Smyrna times., 1884-08-13
A Story Of Village Life.
HOW A FATHERS OBsTINACY WAS
OVERCOME BY A SIMPLE SHEPHERD
COUPLE.

politics. The latest newspaper That
have read is seven or eight days old;
-he most interesting news travels
slowly to this beautiful spot the in
habitants, who are too busy to gossip, |
have a horror Of chit-chat, and are |
scarcely more talkative than the tall |
pines and myrtle bushes. So I will |
tell you u village story, and am going
to relate it just as it was told to myself,
scarcely an hour ago.
As you may well imagine, a young
girl and youth are concerned in the
story, and consequently love is the
theme. The youth, little shepherd
of the forests Of Pelneca, loved a young
girl of Santo PietrO, the cool mountain
village where the fashionable ladies of
Ajaccio go to spend the Summer. The
young girl also loved the youth. They
had told each other so, and had
pledged themselves to one another;
and think that from time to time they
kept their promise, for never in the
memory of shepherds were the flocks
of Palenca so often seen grazing on the
pastures of Santo-Pietro. But the end
of all this, the upshot of all these prom
enades, was certainly marriage. They
believed so, at least, rs though since
Romeo and Juliet the course Of true
love had always run smooth.
At the first word of marriage the
father of the young girl, the fated Cap
ulet, flew into a terrible passion, so
terrible passion, 50 terrible that for
several days after the flOcks Of Palneca
did not dare to wander near the hill
side of Santo Pietre. But on the fifth
day the young girl, who knew hel
classics, fell i'll, and then was repeated
the great scene in the " Rantzua the
cruel father at the bedside Of his dy
ing daughter, and far out in the coun
try the plaintiVe notes Of the shepherd
reed-pipe. At last the father relents
ave will see about that" he said
"after he has drawn his conscripti
number, and has served his time.
do not want yeu to have a huabanC
who will be compelled to leave you a
soon as you are married.
How came it that in this countr,
where there is no telegraph the shep
herd an hour afterwards knew wha
had been said? The fact is, that OIL
entering the village, he had only ON
idea uppermost in his head-escap
from his term of military service. Th
shepherds Of Palneca are not lackin
in resources, and ours in question wa
by no means stupid. The next da
while cutting wood in the forest, he
as if by accident, gave his right han
a smart blow with his hatchet and sel
cred three fingers. Now let the mil
tary examination take place Ii
went home and tended to his hurt q
well as he was able and when tn
wound was healed and he had bee
rightly and duly exempted, he went
Santo Pietro, and bravely repeated h
offer.
81 am not going to serve in Il
army" he said, " for l am sure the
will never take me- You can mari
us now"
But the father stopped him by
word.
"Never," he cried, "will give II
daughter to one who is MANNED"
And it was apparent by his tone
voice that he meant what he had sal
In spite of his daughters illness he I
mained inexorable. 1t was clear tn
this old man did not like maim
! son-in-law. He made but one reply
j. the prayers and tears of this YOU
girl.
"Never, you thoroughly understan
never! And don't let him come han
ing around here any more. Cripp
ought to marry cripples. Let h
=, marry the little blind girl of Palne'
OF the hunchbacl of SAINT Andrea"
The young girl did not reply, a
not once during her illness did s
speak of her shepherd. When she "
convalescent she was seized with
longing for the forest and the open {
,D and every day took long walks by
hillside of Palneca by the road Il
her hocks knew so well. One mo
ing, after a long search, she ag
- came across the little shepherd, p
10 and haggard, like shepherd tired
this world.
"Show me your wounded han
said she.
He showed it to her bashfully, ;
piously she pressed it to her lips.
d, "Show me-" she said to him agi
nm "the hatchet which wounded yo
He took it and showed it to her. Il
raising it and placing hor hand o
stone:
"This is how you did it isn't
81. this is how the accident happened
And before the shepherd was abb
reply the hatchet had fallen, the st
/, was Redeemed, and beside it lay
-SJ three fingers of the pretty maid
Santo PietrO.
"Now shepherd" she said, ISL
FN me how you healed your wound"
IVY And together they returned to ST
Pietro, he with tears in his eyes
she radiant. What could the fa
jly, do? Had he not imprudently
that cripples ought to marry cripl
-pS He cursed them and married IL
The wedding was celebrated
months ago; for l repeat that this
: likely story occurred but yesterda
cE. it were, and in our own skeptical
reto. tury.
ce of --.-4sr .--
3-u
. The crops are the source of SUI
conjecture and rumor, and will b'
six weeks to come. All that is
so far is that the wheat crop is, j