The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1878-02-14

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a@A1 - 49, fNAaN -NNs'b FhN
large photograph of tue Cathedral at Milan,
to which we bad taken n fancy in our morn
ing ramble, when our attention was attracted
to IN old Italian harP-player b was anus
ing q small group Of children n little hey ond
US. As he ceased playing and received the
two or three pennies he had worked so hard
to gain, thouldered his harpand WIS trudgIng
YEARLY past, we called him TO Us, and uncov-
ering t~bephotograph asked him ifhe had ever
seen that IN his own country. Never shall l
forget the look that came into his wan, thin
face a. he bent quickly forwnrd and, crossing
himself exclaimed, III Bello Duornoi II Bello
Duomo! 81, senior, 81 senior. II Bello Dou-
mol"
His eyes fairly glistened and his lips
twitched nervouslyGs he gaz-d upon itwith a
fascination, slch Rsalong lost trrhsure might
erslt over its owner. while he softly repentoH
to himself, IN BeLo Duomo." Anew words
then suficed TO draw from him his story.
Born in Rome, he had gone with Lis
parents in oc-ly boyhood to Milan, and until
his thirtiethyesr hddwe under the shadow
Of TINT grand triumph Of architecture. lie
Ind played in front Of its massive portals Rri
summed hinIself on it's marble steps; he had
begged pennies from the passing tourists ami
blessings from the long ROBBED friars; he hal
coined strange fAncies and thoughts fr"ln the
sculpturedstUnes audwoven for himself many
n legend of their origin; on Sunday he Lad
bsool Mllhlh Ab NhAAo WI hiHD1u iNssAh
and awed soul as the ace Maria rose on tho
air heavy with incense, or the good priest
held the sacrament on high for alteration.
He Ind witnessed many a bride in her spot
less white take upon her the solemn vows of
a wife, and he had seen many a black'robed
procession Tile through the opened doors.
He had seen sovereign aud beggar kneel be-
fore the holy affairs, the wratched outcast and
the sweet faced nun, the swGrtby bandit aud
the humble bare footed monk, and he had
himself brought notwithstanding and laid
them on the shrine, aud kissed with reyenIer
lips the sacred images.
Then. as years grew on, he sold in front of
its doors the carved beads which his father
made and the good priests blessed, and in
timehe succeeded TO his fathers trade, and at
last became u guide 10 the old Cathedral it.
self. There lie conducted party alter party
through the stately pils, pointed out the
grandeur of its portals and columns and the
beauties OF it's affairs, led them out upon the
roof and explained he statues and the curl
ously carved cHppings where every known
leaf and howeriS chiseled in " ttDno;
had shown them tho distant peaks of Mont
Blanc and Monte Rosa, aud the loug range Of
Alps to the far north; had led the eye over
smiling landscapes of fruitful valley and
trcen hillside, dotted here and there with
hamlet and village, and then TO the vast city
spread out like u map ben, Rth them. Hero
NhH AueaulultICatie huu lucretuO SliDllOu-
arch, and over there the old reiectory where
is stl preserved Do V,nci's incompatible
fresco. An! those were glorious days in
Rel Mllano. Aud then when he went home
aud showed the rich harvest he had cleaned
from foreign lands, how the light vame into
the eyes of tLc fair young wife who chos to
share his lot. Aud in tue long Italian even
ings when the frugal meal wRs over, and Mia
joined him at tho door, just in sight OF the
beautiful building which was to them a mine
of wealth, he would touch gently the sweet
chords OF the harp, while her clear, rich
voice would softlycnrol forth the dear Italian
congs; or they would sit gazing at the deep
blue sky, which only Italy knows. and build
airy castles, such Rs Span never dreamt OF,
and people them with "a thUu.aud faucies of
the joyous future. But one day all was
changed, and Nita lay MS in a trance, smittcn
with the deadly fever which is the curse OF
Italy.
Another day and she WIS dead, and us the
stricken husband turned fromthe silent grave
he turned his back forever upon Milan. He
could no longer ~staywhere she was not amid
the old familiar scene. aud with only his harp
In his hand-thnto one memento of the past
be wandered forth into the vastworld. Once,
only he turn,d as he gained q distant hill top
to take one last look at the old cathedral,
towering in its regal splendor above the city,
and seeming TO rear itself as q monument to
all the earth.
Every city in Italy. almost, knew the form
Of the sud and weary traveller, and the harp
went with him always, bringing food and
sometimes q shelter for his head, thoughmore
often the blue sky was tho only covering,
when amid the myriad stars he f.ncied h
could discern angel eyes looking down unon
him, or slept TO dream of soft kisses on his
lips and the moisturs OF Il sweet breath hover
ing over him, and woke to find but the dews
Of night upon ms face. Then as Italy grew
noorer amid the offending factions aud the
ktrife that spran up on her ancient soil. as
The soldi became ioro aud more difficult to
obtain, and the Iarp failed soInrt.mes to
BRING him even n crust of bread, he turned
mis- lace northward, but not toward Milan.
de had never seen its walls since he first left
its portals. and he conld not go back now.
Through Pisa and Genoa he followed along
the coast of the deep sea until he reached
Marseiles. and FROM there he wandered
through Frnnce into Germany and Austrin,
and then back agn Il, and over to Great Brit
ain, and at last he reached America.
Still the harp went With him aud they grew
old together. until no longer the cherished
instrument gave forth q certain sound" but
its voice wavrred and grew thin. as did its
masters. Still it gained him his daily pit
lance and comforted his lonely hours, and
now not many more years lay before them.
A few more days OF weary wandering and he
would go to join the fair Nita who was wait
ms for him in the home among the distant
htars. His head dropped as he drew near the
end Of his story, and the tears fell from his
mournfnl eyes and coursed down over his
scanned and bronzed cheeks. "-Ah Cara
Yad Bella MLda0 Aanifco Duomo."
Would Monsieur Les me look at the picture
once more" YES, indeed, and he might
have it and welcome" But no, he had no |
place to keep il, and he would not carry it
with him. He would take one last look at
1t and go forth again upon his weary pilgrim
age happier and more hopeful for that sight
of the old Duonio still so dear to him, and he
would pray the blessed Virgin to reward
monsieur for his kindness to The sorrowfuI
exile.
Poor Petro! 'ay thy prayer be answered
at the throne OF grace, aud may your owu
hopes lie realized in tile happy meetinpwitb
the beautiful NitI on the distant shore.
CT Possible tenant. ''There isn't much of