The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-02-24

have been neglected. OF their work; in
spite OF the lapse of so many years, they
have spared my poor Teresa's humble
lines"
At the Counts invitation l lowered
my head against the panel and saw the
cause OF his emotion. In corner, black
ened by the dirt and dust of time, but
still fairly decipherable, was faint scrib.
BILE in pencil, and in woman's hand
Two lines of verse, which ran thus:
Benche un esule 81 scrisse.
Teresa qui felice visse.
10 Luglio, 1929. tf
and, freely translated, meaning:
Although an exile here, she wrote,
Contented was Teresa's lot.
ID July, 1929.
She wrote them two months before
she diedr' said the old Count. 1.-THE
verses are poor, but they mean more to
me than the most beautiful lines of Pc.
trarca. Her heart was in them. / am
truly grateful to you for your courtesy
and kindness. With your permission
will now retire"
Sir" said l, with great sense of SYM
pathy and pity for the old gentleman's
forlorn condition, ''if you ever desire al
any time to come here again, pray stand
upon no ceremony. / shall be only toe
pleased to welcome you"
i l held out my hand and he grasped it
warmly.
THANK you," he answered, ''thank
you" hope to see you again-indeed,
have something more to ask of you:
but not now, not now. need rest, and
| have wearied you quite enough"
Al pressed him to take some refresh
ments, but he declined my offers, and
with many repeated expressions of obi
cation, prepared to take his departure.
AS l led him to the street door, through
the hall, two of my impish, mischievous
little ones put out their curley heads
and giggling to themselves, as children
will, called out in shrill, audible voices:
'Father Christmasr' ..
The old gentleman turned round, saw
them, and smiled benevolently. ''Your
little children, sirp" he asked. "What
did they sayP Did l hear them call me
Father Christmas?'
"Do not pay any attention to Them"
| said, frowning portentously. "They
are exceedingly rude and ill-behaved."
"Nay, nay, sill" he replied. Father
Christmas is good name; it is good
name" He approached them as they
came out. timidly, one by one, and pat
ted them gently on the cheeks and heads,
saying few kindly words, after which
he took his leave and disappeared, hob
bling round the corner.
The next day van drove up, and
vast package of elaborate toys of all
sizes and descriptions came to hand;
and we knew the giver by means of a
scrap of paper thrust into the parcel, on
which the words From Father Christ
mas'' were scrawled TREMENDOUSLY. The
good old Count must have ransacked
and bought up the whole of a toy en-
porium. and my children were, of course,
in ecstacies of delight
Chow kind of himr' said my wife,
''Poor old gentleman! hope you told
him, John, that he would be welcome
here as often as he pleases." N. B.
mark the change which had thus sud
denly came over the spirit of her dream
since the previous day, and draw from it
MAXIM toys to the children the surest
way to the mothers heart.
But to return to the Count. Faithful
to his promise, saw hin once again in
flesh. He drove up one evening-three
days after his first vist-and when our
preliminary meeting was over l sounded
him as to his desire to see once more the
room in which the happiestperiod of his
life had been spent.
To my astonishment, he declined to
trouble me. His pilgrimage had been
accomplished, and he proposed return
ing to Italy in two or three days, but he
had come to beg one more favor of me.
'It is my wish, if possible to take that
shutter back with me-" he said. 81
should like to close my eyes reading
Teresa's lines"
The clauses in my lease relating to
fixtures" were of sternly defined
character, and, as practical man of
business, felt some hesitation as to my
right of disposing of another PERSONS
property.
"You cannot grant my request?" he
asked, observing my expression of doubt.
"Well, you see," said, $50 far as |
am personally concerned there would be
no difficulty at all; but think the
landlord ought to be consulted"
''Ah, just So" he remarked. and
81 u1db OU d IuOIllSHU
reflection felt myself justified in over
coming scruples, which, after all, were
extremely absurd.
'.Poohr' l said. What does it mat
terP have no doubt that cheerful
consent would be given, and it is only
question of uselessly delaying your jour-
ney back. Come, will take the re-
sponsibility on my own shoulders. The
shutter can be easily replaced, and l will
have il. removed and sent to you by to-
morrow"
He shook my hands warmly, and, as 1
think, invoked a blessing upon me and
mine in Italian.
The dusty board, on which the faint
lines were still preserved, was duly for
; warded to Count Pogliano at his hotel
= myself never saw him again, but some
years after the event, when the incident
! Of his visit was almost forgotten, letter
bearing an Italian postmark came, in
forming me of the old gentlemen s
death, and advising me that, in accord
ance with certain instructions contained
in his will, should be in receipt of some
small tokens of his regard, which l was
earnestly desired to accept. The said
tokens reached me in due course: a
marvellous piece of gold plate, the genU
inc workmanship of that cunnin0 ay