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

3 b.! sand where is Zio Antonio?'' asked
The lad in despair.
!. "What do know about your Zio An.
tonio2n rejoined the padrone gruffly.s
q GU have no business to know anybody,
but me-
They walked on in silence. With
each step through the busy roaring
streets the poor children became more
frightened and bewildered by the bust
ling which surrounded them A feeling
OF utter despair and helplessness seized
Beppo as he became conscious of the
impossibility Of finding Zio Antonio
amid the waves of this human ocean.
"Here we arc" said Matteo, stopping
in the doorway of one of the highest and
most dingy tenement-houses in Baxter
street. ''Follow me-
He stepped into the dark hall. The
children followed, trembling with an I'm
definable horror. The walls of the hall
were damp and clammy, the air foul
with stcnches and cnlanations of all kind
The poor lazzaroni, used to the balmy,
invigorating breczes of: the Meditcrra-
mean, felt nearly choked IN this atmos-
phere. At the end Of the long corridor
they descended a few tops into what
seemed to be an entirely dark cellar.
Matteo opened door in a narrow, badly
lighted basement room in which, besides
a rough bedstead in Il cornor, they could
distinguish but a great heap Of monde
script rags, peanuts, eggshells and rub
blsh Of every kind. In the middle Of
the room there stood small decapiated
iron stove, which had evidently not yet
been used during that season, for the air
in the room was damp and cold.
There is your bed, said Matteo. point
ing to a heap Of rags i'll the corner
"Thcrc is always enough, OF that rubbish
about for you to lay on. Now, come
along, ! will show you your business. y
"But Rita cannot waikiki exclaimed
Bcppo, Indignantly. "Shc has been s:c>
all the way. Give her something to cat
before going.:'
"Time enough for that" rejoined Mat
teo grinning. ''Well, the girl may re
main at home for this once.'
Mattco led the way through a laby-
rinth of narrow streets to one OF the lu-
siest and noisiest corners Of that noisy
ncighborhood. There the worthy pad
rome possessed a thriving peanut stand
which he intended to intrust to Deppo,
himself desiring to embrace new and
more lucrative career.
From that day weary miserable life
began for the poor children 1t was hot
the wretched iood and cruel treatment
on the part of Matteo which panied them
most; it was first Of all the dreadful
house, the abominable underground mole
in which they lived, the feeling Of lie
pcndencc, almost of slavery, which Was
hard to bear for these children of nature
Many a sIeeplcss hight did they spend
sitting en- their leap of rags and talking
in whisper about Santa lucia and the
nights on the coast, and Zo Antonio.
Sometimes Rita accompanied Beppo t.
his peanut stand. But mostly she lc.
NAMED at home or was sent out by Mat
tco to sell evening papers. the names OF
" hich he had taught her. On" bitter
cold night as Bcppo returned aome a lit
tic earlier than usual, lie heard on :iD
preaching the door Vi their ROOM, the ill.
CRY veIcc OF Matteo swearing and scoAi
. ing, while Rita cried and moHncA IN Ar
agony OF pain. Bcppo rushed into til,
room and saw Matted holding the ..Gr
Ivy the hair with one hand, while Niti
the other he dashed her naked back " i'll,
a whip. Beside himself with rage Rrp
pc sprang to M"ttco's: throat and chung
to it With such firm grasp that the mar
was obliged to release poor Rita: o
course he turned all his fury against thu
boy. He whipped him til! the bl,ot
sprany out Of the scars, then opening til,
! door, threw the senseless body Of the lac
out INTO the inner yard Of the house
Rita ran out after him, and Mattco lock-
cd both out, saying:
! Fleece there all night, you ours T.
The cold air revived Beppo very sup..
On recovering his senses his tr,r 4ues
ton was concerning Rita She was kneci
ing at his side crying bitterly.
IVY has the rascal been whirpin;
YOU again?' lie asked.
| SHE wanted to teach me how 10 draw
Il handkerchief out Of his pocket so tia
he 2|c"ut! 70: tecl 1t; could not, ant
! then he beat me-" answered the girl
sobhing.
Brppo said nnthing, but he clcnchc,
hi; fists AM: his eyes flashed like thos
of wild beast Rita was shivcrin!
with cold. The Icy got up and rappe'
at Mates window. An oath and al
order to keep quiet was all the answe
he could get. With every hour tn
night became colder, An icy wind cam
sweeping over the city and, descenAin:
into the deep courtyard in Baxter stree
kept whirl1ng and whiring around, chill
ing the poor Italian children to thci
hearts. Beppo took off his coat and :*aiSt
coat to keep Rita rs warm as possible
and feeling his limbs stltfcning in III
frost leaned against the door, and drcy
the girl to his bosom. Thus they lay, a
they had often lain wrapped in a clos
embrace on the sand OF their nativ
coast. Sleep, the great friend of child
hood, for whom there are no rich and n
poor, WHO with equal love and mere
extends his soothing; hand over the pal
ace and the hut, closed their eyellds wit
a gentle touch and sent j his sunnies
dreams to soothc and to cheer.
A smile of happiness lowered ahou
their pale faces: they saw once more he
fore them the bay Of Naples gIitterin;
in rays OF their native sun; they tclt til
warm breeze. carcssiny t!l'ir cheeks
Tnc smile on their lips grew hr]yhte
and happier.
"Beppor' whispered ;!tr girl.
lie heard 4er in his sleep, and drew
her still closer to him.
And then all was still. The smiling
friend Of childhood had iiei, and in M
place graver angel looked down up"
the poor sleeping waits and took them
III his arms. The sunshine grew bright
er in their dreams, the breeze warme
and balinlcr, their smile more radiant
Thus they lay through all the long, col
night. Aud when the morning came a
last, and all that giant house awoke t
its days misery and crime, the two lite
less forms were found lying in close en-,
brace with+thc same blissful smile iilum
| ing their faces.
1 What became of Mattco2 Nothing G
course. He easily proved that he h,
always been Il ''respectabie" man, ths
he knew nothing about what had becom
of the children on that night, and tia
by :'honest work. he had collected fey
paltry dollars, of which he would read
ly give share to any friends who woul
help him out OF that scrape. 1t is hard
ly necessary to add that he found sue
friends easily.
Whisky and Charity.