Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1885-04-12
Hrrst.cn for me Surdiy Register.
a LITTLE STREET MUSICIAN.
BY ROSE RED.


| hat he had passed through the careless or
imnecuuious crowd came back sparsey
lined with pennies. Beppo, for whom Neiia
| Lad sometimes a smile or Il pleasant word;
these chiefly when her husband was drunk,
and consequently in a good humor, but
more frequently she too gave him scowl
or a hasty blow. Poor Nella whose
handsome head was so often
tied up in an old kerchief TO hide the black
bruise or ugly lump by which Carlo marked
| her az his own. Yes, the boy was only
leppo, who had never quite as much as he
could eat, and whose only friend WAS lontl,
the monkey who shared his crust and bun
die Of straw at night, that was when straw
aud crust were forthcoming. Poor IoatI,
he trembled aud went through all his tricks
! ii old Seppa only spoke his name. Beaten
and starved was Beppo, yet for him, the
sun shone and the birds sang, the trees rus
lied and the sky was blue. For BeppO tue
grass grew in the crevices Of the sunbakei
streets, for him the scarlet poppy Chamber
| I'd in the shadow OF the grain, for MIN
the little brook fastened down over land
and pebble 10 all its childish griefs ond joys
10 The great still river, for Beppo, the moon
and her babe the star climbed their blue
pathway, for him the night wind blew fresh
and cool and the great raindrops FLASHED
| into the silent pools. He was only a little
ignorant child, but as far as he could see or
hear all the beauty and sweetness OF the
world belonged to him.
He was ten years old now, so at least old
Scppa had told the bue-eyed Signorlna
when she paused to ask him and drop coin
into his hat and he could only family re-
member the beautiful Italy for which
Nella sighed so often. Far, far
back in his memory like far oil mountain
seen through falling rain, was the memory
ofbluer skies and brighter blossoms, as we'll
woman came to draw water and paused 20
| gossip, caring nothing for the beauty all
| about them. A black eyed woman, he re-
membered too, who led him by the hand and
carried baby Lii, growing and kicking on
her bosom. Then q quaint old church into
| which he crept from the pal plating heat OF
the noon day. The purple grapes hanging
in heavy clusters from the vines, the laugh
ing pickers who sang at their work, he too
had helped 10 gather them, though he could
only reach the lowest branches. \ black
proved man he remembered TOO, trembling,
who cursed the woman and beat him when he
was dull with wine. And one day came old
! Seppa and listened while he sang to baby
Lii lying on the porch beside the cottage
door, heard him, and came again, this
time with silver in bis hand. He spoke long
10 the black proved man, who nodded and
laughed as he took the coin. Then the old
man seized Beppo, lest his mother come,
and hurried him, weeping, out Of the town
| ard down the dusty road to where Carlo
! ard Nella waited for him. Then came
any weary miles, footsoge and sad, yet
afraid 10 murmur let Seppa come nearer
vi h his fiery eyes and heavy hand. Then
the ship. ana long, hot days, when the
child lay so i'll and faint that
Scppa cursed him loudly, fearing that his
silver was spent in vain, and Beppo would
ro, live to turn it into gold. Then America,
months and years in which they wandered
up and down, through town and country
side, Carlo with his harp, Seppa and his
violin, Tonti whom Nella and Beppo must
carry on their backs and who amused the
peorle with his funny little tricks, and Beppo
always sang, sang though his feet ached
and his eyes were dim, and carried the old
hat to the PEOPLE who listened, for Seppa
soon found that those great black eyes
brought him more pennies than the music
itself. Once a woman gave him some
glowing peaches, and smiled as he ate them,
once a little child with eyes like
Ills put a little toy in his hand
and once, Beppo remembered that woman
came out to her door and kissed him, weep
ing as she gave her coin, and he noticed
that her garmets were dark as the sky on
rainy nights and she held child's half
worn shoe in her hand.
1t was summer now, and in summer
Berpo was not all unhappy. 1t was only
in winter when the wind was cold and the
snow fell over the frozen roads on which it
was so hard 10 walk. But in summer the
sun stone and flowers bloomed, then Beppo
sang his little songs with glad heart. 1t
was early morning as they come into a still
old town as yet half asleep, only the factories
were ALWAYS working and their voices broke
the stiffness Drawn through the deserted
streets and past the closed houses until they
came to the market space and sat down to
rest and eat the bread Nella carried in her
bag. The newly risen sun smiled down on
the red house tops, pigeons whirred up from
the Overlapping caves Of some tiny church
halt hidden by mighty trees, the roses nod
ded in the garden ways Beppo laughed
and whistled TO the pigeons rs they clrcled
over bis head as he lay outstretched with
his arm for pillow, staring up into the
faint blue sky. Tonti lay fast asleep on his
old blanket, Carlo and Nella Iuarrelad
feycely over n few pennies tossed her the
day before and old Seppa had hobbled
away for a glass of wine to give flavor to his
bread Ueppo rose and wandered aim
Iesslv down the street The p a,e was
new to him, and the child never wearici of
change, he had grown restless with much
wandering. Down through the deserted
market place, past the little inn, the shut
tiers Of which were being taken down BY
sleepy porter. But oh what vision o. de-
light bursts nov upon Bsppos enrapturai
sight. Displayed on huge boards are the
gaiIv colored bills Of n coming circus, on
which marvelously golden haired ladies dis.
ported themselves through fiery hoops or
performed impossible feats on the backs Of
ioaming chargers such as might have
carried Sir Launcelot himself 10 battle.
Gyipr;ng clowns, natty ring masters, ath'
letcs, lion tGmers and jugglcrs made up
the gorgeous display before which
Beppo paused with breathless delight:
Family he remembered the wild
stories told him by his alfforgotten mother
fer the black.eyed woman had been a fam
Gus circus rider before Beppo and Lii
claimed her care. How long the child stood
there he did not know; he was awakened
from his dreams by heavy hand on his
arm, and turned to see Old Seppa trembling
with rage. Rascal lngratel Pig" be
Kissed through his set teeth. is it Tor this |
give thee food and cover thy wretched car
cass? Is it for this | have shaved and
'oiled-to have my gray hairs Knocked by
the viper have nourished Wilt thou then
sieze the first opportunity to run away and
leave me? Alas, madame TO lady
who had paused to listen to his
angry words. See here my son
whom | have adored from infancy
the child for whom have toiled in my old