The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1878-09-05
HER HOLIDAY.
A uubbnnd:s story.

Yes, it was to be her holiday-"all for
her." Nobody else was to have any share
in it except myself-that is, it going as
her courier, aymaster, and general facto-
tum could be called having share in q
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 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 a 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 60
ing away alonc-goipg 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 he paramount; was to I've her
slave-to pay the bills and look after the
luggage. Her affection and untiring de-
votion to her dutit deserved no less. She
had thoroughly qualified herself for en-
joying holiday; she had earned it.
.Italy," she SAID. "whcre 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 dcslr-
ing to he transpol ted to distant places
or, rather, I resortcd to the modern gold
On equivalent for such proceedings--and
we found ourselves certainly, as If by
magic, at Lucernc. Thence We were to
take it easy, aad sojogsed along over the
St. Gothard Pass, and dropped into Italy
at the Locarno end of the Lago Maggiore.
By this time she was beginng to enjoy
herself thoroughly; she had got over The
fatigue, aud already looked much as she
did the day married her. Yes, it was
very delightful to see her SO we'll and
happy !pE{u - :. lilo HONEYMOON or.,
again. she said; or rather it is as if
there had been no break, and that it was
only the continuation OF those carly
days.
We spent hours and hours upon the
lake, l'encath the awnings of the flat bot.
toned boats, those first lnccptions of the
gondola, or we wandered up to the pic
turesquc 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
and watched the glorious sunset, and the
boundless panorama OF alp, plain. and
lake, while the bell in the campanilc
hard by called the paasantry to vespcrs,
and tho pealing Of the deeptoncd organ
resounded through the choir.
We selected Locarno rs hating place.,
because it was at that time, ana is so
partly still, OH of the rush Of the tourist.
A primitive place, with simple civil peo-
pie willing 10 serve and ob]igt 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 speak or nod when we met from time
20 time.
Notably AMONG these WAS mother
and child-a sweet little chubby cherub
of a boy about four The Italian folk in
the north they are not as rule handsome,
bu! this mother was an exception, and
the child was like her. Superior, too, in
all respects, she looked better born, and
bred. and nutured: nay, there was even a
look Of culture and refinement about her.
Immensely attracted by this pair, my
wife particularly would lose no oppcrtun,
ity Of giving the little one pat and a
kiss, and exchanging a word or two in
the best Italian she could muster with the
mother, who by degrees on her part be-
gan to speak little English, and to take
US into her confidence. She explained
that she had married an Englishman, =
gentleman, she declared, who had died
suddenly more than tour years ago, a, d
just before tho little one was born. His
family never knew of the marriage: be
had intended, she said, to proclaim II,
and face the consequences of the mesalli-
ance, as it would be called; but his sud.
den end prevented this. and to this day
she believed her existence even was IN
known to her husbands people. But she
did not care, he had left her just enough
to live upon; and she had come to dwell
at Locarno, where her aged father lived,
and whose last DAYS he desired to 500 he.
She was quite contented with the humble
life she led there in yonder little chalet
at least until the good God should take
him to his rest.
Would we enter the abode and speak
to her father? He was very handsome
old man, native of Tuscany who had
seen better days. Woi it mattered little
that. or why he had come so far north
Her name, We asked.
All, her maiden name was one that ju
past times had stricken terror to the foes
of liberty; she would rather not mention
it. Her father, even, had considered j,
wise to drop it, and had adopted he,
surname, her married name, the name Of
her husband, that is.
What. had he taken an English name
No, not an English name; Ter husband
had been natural;zed as an Italian, had
changed his name for reasons-thev did
not signify; and he was known as Giorgio
Vianero, she was Lucia.
VI course we went in and spoke to the
OLD tarmer-like man, who, partially par
alyzed, always sat by the window of his
neat little house. He received US with
ne grace of prince, regretted that his
lntirmities prevented him from doing the
honors of the neighborhood, so beautiful
az it was.
Naturally We looked in upon him moro
than once, but still it was his grandchilG
that was the attraction; my wife declar
ing that little Paolo was the veries
darling she had ever seen, that he re
minded her of oar youngest and that sh,
snoula like to carry him OFT, probabl,
because we had not enough Of our own
Now, she was woman not given Il
morbid faucies, thoroughly healthy, will
plenty of common sense. So was lit
tie surprised at this extravayant admira
ton, and to hear her say the child Dor,
asy resemblance to ours. I could se'
none; but it was cher holiday" and sh'
was not be crossed.
We'll, if l was surprised at this, judge
how much more so was when she sud
denly one morning announced her " sh Il
return home.