Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-03-28
APRIL FISH.

Beppi Stefauo was eighteen years old but
his doting old father and mother called him a
baby, and treated him as such. As lads went,
among the peasants OF Brozzi, where he
lived, he was bright and intelligent. Then,
his father owned the little farm on which
they lived and, as Beppi was the only child,
it would of course be his. This prospect Of
wealth added not q little TO the boys popu-
larity, and tended to convince himself, as
well as others, that whatever he said or did
was of especial importance. His wit was so
frequently remarked uponI that it is no won
der he at last thought there was no such
thing as catching Beppi Stefano asleep. No
doubt Of his own shrewdness ever crossed his
mind except during his rare visits to Flor
ence with his father on market-days.
There was something in the air and man
ner of city-bred youth that disposed him to
silence. He was of an indolent tempera-
ment While his father was haRgling in the
mArket-place, he would lounge about the
squares II he were going to stand any num-
ber of minutes to talk or look in a shop win
dow, he always found it convenient to back
up against lamp-post or building for sup
port for one might just as well be comfort
able. Still, in spite of his love of physical
ease, there ranked in his bosom a certain
grudge against these city people, none of
whom had ever acknowledged his SUPERIOR.
ty.
"Bd50," he would say to his father, while
jogging home on the road from Florence to
Brozzi, 'if one of these city fellows ever
NEEDLES with me, he will find that live ass
is better than dead doctor. Eh2"
True, true, my boy the blessed saints
protect him he wouldn't be worth q fig
when you finished with him" Then old far
mer Stefano would chucke aud approvingly
pat his sons back.
Ianpf onnI1 nj bia loNnipsr IN
match his wit with that of some city youth,
and his opportunity at last came. 1t was the
frat day of April
In Italy, when ono has been duped by any
of those facetious snares to entangle the un-
wary which are set on this inauspicious day,
he is termed an "April Fish, probably be-
cause the fish is considered the most gullible
of animals. Now, Beppi felt quite sure that
if he could spend this day in Florence he
should angle in pleasant waters and catch
quantity of this sort of fish, and also allay
that grudge which itched in his gentle breast.
Consent was gained. 1t was the first time he
had ever departed for the city alone. He was
| going to walk the four miles Of good road
that led to the Porta al Prato. His parents
followed him TO the door with many parting
injunctioDs.
THE good saints guard you !" said his
mother. Take care of your pocket book
Greetings TO your aunt and cousin"
eyes, show your mettle TO your cousin
Aquila, added the farmer; "for, you know,
she is to be our daughter"
Now, nothing could have been more dis
heArtening to Beppi than that allusion to his
cousin Aquila, who was about the only per.
son in the world whom he really disiked
She and her dowry Of three thousand francs
| had been dinged into his ears ever since he
could remember, until he hated the very
mention of either.
On arriving in Florence, he proceeded di-
rectly TO his aunt's house in Via Lambertes-
ca. In paying his respects TO his aunt, whom
he neither liked nor disliked, he would be
Obliged to salute his cousin Aquila but then,
in compensation, there was Rina, niece of
his aunt's for whom, though in no way re-
lated to him, he felt a more than cousinly re-
gard, though he dared not manifest it.
He passed through the city gate and along
| the Arno which, swollen with the spring
floods and surging and glancing in the morn
ing sunlight, terminated his hope of fine
days sport.
When he gained his aunts house, the little
family of three had one after another finish
cd their breakfast-if breakfast it could be
called, that hasty swallowing of cup of cof
fee and choking down piece Of bread. His
aunt as ever, was lavish in her greeting His
cousin Aquila decked out with an unusual
display of beads, ribbons, and puffs for the
occasion, wore her accustomed air OF con
scious merit, and her salutation was of thai
off-hand sort which denotes undisputed pro
prietorship.
Beppi thought he had never seen her more
detestable than now. He had often said tC
himself that she was rightly named Aquila
for she resembled an eagle, bird of prey
with her long, hooked nose, narrow face anC
round eyes but, then, who ever saw a cross
eyed bird2 When she talked to him, he wal
never sure that she was looking at him, -
this was something of a comforts but then
again, at other times he was never sure tina
she WAS not looking at him. So, this cross o
her eyes was a serious cross to him. Rina
| however, was present, and already bent owe
her sewing for the day for she was seam
stress in white work. II was her custom h
stitch from morning till night, while he
cousin AquilR amused herself doing nothing
for, as her aunt frequently told her, she wa
poor girl, who had not soldo to her name
while her cousin, with dowry of three thou
/ sand francs, was a lady.
: Beppi would have given worlds to addres
, the poor girl cordially, but she scarcely raise
| her eyes on his entrances and, then, It wa