The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-05-10
TERESA
From Cossell's Family Magazine.

Light, heat, beauty, life-giving
South! The artist seeks it for it's glo.
rious depths of color; the poet for it's
classic traditions and dreamy infu-
ences;lthe invalid for it's balmy breath
and reviving warmth, which stir the
pulses that in Northern lands would
cease to beat. Lionel Merton, half
poet, half artist, and half invalid,
sought it for life both of mind and
body; and his delicate frame, shattered
by the chill blasts of the North woke
to new being in the soft Ausonian
climate, whilst his artist eye glanced
with pleased delight over the luxu-
RANT plains and olive.planted slopes,
with here and there glimpse of the
yellow Tiber flowing majestically
along.
He was just now standing in the
doorway of the inn, gazing, not at the
landscape or the skies, but at 4 face
that had attracted his attention more
than once since his arrival at
He had seen it first in the beautiful
gardens of the villa, not far from the
inn, peering through the parted branch
es of myrtle, whose dark, glossy
leaves seemed to form fitting frame
work for the living picture behind
them. But the branches had closed
hastily, as the girl met the blue eyes
of Lionel fixed steadily upon her.
eve must go home, Tina,'' said she
to the child who was watching the
doves wash themselves in the basin of
the fountain, and she swung it up to
her shoulder, where it wound it's tiny
hands in her dark hair, loosening some
of the coils that fell heavily down be-
low her waist. A flush came over the
pale olive skin.
"Thou art a bad child, Tina!'' she
said, as she hastily twisted up the long
tresses under the folds of her white
head gear.
The large lustrous eyes had but
looked at Lionel for moment, and
yet they seemed to have told him a
long story that he had been in the past
trying to decipher.
Next he had seen her in church,
kneeling in fe1vent prayer, and had
silently watched the changes of coun-
tenance until again she perceived him,
and with a startled look rose and fled
away.
To-day Teresa stood leaning against
a stone pillar, playing with the pink
blossom of a catalpa that stood near
her, when suddenly she found herself
once more face to face with the Eng
lish stranger.
lie had discovered her name-Te-
resa; daughter Of blind Thomas Cecchi
and his bed-ridden wife. She was q
good daughter, and worked hard to
support her parents. To-day she
seemed to be taking life easily-drink-
ing i'll the splendor of the purple mists
and golden sheets Of sunlight with
true italian Incidence.
''Dolce far niente - thought Lionel.
as he looked at the statue-like figure,
and the head thrown back, partly with
WEAKNESS, partly with intense appre-
citation of the beauty around her.
But Teresa's rest was not to be of
long duration. The merchant of the
Campagna had sent for laborers to
gather in the harvest, and men and
women were forming into bands to
join in the work. Teresa was going, so
gossip had told Lionel, and to him it
seemed a sacrilege that the beautiful
maiden should toll and slave with the
common multitude. But what could
he do? And in the midst of his medi-
tatlons the girl raised her face, and
again their eyes met.
Teresa - the name burst involun-
tarily from his lips.
She started and blushed, but this
time did not lice away. She looked up
at Lionel.
''Si, signore,' she answered.
''That is q pretty hower,'' said
Lionel Twill you give it to me -
She made 10 reply but put the BIOS
som into his hand. And so the &C.
quaintance was made and the two
chatted away in the sunshine.
Lionel had gone to Tomaso Cecchi's
lodging.
''But your daughter is not strong
enough for such work - said he, in
conclusion to a long harangue.
The old man shrugged his shoulders.
"Poverty," said he, lis hard mas
ter, and Teresa is a good girl
TOO good to endanger her life in
the tolls of the Campagna. Think of
the risk, the labor, the heat, the foul
evening mists!''
But Tomaso looked back beyond the
dlscomforts and remembered a time
when the plains resounded with songs
and laughter, and the wine was
broached and hearts were merry.
81 found my wife there,'' said he.
"and Teresa may find husband.''
Lionel instinctively drew back. A
husband among those laboring peas.
ants! impossible; for in his eyes