Roseburg review. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 1885-1920, 1885-02-20
PRETTY PIPPA.
A Tragedy Which Came Near
Happening in Tunnel.

Imbedded in a deep Italian valley lay
the village of Santa Chiara. Mountains
surrounded it on all sides except on the
north, where the valley narrowed into
a gorge with steep PERCEPTIONS sides,
forming natural roadway out into the
open country.
So the valley and village We're in a
cul-de-sac, and to this reason the peas
ants attributed great deal of their
poverty.
In remote, far-away times a narrow
road had been made over the noun
tains toward the south, and the more
enterprising of the villagers drove their
mules once or twice a year over this
pass-a day and half iourney-to the
big town of Monte Caetano, to sell the
fruits of their industry; but the journey
took time and money, and both were
too valuable to be spent on the road
very often.
But with the energy and enterprise
of the nineteenth century came a
change. There was much talk of the
inconvenience of not being able to get
to Monte Caetano easily. 1t was a
large and important town, but its s:ze
and Importance would both be much
increased if free communication could
be opened with the northern railways.
The inhabitants of Santa Chiara
were startled one day by the arrival
of engineers, but they were destined
to be yet more astonished. In a few
weeks the village was oyer-run with
workmen, the valley resounded with
the blasting of rocks, and they under
stood that great tunnel was so be
made through their mountain.
The work turned out less difficult
| than was at first anticipated. The
tunnel had not far to go in unbroken
solid mountain, but emerged occasion
| ally into deep, narrow assures, from
| thence making a fresh start into the
| bowels of the earth.
The work was finished at last, and
an engine decorated triumphantly with
flags passed the whole way down the
| line to Monte Caetano, bearing upon
it the engineers, foremen, and chiel
| workmen, and one or two gentle
men whose united money and ex-
ertions had carried the great work
| through. They were received at the
new station at Monte Caetano with
| enthusiasm. We're presented with
| handsome testimonials, and made tc
feel themselves real heroes and public
| benefactors.
1t was one hot. sunny Sunday even
ing in Santa Chiara, about a week
after the opening of the great tunnel
| Vespers were over, the bell had not yet
rung for bened;ction, and all the in
habitants of the little village were
strolling about the yiney ards or sit
ting in the churchyard. The village
consisted of piazza or square
round which stood the prime pal houses
! and out of which few irregularl,
| built, struggling streets stretched III
the 5 des of the hill. The church stoot
/ at the head of the piazza, in the mids
of the church-yard. The low wall al
round it was fayorite seat of the vii
/ layers, where they lounged away man,
| an idle hour. In the angle of the wal
stood large, shady, chestnut tree
Pippa Novatell, the prettlest girl in th
/ village, leaned against its trunk, witt
her little brown hands demurel,
| clasped together
AHA! it is true that Pippa ha
beauty said old Mariuccia to anothe
old crone yet more wrinkled than her
self
.sPippa may have beauty, hut she
little demon for all that! The hol
saints don't give everything to on
/ person, ard they have taken too muc
pains in the making of her face to hav
given themselves me to look after he
heart! Look there! The little viper!n
Pippa was look ng her best, for he
betrothed G'anni (called the Bellino o
account OF his sSy-blue eyes) wa
there, sitting on tie wall, and it was $
amusing to make him jealous, the foo
ish fellow, On the other side, sittin
on the grass with his large dark eye
fixed on her, and an indescribable
dainty grace in the pose of his light &C
tive figure. sat Tonic lei, one of th
subordlnates of the engineers, one {
the flood of newcomers whom the gres
tunnel had brought beyond the mour
tains TO d sturb the peace of SAINT
Chiara,
Tonins had not been long in the vi
lage. Only three weeks ago he ha
come to replace Piedmontese wh
had finished all the skilled work an
passed on to new labors elsewher,
Tonino was beginner as yet, but b
was quite capable of carrying on h
predecessor work, and his superior