Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-08-28

We will be off tonight, love-" ] said
but inwardly | was grieved, saddened, no
only by the disappointment, but because
seeing that we had excellent accounts from
home, this strange freak had something
morbid in it, unlike her. Yet there was NJ
appeal, and l began making arrangement
for our departure.
You will go up and say goodbye to tn
little chap your friend p | asked.
Certainly" she answered; "you will
come with me, won't you 2"
ave will go at once" said was tn
slave, ] had nothing to do but to obey.
1t was wild and gusty day for August
and the landscape looked less inviting thar
usual as we ascended the zigzag path lead
ing to the sanctuary little above which ol
the hillside lay the home of our new friends
AT one of the angles near the top Of thi
zigzag the path passed perilously close to :
steep precipice, which for some distance
formed one bank of a mountain stream as i
came tearing down over a rocky bed. Thi,
spot was great height from the level o
the lake, and the precipice itself just ther,
was some forty feet above the river.
few rough bushes made feeble parapet OF
the broken ground at the actual edge, but
beyond these there was nothing but sheer
down wall of rock. As we reached thi.
corner we saw huttering in the wind what
looked at first like handkerchief hanging
from one of the bushes, but which proved al
our coming closer to be the garment of a
child who was standing at the very verge Of
the chasm.
allow dangerous !" exclaimed my wife
Who can have left a child in such q
place."
1t was solitary walk this. especially al
midday, and we had not met creature since
we cleared the outskirts of the town, except
an old monk toddling down upon some mum
dane errand.
"Ah !" she cried, as we got still nearer
"why, it is-yes, declare-why, it is deal
little Paolo himself. Good gracious ht
has strayed away down here alone to look
for blackberries, no doubt" and as she
spoke she rushed forward, and seizing the
child by the skirt drew it back from tht
perilous edge over which it was craning. A.
| came up we both saw that the little crea
ture was crying bitterly, and he Immediately
began pointing down toward the stream and
lisping out, /" Mia madre, mia madre -
bent over and looked down in the direc
ton the little one was pointing, and to my
dismay, among the rocks at the verge of the
river, beheld, lying prostrate thirty feet be-
low, the motioness form of the mother
Then ensued a scene which | will not
dwell upon. flew up to the sanctuary for as.
sistauce. My wife, clasping the little one
in her arms, hastened down 10 the place
where it was just possible by very rough
scramble to get round to the bed of the river.
Here | and those whom had brought with
me presently Joined her, and we made our
way to the luckless woman. She was not
dead, but quite insensible and after infinite
trouble and care we managed to carry her
up to her home, my wife with Paolo in her
arms preceding us, and breaking the sad
news to the father.
The only sort OF medical aid obtainable in
that primitive place came from the sane
tuary, and soon an old monk to whom the
natives all seemed to defer was in attend
ance, and after careful examination of the
patient pronounced that by great mercy
no bones were broken but that the poor
woman was suffering from conclusion OF
the brain, and that some weeks might eapse
before she would be about again.
"Do you still hold your determination OF
returning home 2" / said to my wife, when
the excitement and the sorrow which this
catastrophe had caused were little abated
for own was selfish enough to hope that
out of this evil good might come in the shapl
of making her prolong her holiday. The
hope was realized.
"No," she answered "perhaps | can be
of some use here; | will not go back yet
This little one will want mothers care
now; will be that mother, for love him
more than ever, and | wish more than evel
he belonged to me-"
need hardly say that under other circum
stances | should have entirely objected tc
her assuming such maternal responsibilities
that | should have pointed out that it was
no duty of hers, well.born lady, in thi,
fashion to look after the offspring of an un
known peasant woman, and that there were
plenty of neighbors willing aud ready tC
undertake the task, and who were really the
proper people, etc.
But what could do 2 Was it not hel
holiday and had not promised hundred
times to conform to her every wish, whim oil
caprice-because | thought she had none
and never expected to be put to this kind Of
test, for had not married sensible woman
was puzzled, but | could only conform, say
ing to myself, "They are strange creatures
women one never knows them-no, mo-
after ten years of the closest intimacy"
90 we stayed on, Sne QeVOtlng tne greater
part of her time to attendance upon the sicl
woman (who still lay unconscious) and hel
child, whose lispng and imperfect word.
had told us too plainly that it was while
stretching over the edge OF the precipice t.
gather blackberries for him that his mother
had lost her footing and fallen headlonl
down. Nv wife would spend hours by tht
bedside. ventured to demonstrate, aud go
severe snubbing for my pains.
One evening, about a week after the ca
tastrophe, while | was waiting for her at
spot hard by the sanctuary where we Otter
sat, she came up to me in the most excited
frame of mind. | was really alarmed
had never seen her eouable temperament 81
disturbed.
"Oh, Walter" she exclaimed al hav,
lust come from the poor woman, and hav,
had such shock She has regained con
seriousness, but not her senses, which tb,
good frdfe, who watches her ALWAYS, tells IN,
frequently happens in such cases."
but what of that ? WHY should it ex
cite you so ?" asked, quite mystified at IN,
wife's words.
a. All. don't know | cannot tell Won m,
hopes, nv beliefs, have hardly taken form
vet only come quickly with me TO the house
Oh, Walter, it is all so wonderful Come
let us get on faster; want so to get bacl
that you and | both NAV listen to Luci
Vianero's broken words, prove their mean
ing, and so clear up a doubt that"
"What do YOU mean ?" | cried. "Wha
can she have said to SO strangely move YOU?
and inwardly Thought. "Oh. that / ha,