The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1888-01-26

of Lombardy, is tiny hamlet called
Piatico. It has church, and the few
strangers who visit the quiet little
nook and enter the sanctuary wonder
at the handsome lace decorating the
Madonna's blue silk petticoat. All
the rest of the ornamentation is SO
tawdry and poor that the delicate fab
ric looks strangely out of place. How
came it there? is a question the cid
woman who unlocks the door is
proud to answer.
Amy and [ had put up for the hot
test summer weeks at the barn-like
old post inn at Piatico. Often during
our walks through the chestnut woods,
or up the steep paths of the mountain
side, we met tall, slim girl of eight
cen, with strikingly beautiful dark
eyes, which haunted US by reason Of
their extreme sadness. She wore a
skimp gown of homespun, its original
color matter of conjecture only; her
we'll modelled feet were bare, and she
was usually in charge of seven sheep
and one little lame black lamb.
Sometimes we saw her sitting under
tree knitting an interminable blue
stocking-for other feet than her
own. evidently-while the sheep graz
ed. Or in the open field, in the pour
ing rain, this ghost-like girl would sit
on the soaking ground, huddled under
an old green umbrella-this to restrain
a neighbor's cow, getting her supper
of grass, from invading an adjacent
cabbage patch. The girl always gave
us a gracious "Good-day" as she
passed, and seemed pleased when Amy
smiled at her in return.
"Who is she?" we inquired Of the
mistress of our inn.
"You mean the girl who drives the
sheep with the lame black lamb among
them" answered our hostess. THAT
is Crocifssa, poor girl, the convict's
daughter. Hers is a hard lot among
a little community where none lie on
roses, l assure you. Her father, San
dro, has bad history, and the shadow
of it darkens the girls life
''Oh, tell it," cried Amy, dropping
down upon stool beside the comfort
old dame.
ut is soon told, signora; the story
of most sins is short; it is the misery
of them that drags on YEARLY. When
Sandro was young he killed a man in
a passion of jealousy; a woman at the
bottom Of the affair, of course-stab-
bed him from behind in the dark, and
threw him down into the Lima to
drown if the wound was not deep
enough to give him his death. They
were a year or more fastening the
murder upon Sandro, but he confessed
it at last over glass too many of
Chianti. He was sentenced for TWEEN
ty years to prison and hard labor.
When his time was out, strangely
enough, he chose to come back here to
Piatico; and, stranger still, he found
a woman foolish enough to marry
him, knowing all about his crime
This poor, weak thing died when Gro
cifssa was born, and the child's life
has been so wretched it seems a pity
she did not die, too
''Are they so very poor?''
"Miserably; and because of the IA
theirs disgrace everybody shuns the
daughter Cruel, isn't it? But that
is the way of the the world | should
make one exception when | say every
one turns the cold shoulder upon her
Perhaps the saddest part of Croeifssa's
history is that she has lover whom
she can scarcely ever hope to marry"
us he so poor, too9"
''Dio mio! yes. His name is Reno,
a very good fellow, but no luck. He
makes little money with his donkey,
fruit and vegetables to the
hotel at Abetone, but he has a blind
old mother to help and he can save
Crocifssa earns few francs
spinning and knitting stockings, and
the profits from the sheep put scan
ty supply of bread in the mouths of
the convict and his daughter and keep
a crazy roof over their heads. Croci-
issa can make beautiful lace, but she
hurts her eyes at it, and a doctor told
her she would go blind if she made
any more"
''She has such lovely eyesr' said
Amy, enthusiastically.
''Yes, with bit Of happiness to
brighten her she would be the pref
biest girl in these parts. AS it is, her
good looks are little use. poor thing"
Cant Reno hit upon a more pay
ing business than donkey driving?" [
ask.
''He wishes to go down to the Ma
remma, where he would get good wa
ges and be able to put by a little, but
Crocifssa will not hear Of it. She is
right, l think, for Reno is not strong,
and the marsh fever would be sure to
carry him off. Few people have been
kind to the girl, and no dog ever loved
his master as Crocifssa loves Reno"
"Poor girl! what pity they cannot
make each other happy!'
IF they had little capital, 200 or
300 francs, to hire and furnish room