The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1878-09-06
I'VE have not been away three weeks

|
must go back
And leave thus suddenly your pretty lit
tie protege on the hill up there p 1 veutured
to say.
Yes she answered, that is the reason,
that is what has made me wish to go. l
mean the sight of that mothers love for her
child makes me envious | want to be with
my own
What could l say 1t was her holiday,
to do as she pleased with l. 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 because,
seeing that we had excellent accounts from
home, this strange freak had something NOR
bid in it, unlike her. Yet there was no APP
peal, and began making arrangements for
our departure.
You will go up and say goodbye to the
little chap, your friend? l asked.
Certainly she answered you will come
with me, won't you?
we will go at once l said. | was the
slave, had nothing to do but to obey.
1t was wild and gusty day for August,
and the landscape looked less inviting than
usual, as we ascended the zigzag path lead
ing to the sanctuary 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 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. few
rough bushes made a feeble parapet on the
broken ground at the actual edge, but be-
yond these there was nothing but sheer
down wall of rock. As we reached this corn
er we saw h uttering in the wind what looked
at first like a handkerchief hanging from one
of the bushes, but which proved at our COM
ing closer to be the garment of a child who
was standing at the very verge of the
chasm.
How dangerous = exclaimed my wife.
who could have left child in such a
place?'
1t was a solitary walk this, especially at
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.
abr she cried, as we got still nearer,
why it is--yes, declare-why, it is dear
little Paolo himself Good gracious he has
strayed away down here alone to look for
blackberries, no doubt and as she spoke
she rushed forward, and sezing 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 cry
ing bitterly, and he Immediately ibegan
pointing down toward the stream, and lisp
ing out, Mia madre, mia madrep
s. bent over and looked down in the di.
rection the little one was pointing and tc
my dismay among the rocks at the verge Of
the river beheld lying PROSTATE thirty fee
below the motiouess form of the mother.
Then ensued a scene which / will no
dwell upon. flew up the sanctuary for as
: sistance. My wife, clasping the little one il
her arms, hastened down to the place wher,
i it was Just possible by very rough scramble
. to get round to the bed of the river. Her
> l and those whom l had brought with me
presently Joined her, and we made our wa.
= to the luckless woman. She was not dead
but quite insensible, and after infinite troub
q lie and care we managed to carry her up t
her home, my wife with Paolo in her arm
i preceding us, and breaking the sad news t
~ the father.
:. The only sort of medical aid obtainabl
IA in that primitive place came from the sanct
n uary, and soon an old monk to whom tn
Il natives all seemed to defer, was in atten
"a dance and after a careful examination @
n the patient pronounced that by great mel
10 cy no bones were broken, but that the poo
"a woman was suffering from conclusion of tn
>. brain, and that some weeks might elapse be
"a fore she would be about again.
ia DO you hold to your determination of re
v turning home 2 said to my wife,when the es
y ctement and the sorrow which this catastrc
"a phe had caused were a little abated for
Il own was selfish enough to hope that out {
ar this evil good might come in the shape G
q making her proong her holiday. The hop
h was realized.
Ie No. she answered perhaps | can be {
d some use here will not go back yet Th
4 little one will want a mothers care now /;
IN will be that mother for love him more tina
A ever, and wish more than ever that he b,
n longed to me-
y need hardly say that under other Gil
cumstances should have entirely objecte
to her assuming such maternal responsible
n ties l should have pointed out that
,f was no duty Of hers, a well born lady, i
I this fashion to loook after the offspring of a
IN unknown peasant woman, and that thel
ar were plenty of neighbors willing and read
A to undertake the task, and who were reall
the proper people, etc.
But what could / do? Was it not 'hs
ID holiday p and had | not promised hundre
ii times to grant every wish, ,whim and capric,
Of because / thought she had none, and
a. never expected to be put to this kind of te
for had | not married sensible woman
"a was puzzled, but could only conform, sa!
a. ing to myself: They are strange creature
ot women one never knows them-no, not a
90 ter ten years of the closest scrutiny
es So we stayed on she devotng the grea
he er part of her time TO attendance upon Il
sick woman (who still lay unconscious) an
re her child, whose lisping, imperfect worl
Id told us too plainly that it was while reacl
NO ing over the edge of the precipice to gath'
og blackberries for him that his mother hs
of lost her footing and fallen headlong dow
to My wife would spend hours by the bedsid
ot / yentured to demonstrate, and got seve
snubbing for my pains.
,r. One evening, about a week after Il