The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1878-04-25
A LEGHORN HAT.

Nine o'>lock of cloudless summer
morning. The basket phaeton stood ~
the door in the narrow noisy street be-
low, but Mr.. White had already gone TO
his Office, Annie pleaded headache, and
the children had their allotted tasks with
the German governess to accomplish. !
must either remain within doors during
the hot hours Of the day or 50 out alone.
I decided ON the latter course.
81 am too old to require any chape-
ron. l said, with laugh, and glanced
in the mirror.
There / beheli 3 not unpleasing image
Of little woman attired IN gray. with
silvery veil over her plain face, in the
act OF fitting on 4 pair Of quite infinite
SINAI gray gloves. kissed my good
Annie and the children. rs If bound on
long and perilous voyage, and departed
in the basket phAeton.
What 4 new world was that all about
me 1t was the city of Leghorn, with
its tall houses, rendered dingy by sea
damp. and wide white squares, the atmo-
sphere reiolent OF tar, the quays throng-
ed with shipping. the clumsy tunnels Of
Oriental steamships relieved by the
lighter tracery Of interlacing mAsts
against the sky. l like ships; in their
boundless saggestiyeness they resemble
wishes, hopes, ever coming and going on
some fresh errand.
The phaeton ratified through the main
thoroughfare, once Via Grsnde, and now
rebaptized, after the manner of all ltal-
ian cities, in the name of Victor Eman-
uel. l noticed with the interest Of
stranger groups of bronzed sailors; the
untldv Lschsrn woman with trailing
gown, and tapping handkerchief tied
over her frowZy head; the brilliant uni
form OF an occasional officer strolling
languiily to his cafe.
Then the Sea Gate was reached, and
beyond stretched the white road which
threads its way beside the Mediterranean
TO the beautiful suburb of the ArdenZa.
The sea breeze 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 laden with
gray dust. l gazed out over the sea,
which sparkled like sapphire, with the
light houses so bright at night, now
palhd in the morning which no longer
hsd need of them, and the sails ghstening
with an exquisite silvery whiteness on the
horizon. glanced down the white road
as it curved along the strand, bordered
by its feathery trees and oleanders, its
gardens, hotels and villas stretching 10
the Maremma, and the coast / might
never explore.
This is the most beautiful shore In
the world, and the old Romans knew it,
Isoliloquized ; and just then the phaeton
paused.
Nv destination was the bath. Again
the charm Of novelty delighted me, for
il was my first summer with Annie's
household. Bathing at Livornois made
q pastime, 3 recreation, instead of a
serious business. walked ont on a
pier which terminated in round space
shielded by a tent from the suns rays,
and thence the smiling old bath woman,
in q Tapping straw hat, conducted me
down passage, bordered on either side
by little tents with green doors, to my
destination. Once consigned 10 the
bdrdccd, I Was free TO remain in the
tiny house, with its roof Of mating and
walls OF striped canvas, where the water
rippled in of transparently green hue,
or to part the curtains and issue forth
boldly as n swimmer. ] decided to re-
main secluded in nv crystal bath, as / !.
was alone, like a mermaid in a cave.
I was startled by the curtains being I
separated from without, and the appear
ance Of a mans head, with long sandy
beard. The head advanced with such I
evident intention OF tall body's follow Z
ing that l uttered a faint scream Of 4
alarm, when the intruder retreated /
hastily with a muttered Beg pardon I
I received the apology with such dig .
nifty as is possible TO a very small lady 4
in a flannel bathing suit, hanging to a
rope to avoid drowning in deep water,
and with her head done up in an oil-skin 4
cap.
"Some stupid Englishman T. I said,
pettishly.
The hour was too early for many occu-
pants Of the large tent, and when / 4
emerged from my bath I drew a chair
near the railing to again gaze out over
the beautiful Mediterranean. An Amer
ican man-of-war had entered the port the
previous day. l endeavored TO descry
her, with the old pain at my heart. Ny
brother Harry, young, brave, good, des-
tined to become a great man, as l be-
heved, had died of fever on board ship
of Callao five years ago, smitten down
without power TO send me message,
although, thus stricken, was left alone.
Yes, all alone l shivered in the bright
italian morning, while my eyes searched
wistfully for the man-of-war. Since then /
every frigate had become to me Harry's /
ship, and every officer in uniform assur- /
edly must be my dead brothers friend. |
Five years Of winter and summer in the /
old house at home, wandering from room |
to room in a ghostly fashion, with the !
portraits Of father and mother in the |
shadow of the best parlor, and Harry's |
dog following me with dumb intelligence |
to thrust his nose into my hand five |
years of mourning, of silence, that left !
me plain little old maid, my hair turned
gray Then Annie, happy wife and
mother, school-mate and friend Of many
years, had written to me a long letter
from her home at Leghorn, where her
husband was engaged in business, urg-
ing me to come abroad. I saw my future
clearly enough. In this genial house
hold should be companion, friend, old
maid aunt to the children. / sighed.
just then the merchant whose wares
were displayed in one corner of the tent
-tortoise-shell, coral, and sienna-wood
trlnkets-begged me to take a chance in
his lottery. took the box, and turned
ont the dice on the board, having paid
franc. The merchant counted up the
numbers, and found the corresponding
one in his stock of prizes represented by
a set OF coral. resembling sticks of red
sealing-wax. Somebody approached and