The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-01-23

the procession now comes strldiug down
the paih tow ird the fountain. She carries
"a twO-ycat-pld infant under her arm
| child OF some nCighbOr perhaps, whom
She has taken un It's mothers hands for an
| hour or 50. she passes tine group, deaf to
! the cumOriug- Of the women for one look
at the liver modal -prizr for her part IN
| the religions functions of the day.
let be-, let bel | am in haste; the old
| father must have ms supper. Down, Clio
vanniuo. Canst walk now -
Tho child toddles along, holding by her
| SKIRT liz She places the pitcher so as TO catch
| the tuint trckle from the well.
Dtdmtnc because | am hurried. no
water comes Whit now, Maddalenar
The little chatterbox has broken from
| the rustic swans who would forcibly have
| held her back, and in u second is perched
| on the old shrine which forms the fuun-
| tain head With one hand she clasps the
acacia tree that overshadows the water,
| ana with the other she waves a brilliant
cOlOrcd kcrchief over ROsina's head ns
| though III mock beuedictIOn.
You thought you were going to be let
| OF" She frOwns In attempted severity
" Not at all TO-nlght you appear rs the
| queen my Rosinn. IL Is who decree this
| How nOwl you, tile queen OF the day, and
not there To lead of the dancer Why don't
you laughl Wait-l'll make your" And
| tue saucy child slips down from her tenn
| porary throne. and, kicking of the shoes
| which fret the tender feet so unused to
| them, jumps right into the bucket which
| Rosina had just succeeded in filing with
| the pure watcr. 1t was "A bold joke; but
Mhddalena knew her subject, Tor the dark
girl smiled at last.
"NOu naughty little demonl" she signs,
"nlWays up to some childish prank. hi
make you refill 1t yourself, and carry IL on
your own head To the cottage"
lilo, no! YOU think I'm going to do nil
thatl Not |. But I'm sorry, Rosina, II
you were in haste. Stay; there's Giovan-
nj, with nothing better TO do than wait on
me. He shall do the work. Here you,
Giovanni! Leave your bowls; have need
Of YOU
"Ilold thy tongue, thou arrogant child"
interrupts Rosinn. now harshy and with
cloudcd face. "Thou intcrfcrcst too far
Mind thyseli, and go back to thy foolish
frOlics."
The gray eyes in the littls freckled face
Of Maddalena open wide in astonishmcnt
But you Will appear ON the dance, as
May be. Lend hand to put this on
my head"
For once abashed. Maddalena obevs I'm
silence. There II "a look on the face OF the
other which shows her not in the humor
Tor trItiing. Gently lifting the child to her
arm, she reasceuds the little hill, erect and
steady, with carefully poised gait and even
tread, not 50 much MS waving u hand to the
group when she comes again nearer to II
on a turn OF the pathway.
Maddalcna gaZes after her; n musing
look Is on her little empty face; but she
smiles, almost mechanically. as Giovanni
now approaches IN answer 10 her call.
% don't understand Rosind," She pom
deriugly snys
He, too, is following tho retreating figure
with his eyes, ana lac whistles dreamIly the
while.
understand her." he mutters; who
ever couldl There's woman to lead "A
fellow II dance. What's up now, | Won
deri She hasn't thrown mo "a word this
week past"
At tins Maddalena wheels round sud-
SO you're turning glnm. too" she calls
ont, IN her nlgh-plicncd little chirp, Us She
shakes hnm pcrcnptouly by the ann. 81
won't have 1t, DO you heary Iou'll be
going mad, too: for | surely think Rosina
/. and am dying TO lind out tlie cause
Come, come wake up, and To work The
sun l. gone; the twilight begins TO deepen.
We shall never have ;lne for enough dane
ING, But bark they are tuning the ptGeri
at last; away to tue greenI' moment
she pauscs; then, Il little mortified: "Well,
1 don't wait for you. There are many
enough dying for the first dance with Mad
dalena. 4 ddtO.'
Aud away she trips. not little disap-
pointed, suite Of her BIZ of bravado, not to
be followed, brought back, scolded, and
forgiven, alter the usual fashion.
Bat just now Giovanni Is not thinking of
the httle cricket. lNaddalena has two
ncknamcs in the village-Ia Ccala. be-
cause Of her tongue that runs all the sum
mcr long; and LA Rosetta. because of her
red hair and freckled skim
lie seems 10 be IN a sack, as the villagers
would say. Leaning against the side of
tll" we'll MS pipe zone out, his hat pushed
back on his forehead. ms brown and curly
h'.Ir all tossed, the glrdlc Of red round ms
waist hanging loose, and n poor, faded car
nation between ms teeth: what chat he
Iuid have 10 endure from any II his
companions were they to pass TINS way
lruIy, he looks good image OF di,con-
tent aud fOrlornncss. Poor, handsom.
fellow.
"DiGcplo' what is man to do? Has
the black one scented what, in the wind ="
he muttcrs 10 himself. "Surn u came as
She leads one! over h1l ana dnle--neyer u
N incut's rest. Ian fairly YeIIici. Con-
fusion take the little red spite! would
had never seen her. Ana yet It's not her
iAult; It's not my fault ether. All CONES
81 Rosinas absurd CROCHET about cpng
the betrothal in the daIk-tO prove ne.
Wen, anu she has proved me, then! | hope |
she likes II. SERVES her quite light. I'll
throw her over. That won't SUIT me,
though he goes on. 81 must have her |
moucy-or If not hers, some other girls! |
devil, though love her not much. Mad |
dalena Will break her heart. Patience. |
It's not my fault III II were only NADIA
lena that had the pretty dowry," he muir
murs, ns lie saunters of. lis surely |
Providence Is 10 bame.n
by tins time night is hanging over the |
scene. Knots OF old peas .nts gather in |
tue church piazza discussing the crops and |
the weather; groups OF young ones sauu- |
Ter toward the green, whore the dancing |
has began. In the centre OF the ring Mad |
dalena IS bobblng up and down, prOuet- |
thg ana courtesylng opposite to II huge. |
gaunt fellow three times her size, us black |
rs night and rs ugly as stu. In spite of her |
llttle lat person, the DdUeTind is all grace |
and elasticity, whore he, instead il I'M |
couth and lettering, bidding fair to meas |
ule his mighty size on the earth. Indeed, |
III lew moments the giant, exhausted, |
calls Tor wine, aud is forced TO retire amid |
a roar of dersion, since lie has been |
he iirst 10 succunb. The gill must |
call out another partner. One moment TO |
gather new breath, and "Giovannl Pales- |
tro" she calls, blushng little with con- |
sciOus blush that soon fades, however, rs, |
IN passing near her TO his post, he finds oc- |
casiOn 10 whisper in her ear one little word |
a word that makes her start and quail |
she knows not why; that makes strange |
lump grow suddenly IN her throat. WHAT |
can he have TO say 10 herr Has she been |
naughty, ana IS II a scolding that he speaks |
IN lhat hard toner The lump gets bigger, |
ana The tear, rise 10 her eyes. lie has been |
50 strange all day, never noticing her. |
She would not think about IT. She
would NOT be cast down for such a thing |
She had chosen the first ham xyln .u,,,.. 10