New-York tribune., 1886-01-17
MEA CULPAl

got leave .p , then but fate, doctor and husband
rs seanst me- and early IN octoger s. .eu @ i,onn @
were NV mother met me at Brlndis. ana was
B0mpaiti Ia 6ne scenery and still finer ciiinat of the
}taaon }ti lakes among which she had spent seyeIai
winters and springs rtsd @IS 70 earn something Of
1ops and their ways, and entreatcd her 10 n9d
oma nlace where We should not oe coinp o'oiS
sUmrr0ourpded sun by our own countrypeopie. n,
sut H nat ,s all she said thOughtluily, VI nave
A.. addres, of an Italian family llvlnS In very
;s, n ge not far from the Lago Mae9iole. ine
si.b.r was formerly rather successful uoctot az
txs;Ian and is a very interesting ola lehoW, .hey
w. He lost a good deal OF money III solhe oanh @
ss??I,,. and asked friend OF mine at Coho 10 Wy
and get him some boarders- lngese, ol eouleo
b.sr The villa is charmingy situated py tiny iaho
and in one OF the valleys that run up Noih 'n0
Lssp ~ ns 20 there by all MEANS" said with as
wnch animation as the languor of hSe years III
Beupal bad lett me. ,1 ,,, ,,o.hou
o,hs, mournfuly; but as you are ordered COM
niete repose my DEAR that may be an ausahtaee
and am certain IL oracing az oS ~ thn H,viero So
tne Ter was settled. My mother wlo'e AT once
to the Signorna Modesto Cattaneo VINO KEPT house
sor her 6rotner the doctor, ana III low uayS VIC
80 ;rsta led At the Villa Magnolia vi couIse the
rooms had stone floors and were carpetleSs' ana
with that strange want OF tue sense VI Oeauty IN IN
.ha;r Louschold arrangements 1 have noticed
amonc Italians all in the house was severely useful
no flowers no bits of color cunnngiy disposed lor
etert-in short nothing artistic but hapriy All
%as ,crnnnIously clean and tidy. and tue rooms
wee large lofty and airy many mad baconieS
and from every window our eyes could ieasI on Tue
,nnst gIoriou. VIEWS The family consisted OF Dr.
Cottanro a man Of about hlty, with noble
antioue Roman face aqnillne nose Jet -Diack eyes
and iron gray hair and musIacnes. ne oueht 10
I I not think he was With good deal OF nte-
cence and talent. he possessed very lender heart,
eh;l6jike simplicity of character. aud occasional
-. Of dreaminess when If one addressed him
Suddenly he would start, and a moment would
elapse lefore his soul came back from the distant
snheres where it had apparently been roaming
Iii. mother-known as SignVra Teresa, Tor sur
names are usually ignored III this part OF the world
was a most beautiful ola lady, with gentle,
saint-like face that seemed carved In ivory, She
Yarely spoke but when she did II was always to the
point IL did me good TO look at hel, ana really
believe that sitting So often opposite her calm,
.wert face soothed and strengthened my nerves as
much as the perpetual sunshine ana pure tonic an
oiI- SignOrna Modesto was bright clever,
active little Woman, pale ana th'h' Win an ehor-
nous pair of black eyes.
The doctor had three daughters. Pa. aged
twentyone nnoceRtH @ Just eg,sSG ihs and
auoe of tins young lady, as she LVed with mel
maternal grandmother at Milan, where she went TO
We soon learned that 'Centns considered
the beauty of the family. Marietta was the genius
and Pa | fear. was not appreciated as she de-
served and if they had not all been too good and
amiable for haTshness might have been made q
cinderella Of In poiDt OF TACT, she was to our mind
superior in everything to her sister, bat was so
modest and unselfsh that she really seemed to
enjoy efacing herself on every possible occasion
for the Others. She signora IeIe as staff and
burdens on the willing shoulders. She was her
fathers right hand and | am sorry 10 say be made
rather unmerciiul use of IL but sic could see no
FAINT in him. being of those women who
sure TO be mans willing slave to her lies end
and she never dreamed 1hst ne w@s "a S1eGcdedly G
wbims and fads than of her health and pleasure. l
grew TO like the doctor extremely. but never could
forgive ! he calm and unconscious way In which lie
daily accepted ali Pia's little cIihees-
SignoIna Modesto. as have said, was supposed
TO keep house, and she certainly was to be seen
xb.ra and rlaIa a.
tenanoe and pOrtentous keys; and not oven the
parinesan was grated for the minestra until she
gave the word Of command. But saw Pia
staltly in the linenroom. ironing or mending the
great piles of sweet linen, III the kitchen.
connecting some dainty dish, Mlanese fashion, to
delight her fathers soul wthal. OF when hcr aunt
unlocked the cellar door aud stood looking down
into the darkness below, 1t was pia who disap,,
peared INTO those awful shades with a lantern and
basket to fetch up the days supply of vino
This wine was all the produce OF their own
vineyards, and the Doctor was considered very
successful as a wine producer. lie made three
different kinds, the ordinary wine OF the country.
with inferior quality for general use. and
seen 1t was of q clear rose color, with slight
sparkle in it. rather strong, and warming one to
he was very fond of discovering these grand occa-
sions-be treated us TO bottle, we TOOK To quoting
Horace. aud talked of qnafhng tie rich faernan y
in a manner that showed us 10 be sadly III need OF
donnlng the blue ribbon. 49,
There was a delightful little mystery over this
wine An ian ancestor snd TfonR and '' II ws SIet from
father 10 son: as the Doctor had no son, why
'Centna's husband should be given the precious
receipt ON the wedding day.
@Why not Pias husbands" ! thought iin2a-
tiently when the Doctor gave me this account. 1t
pruning his beloved vines. All those about tie
Villa Magno! and the ground surrounding 1t he
did hmsef taking great pride In bis work.
"You see' he told me. by doing il myself am
sure OF its being well done: and then the soldI
save in the hire of man 90 toward making mp
,Centinas d9wTy. felt aggravated. My mothe.rr
Mu0p 4 err mo " 4
our books and work under great Japanese medlar
As the Doctor clambered back up his ladder
@Wby 'Centinas-why not Pia's dovryg"
"Don't you know p said Pia gently. When
papa lost his money we decided he could never
make up two dOwres. or not for many years, 30
naturally gave upmy chaoce to 'Cehtina shall
not marry"
shrlly; there an avvocato from MIlanO-all
we could wish. He bad abated his demands by
1000 lire, when that 'maledetta banca broke and
Pia's dowry went with it, The young man could
not wait while another saved up soldo by sOldo
hut married Luigi Msrlinis daughter at the cigar
mandatory Pia has shown her good heart in
giving up her future prospects to her sister"
looked curiously at Pia. Was there no shadow Of
regret for that mercenary avvocato who had loved
and rode awayf could none She continued
calmly embroiderng her fathers initials a
dinner NAPKIN fancy 1 free: & to all aPrerance,
endless possibilities in that thoughtful. sensitive
face. and it became daily moro interesting study
to Inc.
suppose ! ought to try and describe The sisters
as they appeared 10 me- Pia was above tie middle
height slight and supple, with prettly digmhed
carriage. that might have degeneiated into prm-
ness in one less graceful; her complexion was
clear and pale. and her eyes dark blue, soft and
dreamy; her eyelashes and eyebrows much
darker than her hair which brown with a
golden CLINT IN the sunlight Her was rather
long but hnely formed, and her rare smile very
sweet. lnnocentina was small, and plump as
partridge; she was fair and rosy, with yellow hair
and jet-hlack laughing eyes, and to crown her
charms, had most fascinating dimple in her left
merry cricket and loved to dance. if only with
schoolgirl friend, adored fBery which. be II
said was all hut out of heI reach, and was always
ready to accept a sacrifice from Pia her due, but
IL