The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1880-03-17
A REMINEscENcE.
My Italian Dance.

Whilst strolliug leisurely one eve.
ming around the bay of Naples,
between the towns of Sorrento and
Castelamare, was so taken up with
the Surroundings | did not notice the
approach of darkness. Night overlook
me several miles from my intended
destination
Once while looking around me l
caught glimpse of faint ligh. on
the mountain side. Some one must live
there / thought. l had always bad a
great desire to spend night in an
Italian hut to get better idea oftheir
true home life. A path led away from
the road which was evidently the one
leading to the hut A moment later
was vending my may up the mount.
ain decided, at least, upon visit.
Scarcely bad got where 1 could see
that the rays came through little
window than strains Of music as sweet
as the perfumes of a tropical garden,
came floating to me on the evening
zephyrs. hastened on with delight
and soon reached the front door-it
proved TO be the back and side door
as well. | tapped gently. No answer
the music deadeDed the sound. /
knocked second time much louder
A voice answered in Italian, presume
it meant come in, at any rate IN /
vent "Good evening"" / said in their
own tongue. An old but pleasant
looking man, apparently about sixty
years of age, clad in pair Of coarse
linen pantaloons, colored shirt with
the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, the
collar thrown opeH, looked at me with
surprise as he lowered his violen from
his shoulder, and in pleasant voice
answered Good evening sir" He
proceeded to make further remarks,
but by certain gestures / gave him to
understand l could not speak his
language. | took a profered rustic
stool, and began to survey my sur
roundings. Just opposite me sat
pretty, black haired and dark eyed
girl over whose head not more than
twenty summers had passed, and who
up to this time had remained silent.
l nodded good evening which she
returned with smile so sweet as to
epen mp a channel in my heart that
had long been closed. Her features
were dark and finely moulded, her
mouth small ard when she laughed
disclosed set of pearly white teeth !;
her eyes seemed to pierce my inmost
recesses with a facination indescriba.
bic; her hair hung in natural curls
over her naked shoulders; her dress
was of a style common to the peasant
girls Of Southern Italy. 1t was low in
the neek-exceedingly so-and the
skirt scarcely reached below the knees.
/ don't know why they wear than so /;
il may be for convenience sake, or it
may be for the sake Of economy 1
don't know. l never inquired. She
wore a pair of dark stockings and
slippers with wooden snles. To the
right of her sat, halfa sleep, domes-
tic looking young lad three or four
years her junior, and obviously her
brother. The room and furniture bore
the appearance Of cleanliness, a rarity
10 Italy. 10 one corner sat a bed
neatly spread with clean linen. a
little table stood in another corner
and an armchair besides the -four
stools we occupied was the only furni
ture visible l motiOned to the old
gspusaan 20 give us some music, and
aanmedately started out on an ail
from a well known Italian opera. L
eas enchanting Without stopping tC
rest he changed to q beautiful waltz