Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1880-02-06
BEPPO:

D1ll L W
/ They called him Beppo and hcr-Rita.
And seldom, indeed, did it happen that
the one was mentioned without the other,
for If ever there were bosom friends in
the world Beppo and Rita were such.
| Who were their parents? WAC can
say? They themselves were least able to
give q satisfactory answer to this qucs-
ton. All they could remember was that
they had found themselves one day, side
by side, basking in the and scram-
bling among the rocks and pebbles of
| the.shore at Naples; and since that day
that shore had become their home, and
they had always remained there together
Thrice a day Zlo Antonio (Unclc Antt-
nia) took them to his hut and gave them
macaroni. When night came. if Rita
felt chilly, they knocked at Antonio's
door and huddled. together among his
nets and fishing tackle. But. mostly they
remained lying on the sand, looking at
the bright stars overhead, chattering and
laughing until the great sea lulled the
children to sleep with Its deep, soft and
gentle murmur.
Beppo was somewhat older than Rita,
and she looked up to him as her natura,
and powerful protector. He was proud
ly conscious Of this, and would have
sprung into lions JAYS to shield her
from harm.
So they grew up, like all that is alive
in nature grows up in that blessed cline
children Of the rich, burning soil on
which they lay, of the blue sea which,
| like a mother, sang them to sleep.
Beppo was about fourteen and Rita
perhaps two years younger, when Zio
Antonio announced to them that in fu-
ture they had no more mac2ronis to OK
pect from him, fer he was going away,
far, far away to a land called America.
Things LOOK bad in Naples, he said:
"Mozta genie e poca duuuoo' (many peo.
pie and little money and so he preferred
home.
The poor children cried bitterly i'll
taking leave of the old man. lie was the
only human being who had ever cared
tor them and nos they were all alone III
the world. 1t was not for his macaroni
alone that they cried; as long as there was
a fisherman On the shore tIey had no fear
Of hunger; but the macaroni is, alter all,
not everything in lite-rvcn for q Nea
politaa laZzaroui
After Zlo Antonio had left them Beppo
grew daily more restless and thoughtful.
He could sit for hours in the sand, ii,
) dark sparkling eyes fixed with L Ion Sing
look On the blue space of open sea be-
tween Capri and Tschia, and-whcn Rita
crept up to him and nesting on his lap
asked what he thought about he an
swercd: Zio Antonio and that loreigr
land he is gone to.'
One day as they were thus sitting TO-
gethcr man dressed like sailor APP
preached them, and tapping Beppo on
the shoulder, said:
"Cheer up my lad have good NEWS
for you, from Zio Antonio. l have seen
the old man On the other side, he IS do.
ing very we'll and is fast becoming rich.
Would you like to go to him? The snip,
the Captain Of which is a friend of mine,
starts tomorrow. He will give you u
free passage for Antonia's sake
Beppo sprang up in delight.
GOT course we will CO., he exclaimed
"Won't we Rita?'
GAS you will, Bcppo," she answered
simply.
And the pair started hand Ill hand
preceded by the sailor. The same night
, they were brought on board the ship,
! where the Captain, burly, coarse loo k
ing red haired fellow met him.
"Hallo, Domenico!' he cried. DO
. you bring some more? We are pretty
full already"
s'But two more,' answered the man.
squeeze hem up blt!' j..
Then the Captain and the man who
, had brought the children drew aside and
held whispered conference. Some mon-
e. :ssed from hand to hand, and then
l the sailor jumped into Ills boat and row.
7 ed back to the shore.
"What are you staring at2" cried the
Captain.t to the children, who stood on
deck side by side, bewildered, amazed
: by all they had seen and heard.
} 600 down and sleep!'
: Saying which he seized them roughly
by the shoulders and pushed them down
{ steep ladder into an utterly dark and
J narrow hole. Cropping their way through
the darkness the children stumbled at
each step they made on rr'strate human
| forms. Cries and groans arose and chill
ed their hearts with a nameless terror,
Bcppo, with Rita halffainting in his
l. arms, rushed back to til; ladder, but it
{ had already been drawn up. He scream
> ed aloud; nobody answered him. He
shook his fists and stamped on the foo,
, N impotent rage-all in vain. They
| were locked up-buried alive. With
!; difficulty Beppo succeeded in finding al
empty space on the floor. lie took Rita
in his arms, and pressed closely against
each other both children cried themselves
to sleep.
When they awokc the broad daylight
streamed IN through the hatcllway. In
: the narrow aud close space, forming the
> part of the slecrage, dozeE or more
t ragged children OF ali ages, from ten tc
, sixteen, were crowded together, lying on
? the bare floor with no other bedding shan
, their miserable rags. One by one the
poor wretches awoke, crying bitterly
The ship had heaved her anchor during
1 the night and had already gained tho
| open sea-. .;
: "What docs this mean? What is going
: to become of us2' asked Beppo Of his
neighbor, little chap Of scarcely ter
Z years of age, who cried as if his heart
t would break.
1--WE arc sold!" cried the little one
sobbing. ""Sold to wild people oyer the
seas, who will roast us and eat us!'
The Whole passage, which lasted near
" two months, was an uninterrupted Sc
ries OF suffering for the children. Not
, one soul on board cared tor them in any
way. Their food was brought to them
, | in trough, and consisted for the most
: part of a sea-buscuit soaked in water
, Most of the children faded to skeletons
, before they reached New York. Two OF
i them died, and the eorpses were thrown
overheard without further ceremony.
But of allthese .bardshjps and suffer
: Eings Beppo felt but little. 9 His attention
was too intensely absorbed by the care
. be had to bestow on poor Rita, who was
; sick nearly all the time. The lad nursed
her with a touching, untiring devotion
{ and when at length he heard that New
York was>in sight his heart leaped up
: with Joy. He forgot all the uncertainty
lof their future doom in the joy of the
one feeling that Rita would feel well
. again.
. The next day after the ship bad come
I to anchor ON the North River Two IN
,, commonly mean and brutal looking Ital
. Iians came ON board and we're received by
, the Captain with unusual honors. After
indulging in a copious Hbation in the