The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1878-08-24

w nat, had lie taken an EngllSh name
No, not an English name; her hus-
band had been naturalized as an Italian,
had changed his name for reasons-they
did not signify; and he was known as
Giotgio Vianero, she was Lucia.
OF course, we went in and spoke to
the old farmer-like man, who, partially
paralyzed, always sat by the window of
his neat little house. He received us
with the grace of prince, regretted that
his infirmities prevented him from doing
the honors of the neighborhood, 50 beau
| tiful as it was.
Naturally we looked in upon him more
than once, but still it was his granchild
that was the attraction; my wife declar-
ing that Paolo was the veriest darling
she had ever seen, that he reminded her
of our youngest, and that she should
like to carry him off, probably because
we had not enough of our own.
Now, was woman not given to NOR
bid fancies, thoroughly healthy, with
plenty of common sense. So vas lit
tie surprised at this extravagant admira-
ton, and to hear her say that the child
bore any resemblance to ours. | could
see none but it was "her holiday" and
she was not to be crossed.
Well, if / was surprised by this, Judge
how much more so | was when she sud
denly one morning announced her wish
to return home.
1--WE have not been away three
weeks l mildly protested.
"No," she said; but [ have got
strange longing to see the children; |
can't bear to be away from them any
longer. | never have been away from
them two days, much less two weeks,
before, and [ can't bear it; | must 90
back"
"And leave thus suddenly your pretty
little protege on the hill up there%" l
ventured to say.
eyes" she answered; shat is the rea-
son, that is what has made me wish to
90. | mean the sight OF that mothers
love for her child makes me envious; |
want to be with my own"
What could | say? 1t was her holiday,
to do as she pleased with; if she pleased
to cut it short she must
We will be off tonight, love-" / said
but inwardly | was grieved, saddened,
not only by the disappointment, but be-
cause, seeing that we had excellent
accounts from home, this strange freak
had something morbid in it, unlike her.
Yet there was no appeal, and | began
making arrangements for our departure.
" You will go up and say goodbye to
the little chap, your friend?' | asked.
Certainly" she answered; you will
come with me, won't you"
" We will go at once" | said. | was
= h. q, I lo1 i
obey.
1t was wild and gusty day for August,
and the landscape looked less inviting
than usual, as we assembled the zigzag
path leading to the sanctuary a little
above which on the hillside lay the
home of our new friends. At one of the
angles near the top of this zigzag the
path passed perilously close to a steep
precipice, which for some distance
formed one bank of a mountain stream
as it came tearing down over rocky
bed. This spot was great height from
the level of the lake, and the precipice
itself Just there was some forty feet
above the river. A few rough bushes
made a feeble parapet on the broken
ground at the actual edge, but beyond
these there was nothing but sheer down
wall of rock. As We reached this corner
we saw futtering in the wind what
looked at first like handkerchief hang
ing from one of the bushes, but which
proved on our coming closer to be the
garment of child who was standing at
the very verge of the chasm.
E" How dangerous - exclaimed my
wife; "who can have left a child in
such a placeW
1t was a solitary walk this, especially
at midday, and we had not met crea-
ture since we cleared the outskirts of
the town, except an old monk toddling
down upon some mundane errand.
"Ahn' she cried, as we got still near
er, "why it is-yes, I declare-why, it is
dear little Paolo himself. Good gra-
cious! he has strayed away down here
alone to look for blackberries, no Doubt"
and as she spoke she rushed forward, and
Selling the child by the skirt drew it
back from the perilous edge over which
it was craning. As | came up we both
saw that the little creature was crying
bitterly, and he Immediately began
pointing down toward the stream, and
lisping out, "Mia madre, mia madrew
[ bent over and looked down in the
direction the little one was pointing, and
to my dismay among the rocks at the
verge of the river beheld lying PROSTATE
thirty feet below, the motiOnless form of
the mother.
Then ensued a scene which [ will not
dwell upon. flew up to the sanctuary
for assistance. My wife, clasping the
little one in her arms, fastened down to
a place where it was just possible by a
very rough scramble to get round to the
bed of the river. Here [ and those
whom l 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 aged father.
The only sort of medical aid obtaina-
bic in that primitive place came from the
sanctuary, and soon an old monk, to
whom the natives all seemed to defer,
was in attendance, and after careful
examination of the patient pronounced
that by a great mercy no bones were
broken, but that the poor woman was
suffering from conclusion of the brain,
and that some weeks might elapse before
she would be about again.
Do you still hold to your determine
ton of returning homer" | said to my
wife, when the excitement and the sor-
row which the catastrophe had caused
were a little abated; for / own that | was
selfish enough to hope that out of this
evil good might come in the shape of
making her prolong her holiday. The