The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1879-01-23
bitterly. "What a beautiful child +"

said many, and one or two spoke to her,
but she did not understand, and could
not answer them. At last there came
along the street an old italian with an
organ on his back, and q monkey perch
ed upon it. He paused in front of the
restaurant and held out his hand to the
child.
"What has happened to the pretty
little girl9 Has she lost herself ?" he
asked and the child, glad to hear words
that she could comprehend, told him
her story.
The old man listened kindly.
Dry your tears, pretty one," he said.
1--WE will find your mother, and mean
while, you shall have supper with me
and my monkey. See what o fine
monkey. He will shake hands with you.
Pepa, shake hands with the pretty lit
tie girl, and bow"
and took OF his velvet cap by the crown
with the other.
His pranks amused the child. She
trotted along by the side of the organ
grinder, and had macaroni with him in
a dismal little room in a terrible old tene-
ment house. She had no doubt that he
could find her mother for her-her
mother and her little sister Francesca; |;
for Blanca was only six years old, and
at that age we are always hopeful. But
the old man who, after the frugal supper,
went about to do what he could to and
the child mother, soon learned the truth.
He knew Blanca was the child of the
poor woman who had been killed and
though he kept the knowledge to him-
self with dread of mysterious evil, per-
sonal consequences peculiar to foreign
ers who do not quite understand the
laws of the land-and scarcely to be
wondered at-he generously resolved to
take care of the little girl, to whom he
did not tell the truth. Blanca believed
that her mother would soon come back,
until she forgot her grief but the old
man bought little bit of black ribbon
and suspended to it the solitary earring.
Never part with it," he said. eft
is a memento of your mother, pretty
one."
He had little poetry in his breast,
as most Italians have, though he was
only poor organ grinder.
Every day when he went out with his
monkey and his organ, he took the
child with him. She held the plate,
into which the patrons of this cheap
concert dropped their coin.
After awhile, he taught her to sing
some little songs. Italian children can
always sing and it Was no loss to him
to have adopted this little creature, for
he never made half as much before.
The child brought him luck. One day a
musician heard her sing, and offered to
teach her to sing better. Her voice was
full and rich. She studied carefully.
She was beautiful and attractive. As
she grew up the old man began to see
that he must no longer take her into the
street. "Stay at home, pretty one, F."
ne said. "Study at the school. A
better fate awaits you than to sing be.
fore windows and catch pennies in a
platter"
The girl was glad to obey. She work.
ed harder than ever to improve. She
kept the poor place neat she cooked
her adopted fathers meals and made
her own cheap garments neatly. Hope
rose high within her. but, alas mistor-
tune was at hand. The old man made
very little, now that his young singer
was not with him. One day the monkey
was killed by larger one, vho threw it
from the ropes where the two dangled
together-ropes swung from pulley
lines fastened to the windows of the
houses. Poor Pepa was thrown to the
pavement below, and his neck broken.
Bread grew scarce, and the old man,
lamed with rheumatism, could scarcely
carry his organ about and, at last, the
hope that had inspired both perished in
an hour. The kind musician died the
free music lessons were over forever, and
they could never pay for instruction.
One day Blanca found her father, as
she called him, actually ill, and their
humble means of subsistence at an end
for the present.
Forever" said Blanca to herself,
"if cannot earn his bread in his age, az
he has earned mine in my youth. Surely,
even my little knowledge of music is Of
some avail"
Sitting with her head upon her hands,
she remembered the beautiful young
prima donna who sang at the opera, and
whose voice she had heard through the
open window of certain great hotel.
"She is said to be charitable" she
said sat least, she would tell poor
girl if it might be possible for her to
earn her living by her voice; where to
apply; what to do" And, full of that
ardent trust in human nature which is
part of youth, she tied on her poor little
hat, and made her way through the
wretched streets in which she lived to
the great thoroughfare in which stood
the hotel which was the prima donna 8
home.
"Can l see signora ?" she asked
timidly of servant who answered her
timid ring.
"Well, it isn't likely, young woman, "
said the man "she's just going out to
ride. Does she know you ?"
"No," said the poor girl "but -
"Oh-begging, or something, sup
pose," said the man. "No, you can't"
"Let me be the judge" said soft
voice and beautiful lady clad in vel
vet swept toward her. "What have
you to say to me ?" she asked, kindly.
And Blanca was about to reply when
she suddenly caught sight of something
pendent from chain which the lady
wore that struck her dumb. It was an
earring-a hoop of gold-the mate to
that about poor Bianca's neck. She re-
membered how her mother had given
one to each OF them to quiet them on
that day when she sat desolate upon a
foreign shore. Strange fancies filled
her mind. Gould this be Francesca ?
II it were, would she not despise the
poor organ grinders adopted child p
an ignorant girl. SO shabbv that the