The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1878-06-12

morning. The basket phaeton stood
at the door in the narrow noisy stree
below but Mr.. White had alread,
gone to bis Office. Annie pleadet
headache, and the children had tbei
allotted tasks with the German gov
erness to accomplish. ] must either
remain within doors during the ho
hours Of the day or 60 out alone
I decided on the latter.
Il am too old to require any cha
peron," | said with a laugh, anC
glanced in the mirror.
There i bebeld a not %uDpleasine
image of a little woman attired il
gray, with a silvery veil over be
plain face, 10 the act of fitting on
pair Of quaint infnitesimal gray
gloves. i kissed my good Annie
and the children, as If bound on 1
long, perilous voyage, and departed
in the basket phseton-
What a new world was that al
about me- 1t was the city of Leg
horn, with its tall houses, rendered
dingy BY sea damp, and wide white
squares, the atmosphere redolent Of
tar, the quays thronged with ship.
ping, the clumsy tunnels of oriental
steamships relieved by the lighter
tracery of interlscing masts against
tie sky. / like ships; in their bound
less suggestiveness they resemble
wishes, hopes, ever coming and go
ing on some fresh errand.
The phaeton ratified through the
main thorougbfsre, once Via Grande,
aud now rebaptizsd, after the manner
of all Italian cities, 10 the name of
Victor Emmanuel. | noticed with
the interest Of q stranger groups Of
broDzed sailors; the untidy Legborn
woman with trailing gown, aud flap
ping handkerchief tied over her
frowZy head the brilliant uniform Of
an occasional officer strolling lam
gnidly to bis cafe.
Then the Sea Gate was reached.
and beyond stretched the white road
which threads its way beside the
Mediterranean to the beautiful sub
urb of the Ardenza. The sea breeZes
waited to me delicious coolness the
hedges Of evergreens and oleanders
in masses of rose bloom mingled
rich odors; the stunted trees dropped
their feathery foliage ladened with
gray dust. ! gszed out ove the sea,
which sparkled like a sapphire,
with the lighthouses SO bright at
night, now pallid in the morning
which no longer had need of them,
and the sails glistening with exquis-
ite silvery wilderness on the horizon.
/ glanced down the white road as it
curved along the strand, bordered by
its feathery trees and olesnders, its
gardens, hotels and villas stretching
to the Maremms, and the coast |
might never explore.
This is the most beautiful shore
in the world, aud the Romans knew
it," | soliloquized and just then the
phaeton paused.
Nv destination was the bath.
Again the charm Of novelty delight
ed me, for it was my first summer
with Annie's household. Bathing at
Livorno is made a pastime, a recres-
tion, instead Of q serious business. |
walked out on a pier which terminal
ed in a round space shielded by a
tent from the suns rays, and thence
the smiling old bath woman, in a
tapping straw hat, conducted me
down a passage, bordered on either
side by little tents with green doors,
to my destination. Once consigned
to the 6ardccd, | was free to remain
10 the tiny house, with its roof Of
mating and wells of striped canvass,
where the water rippled in a transpa-
rently green hue, or to part the cur
tains and issue forth boldly as o
swimmer. i decided to remain se-
Guided in my crystal bath, as | was
alone, like q mermaid in a ave.
/ was startled by the curtains be-
ing separated from without, and the
appearance Of a mans head, with q
long sandy beard. The head sd-
vanced with such evident intention
of a tall body's following that | ut
tered a faint scream of alarm, when
the intruder retrested hastily with q
muttered beg pardon"
I received the apology with such
dignity as is possible to a very small
lady in a flannel bathing suit, hang
ing to q rope to avoid drowning in
deep water, and with her head done
up in an oil-skin cap.
Some stupid E%nglisbman i"I said,
p~ettishly.
The hour was too early for many
occupants Of the large tent, and
when l emerged from my bath /
drew a chair near the railing TO again
gaze over the beautiful M~editerrane-
an. An American man-ofwsr had
entered the port the previous day.
/ endesvored to decry her. with the
old pain at my heart. Ny broth
er Harry, young, brave, good, des-
tined to become q great man, IS !
believed, had died of fever on board
ship of Callao five years ago, smit-
ten down without power to send me
a message, although, thus stricken, /
was left alone. Yes, all alone! /
shivered in the bright Italian morn
ing, while my eyes searched wistful-
ly for the man-of-war. Since then
every frigate had become to me Har-
rvs ship, and every officer in uni
form assuredly must be nv dead
brothers. friend. Five years of win
ter and summer in the old house at
home, wandering from room to room
in a ghostly fashion, with the por-
traits of father and mother in the
shadow Of the best p%arlor, and Har-
ry's dog following me with dumb in
telligence to thrust bis hose into my
hand five years Of mourning, of
silence, that left me q plain little old
maid, my hair turned gray! Then
Annie, happy wife and mother,
schoolmate and friend of many
years, had written me a long letter
from her home at Leghorn. where
her husband was engaged in bust
ness, urging me to come abroaI. /
saw my future clearly enough. In
this genial family | should be CON-
panion, friend. old maid aurt, 10 the
children. / sighed.
Then tho marcbant whosa woras