The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-12-12
A Tale of Three Yuletides

"A ldl6 Vi lur66 L ul6ClQ6S
BEING BAcHELoR's CHRISTMAS REvE-
1ATloNs TO VERY YOUNG LADY.
Tell you q storys I believe, little
Amy, you could coax Christmas story
from even the giant Blunderbore, who,
as you know, was rather chcerless and
uncivil fellow. SO settle yourself in my
lap-dont be afraid to hug me too close
and listen.
Being by this time we'll aware of the
exact number of watch charms in my
possession, you are surely much trou
bled to find out why of late
carry about a many-dinted old Roman
coin, in preference to a large stone
mounted in gold, or a little Chinese
idol, or even gold dollar, with the
whole Declaration of Independence
stamped on one side. You must under
stand, as you are a sad little flirt, that
ornaments of the latter sort are much
affected by your many gentleman ac-
quaintances. Let me account for my
strange behavior. As the coin hangs
from my watch chain, SO by the coin
hangs tale, which runs after this fash
ion:
1t is now some fourteen years since I
was living in Rome. 1 was only very
young and inexperienced artist then,
you know and l didn't wear such an
immense beard and whiskers as are now
coquetting with your dear golden curls.
And, what is more, was not so extrav-
agantly wealthy in those days as you
suppose me to be, now that ] am your
Uncle Coventry and am able to daily ex-
tract few pennies from my pocket, to
be instantly converted by you into tarts
at the nearest bakers shop. You will
believe, then, that 1 was rather we'll
pleased than otherwise when beautiful
lady, all dressed in silks and satins and
blazing with jewels, rustled into my
humble studio, one fine September
morning. Was she a fairy princess
Oh, no not quite. But she did there
and then inquire whether I would be
willing to paint portrait of her four
year old daughter, Blanca, which she
intended as Christmas present for the
little dear's grandmother. Ishould have
informed you that Biar ca was present
also, and had quickly interested herself
among my brightest pictures. What
sort of a little girl was she? Well, in
due gallantry and with allowances for
the difference Of climate, 1 must not say
that she was prettier than you or that
her hair was a trife more shining. I
took her Offer Immediately, and it was
arranged that Blanca should visit nv
studio three or four times a week, in
company with her mother or nurse or
uncle, and sit as still as church mouse
for ten minutes, which latter was mat
ter of dreadful vexation to her, as it
would be to you also, Miss Amy. BIZ
anca and myself became firm friends,
although she would pout and and pre-.
tend to be awfully mad with me when I
would insist upon her keeping q sober
face for second together, or stop tor
menting the whiskers and soul of an
ancient cat, who was the partner of my
joys and sorrows. She was born in
Venice, where most of the golden-haired,
blue-eyed children of Italy come from.
Her mother owned q whole village in
the province of Venice, and her father,
who had been very great man at Rome,
was long since, dead.
One day my lovely little model, "my
Bianca," as l used to call her-(don't
pull my beard SO hard, verify believe
you are jealous, little Amy)-one day
Blanca came to my studio with her
uncle, Count Luigi, whom L then be-
held for the first time. He was the
brOther-in-law of the contessa. Was he
much like me? 1 hope not. You
shouldn't like him for an uncle at all :
and / am certain Blanca did not. He
was tall and dark and mysterious, and
his yellow face was decorated by a pair
of black, fiery eyes, that were entirely
too near to be honest; likewise by a
hooked nose, and coal-black mustache,
the ends of which were continually find.
ing their way between his beautiful
white teeth. Uncle Luigi seemed to me
vastly like one of the ogres, magicians,
or wicked knights addicted to stealing
pretty maids from their castle boudoira,
of whom you have read good deal in
your books. / did not admire this gen.
tleman from the first; and our meeting
was pretty much the same as the distant
acquaintance of two icebergs. am not
quite sure that Bianca's mother liked
him; but she appeared to be too weak
and easily managed to express her want
of affection for him.
My picture progressed famously, and
-(paint a picture of you? Certainly,
my love. We will have it ready for
your next birthday)--and when the first
week of December closed l had delivered
my picture to the Contessa di CASA.
hianca, receiving in exchange a check
on Roman bank for a most agreeable
sum of money. The portrait was TO be
taken to Venice, and duly presented to
the grandmother on Christmas day. II
represented Blanca smiling, and dressed
in low-necked silk gown, with a neck.
lace OF pearls round her throat. From
the necklace hung this same old Roman
coin, which her papa had picked ur
under the walls of Rome. Some Roman.
maybe Julius Cesar, had dropped II
there two thousand years ago.