The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1878-09-04
HER HOLIDAY.
"A Husbands story.

in it except myself-that is, If going as
her courier, paymaster, and general facto-
tum could be called having share in
holiday.
We had been married nearly ten years,
and what with the cares of home and the
training of numerous olive-branches, she
had never had any chance Of a rest. OF
course, we had been to the sea side fire.
quently, aud all that sort of thing; but
then, surrounded by children and nurses,
these trips had only been continuation
of the general London responsibilities,
plus the worries and inconvenience OF
lodgings or hotels. Moreover, within the
last few years there had been some
trouble in her family, which had acted
very prejudicially upon her sensitive and
high-strung nature. So now we were go
ing away alone-going to leave all the
children at home in charge of grand
mamma--were going abroad for six
weeks together wherever she liked. Her
will was to be paramount; was to be her
save-to pay the bills and look after the
luggage. Her affection and untiring de-
votion to her daties deserved no less. She
had thoroughly qualified herself for en-
joying holiday; she had earned it.
'Italy," she sand. ''where there was sun
light, beauty, and quiet" Good waived
my magician's wand, rubbed the lamp,
or spread the carpet, or did any one OF
those wonderful things which necroman-
GERS of yore were wont to do when desir-
ing to be transpol ted to distant places
or, rather, I resorted to the modern gold
en- equivalent for such proceedings-an
We found ourselves certainly, as if by
magic, at 1.ucerne. Thence We were to
take it easy, and so logged along over the
St. Gothard Pass, and dropped into Italy
st the LooarRo end of the Lago Maggiore.
BY this time she was beginng to enjoy
herself thoroughly; she had got over the
fatigue, and already looked much as she
did the day 1 married her. Yes, it was
very delightful to see her SO we'll and
happy
why, it is like a honeymoon over
again. she said; or rather it is as if
there haa' been no break, and that it was
only the continuation of those early
days"
We spent hours and hours upon the
lake, hes cath the awnings of the fat bot.
toned boats, those first inceptions of the
gondols, or we wandered up to the pic
tures9ue old convent or sanctuary Of the
Maddona del Sasso, set like jewel amid
the blue hills behind the town. And
there is'the soft Autumn evenings we sat
end watched the glorious sunset, and the
=, bo@ndless panorama Of alp, plain, and
lake, while the bell in the campaniIe
hard by called the peasantry to vespers,
and thetpealing of the deep-toned organ
-esounded through the choir.
We selected Locarno as hating place,
because It was at that time, and is so
partly still, OUT Of the rush of the tourist.
A primitive place, with simple civil reo-
pie willing to serve and oblige honestly,
and without having for the first question in
their minds, What shall We get by it,
Thus we came to know some of them
living up there near the sanctuary, and
to speaker nod when we met from time
TO time.
3Sotably among these was mother
and child-a sweet little ehEbby .eherub
of boy about four. The Italian folk in
the tae-th they are not as a rule handsons
butlthis mother was an exception, and
the child was like her. Superior, toe, in
all respects, she looked better born, and
bred. and INJURED; nay, there was even a
look of culture and refinement about ,her.
Immensely attracted by this pair, anv
wife particularly would lose no oppertun-
ity Of giving the little one pat and a
kills, and exchanging word or two in
the best Italian she could muster with the
mDther, who Icy degrees On her part be-
j, gin to speak little English, and to take
. into her confidence. She explained
= tat she had married an Englishman, a
gntleman, she declared, who had died
sdaenly more than four years ago, ard
3st before the little one was born. HIS
fni'y never knew of the marriage: he
I'D intended, che said, to proclaim r.,
ad face the consequences Of the nesazzt-
Gee, as 1t would be called; but his sud-
d. end prevented this. and to this day
81 believed her existence ever was I'M
kown to her husbands people. But she
d not'eare, he had left her just enough
olive upon; and she had come te dwell
aLocarno, where, her aged father lived,
I'D whose last days he desired to sooihe
ae wss quite contented with the humble
Ee she led there in yonder little chalet
at least 1lntil the good God should take
lm to his rest.
Would we enter Gle abode and speak
her father? He was a very handsome
I'd man, g native OF Tuscany WIS had
sen better.days. 4ci it mattered little
lat, or wig he had come so far north
Her name, we asked.
All, her maiden name was one that in
]ast times he'd stricken terror to the Goes
f liberty; size would rather not mention
it, Her father, even, had considered il
wise to drop it, and had adopted del
surname, her married name, the name o1
ha husband, aaat is.
What, had he taken an English name
10, not an English name: her husband
had been naturslized as al italian, had
changed his name for reasons-they did
HI otsignify; and he was knewn as Giorgio
Vianero, she was Lucia.
Of course we went in and spoke to the
old farmer-like man, who, partially par
alyzed, always Sal by the window of his
( neat little house. He received US with
he grace of priace, regretted that his
/ infrmities prevented him FROM doing the
! honors of the neigh5orhood. SO beautiful
! as 1t was. .--.-... @.---. .E' =
/ Naturally we looked in upon him more