far and wide over the face of the
mountains, like tie handful of seeds the
venetian girl throws down to the pi yeOns in
the Piazza San Marco.
The Brookes and 1 were not going to part
quite at once. We were old friends, and had
hgreei 10 pursue our journey little farther
togett er. My acquaintance with the doctor
Indeed, dated rom very early perioI, while
ne was only as Yet under master at a private
school, and just budding into all the glory
OF short jackets and tall mats. Nv acdaint-
ance win his sitter, who was abolt the same
age as myself. commenced at the same time
Our friendship had always been based on the
Droadest principles Ofenmity. At that early
age she used To reprOach me with a vulgar
taste for .sucks," propensity TO dirty hands
ana rough hair, and low bred preference
lOr marbles over dolls. Now her taunts
were Chiefly leveled at my low, radical prin-
clples, my democratic tasteS-(why didn't
marry q WasherWOman'S daughter, AMI
make a shining EXAMPLE of myself1-mV
want OF enthusiastic admiration for the
places she raVed dbOut-fOr Switzerland in
general, Tor the Enga line in particular
But do admire il hugely" tnterpOsed
meekly; 'Ohly there is rather too much of
~. EhdleSs snow peaks and pine forests,
ana metallic blue skies clear a crystal and
equally cold, are all very well in their way,
put own To nKtrg something less bleak to
LOOK at. something certainly more genial To
IeeIs 'Wheneer lake my walks abrOat'-"
yes, that Is it, she retorIed. at IS all
700 grand for you. You hal better spend
your next summer holidays at Margate."
At Como a final separation of our forces
look place. The heai-nlaster's HOLIDAYS
were nearly oyer. He must be setting his
lace homeward. He was as melancholy ard
about 1T as any one of his boys
y on are a lucky young fellow, Mvles.,
SAID he 10 me obviously. you have no
horde OF young barbarians to beckOn Won
back with inBy fingers You can waDieT m
VIII through this sweet classic land of
Homer and Cicero" VI
We'll. think | had better see as much as
L can OF the country. this year, since l am
doomed 10 spend all my future summers az
Margate," say with alaugh.
"OnIy you Will never find that waSherwo-
mans daughter in Italy. The race does not
exist! cries Miss Brooks with a sorry glance
al her own limp, crumpled dEaperies.
MOI really" L ask incredulously. And
then The steamer on which / stool began 10
plunge aud snort like a great sea monster,
as III was, and the head master shouted out
something about Baveno and Stresa, and
olmpllng, dancing lake To Menaggio. I
sept there, that night, and the naxt cav,
WdiKed through the chestnut wood To PR
leZza, where again took ship, and crosse
over 10 Lngano, from whence / wandered
through more vineyards and coTnfelis aud
chestnut woods. till found myself the foI
lowing day, at Luino.
There is nice little inn at Luino, kept by
Two orotneTs who were formerly walters At
one OF the large Milan hotels. They are
RIessant nttie men, exactly alike. excep-
mat one has large. melancholy, brown eyfs
and the other small, twlnkling, black ones,
Iney wait, cook, clean, and do everything
In the hotel themselves. One of them
cooked my lunch, and very well cooked it
came in al the finish, TO recei We my compii-
ments. N0P''
.Have You had a good season?n I asked.
They shook their heads 1t was their first
year, indeed, and they had not exnenieS
fnuch; but the result, unfortunately, had
fallen far short of their very moderate ex-
Pectstlons: Last night, however, they had
had stroke OF luck. An invalid gentleman
had occupied the whole OF the first iioor-
but ne leaves, to-day" said the melan-
cnoIy brother, with sigh.
wen, ne is travelling for the benefit of his
health; we could not expect him 10 stay
mere forever" replied the other.
W nat is the matter with him?" l asked,
more for the sake OF prolonging my CONVEX
sation with the two little men, than for any
vivid interest felt In the invalid gentle
man.
"His malady is old age" said the black
eyed brother.
"And that is a malady that can never he
cured" suppleme tied the melancholy one.
And then, in still more melancholy yoica,
ne added that the rIpOre had Just left Mae
cagno, and IL was time TO 60 down to the
landing place. We started off down the hot
white, sun bleached road. The two little
men accompanied me. They were ir hopes
OF fresh arrivals. The invalid gentleman
drove down in his carriage. 1t passed lust
as we reached the fruit booth in the square
The invalid gentleman! Surely thai was
no lnvallds face, nor a gentleman's face
either, that peered out of the window as the
carriage passed us. No, it was a little,
round, rosy face, with eyes as blue as the
SKY, and sucn sweet, Innocent. half opened
wondering mouth. / saw ii all in a turn of
the wheel. "a
al thought You spoke OF a gentlem an :" say
L 10 my two Ii { g men. But at that mo
ment the steamer scraped against the sides
or the little wooden pier, and a splashing
and dashing OF waves eusued; plank was
Hung across between the boat and the snora.
and the passengers came or and the passsn-
gers went on, In the midst OF which general
cOInmotiOn my two little men disappeared
IN thelr characters of touters for their new
II think we may go now" said pretty,
clear, ripping voice, In soft, slow italian;
and a little Childish figure jumped out of the
carriage An old man folloWed-a very old
~ A 0FNfN tot