Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1878-12-10
For the NEWs.
GINS EPPE.

We first heard the drum on the
Battery. What it meant we did not
ascertain Perhaps some military
company paradiDg its new uniform IN
the sun. It is q sound common
enough however q Charleston.
Ia Charities street, we heard the
drum again, a few days later. +
plaiulv clad old man, who wore q
shauny white hab, had pair OF
cracked spectGcles astTide Of his nose
was beating il He would beat . bsiet
roll, then three or four taps, and cry
Lost child LOstschildp
Men were generally away, in their
offices. or on the wharVes, attending
to business. But women, their tod
dliug offsprings, and servants, WOULD
appear AT the windows OF the houses,
or come TO the doors, or step out on
the verandas A few would linger
awhile listening TO what the old man
might say, nor asking any questions.
the rest little Interested, would soon
retire, or disappear. Iher children
were at home, or at school well and
beautiful!
rLogl chiId!p cried the old man,
tapping his drum with one hand ana
adjusting his spectacles with the other.
pretty bow. eleven years old; deaf and
duub; sharp, bright, black eyes. Ital-
ian. Wandered away from home two
weeks since. Mother. a poor lone
widow. An only child, and lost
Lost child !"
No dead march ever sounded sadder
in our ears. Bat drays, omnibuses,
car anu carriages rushing along the
thor6uuhfaTeS, drowned the notes Of
the drum and the Old mans voice.
In Clay Street, still several days af-
ter. once more we encountered the
old man. Same roll and taps and
cry. Another man passed by, who
seemed 90 know the drummer. He
looked surprised, and was smiling
sarcaaficaly. As we loitered, we
gathered more of the story than we
had known.
"Sue j. a neighbor Of mine, and has
no acduHiutance4. she has just reach
ed the United States Her husband
died al aes They have seen better
times, bot be was "A Republican, L be-
lieys, and the French plundered him
ia Rome lie had to fly for life, but
died at sea. I liked the child. He
was excellent in pantOmime; besides,
he could spell with his fingers, and 1
could understand him, especially his
gestures. Then his bright black eyes
fairly talked Of themselves. He was
often in NV fruit store. and [ WAS
teaching him by giving him things,
after he had spelled them on his nm
gers. ! can't say which were his IA
voritgs. oranges or olives, though he
was fond of figs, all Italian fruits. His
fngers skipped from letter to letter
when he was spelling them, as if play
Ing up0u a piano. Oh, he was
amusing TO me, dear. lost Giuseppe
Giuseppe LioBi. So he was called.
More than two weeks since he wen-
dsrsd away from home, / am too in
digeht to employ any one to search for
him. Nv wife who having no child
of her own, had taken q lively fam
CIV to Ginseppe, and urged me y 20.
He will recognize you, said my wife,
q sensible female. She keeps shop N
my absence. You haven't heard Of q
stray boy have your"
The other man who had ceased To
smile garcastically, shook his head.
No. Then he shook the old mana
hand and walked slowly down the
street.
-Aiithis time a woman was standing
not far off, almost piercing the two
men with her dark eyes. She Waf
dressed ia mourning. The sable veil
she wore was thrown aside from her
face as she gazed upon the speakers
and We imagined for an instant, from
her expression, that she was angry.
She was distressed. The old man no
ticing her look of solicitous, anxious
inquiry. shook his head ia his turn,
The woman shrunk back with stsg-
gering step, and the veil dropped over
her pale features. The old man took
Of his spectacles. wiped them on his
sleeve, readjusted them, struck bis
his drum, more csrelessly, as it were
than before and resum5d the familiar
cry:
In Morales Street, we last met TIT
old drummer. One month had elapsed
Nevertheless he continued ME kin
search. the womah in mourning, hs
features paler than ever, following a
a short distance.
mot found the boy YETI" passing
we ssked. IL
Alas! 10, sir" answered the oil
man. /" have been seeking for ma
over the city for month. Peopl