Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1888-02-11

And hr.art vss light and gay.
Emma c. Dowd In Frank LnslieN
AN NINVERTED LOVE STORY
Tam . poor, paralyzed fellow. who TO
many years past has been conh led to
bed or sofa. For the last six years
have occupied small room. looking on {,
one OF the narrow side canals Of Venice
having no one about me hut . deaf Ole
woman, who makes my bed and attend,
to my food; and here I exc out . poor in
como OF about ESQ . year by makinl
| water color drawings Of flowers anC
fruit they are the cheapest models II
Venice), and these send to . friend In
London, who sells them to . dealer fol
small sums. But, OH the whole, I An
happy and content
1t is necessary that I should describe the
position Of my room rather minutely. it,
only window Il about five feet above the
water of the canal, and above 1t the h0us<
projects some six feet, and Overhangs the
water, the projecting portion being sup.
ported by stout piles driven into the bed
of the canal. This arrangement has the
disadvantage famong Others, OF SO limit
ing my upward view that am unable to
see more than about ten feet Of the height
Of the house immediate opposite TO me,
although by reaching as far out Of the
window as my infirnity will permit I can
see for . considerable distance up and
down the canal. which does not exceed
fifteen feet in width. But, although can
see but little 0f the material house oppo-
site, can see Its reflection upside down in
the canal. and l contrive to take a good
deal OF inverted interest in such OF its in
habitants as show themselves from time
to time always upside DOWN on its bal
comics and ut its windows.
When first occupied my room, about
six years aSp. my attention was directed
to the reflection Of little girl Of Is or 80
las nearly Us could judgc). who passed
every day on balcony just above the up
ward range Of my limited field OF view.
She had glass Of flowers and . crucifix
on - little table by her side, and as she sat
there. in fine weather, from early morn
I'm. until dark, working assiduously all
the time. I concluded that she earned
her living by ncedlework. She was Ger
ta,nly nn industrious little girl, and - far
as could judge by her upside down re-
lection, neat in her dress and pretty.
She had an old mother. an invalid. who
on warm days would sit on the balcony
with her. and IL interested me to see the
little maid wrap the old lady in shawls
api bring pillows for her chair and n stool
for her feet, and every now and sgain lay
down her work and kiss and fondle the
old lady for half minute, and then take
up her work again.
Time went by, and AZ the little maid
grew IN her reflection grew down, and ut
last she was quite little woman Of.
suppose, l6 or II. can only work for
couple OF hours or SO in the brightest part
hands in which to watch her movements,
and sufficient imagination to weave o lit
tie romance about her, and to endow her
had to take for granted. saw-or
iancied that I could see-that she began
to take an interest in my reflection (which,
II course. she could see as could see
ncrsi; and one day, when 1t appeared to
ne that she was looking right at mel
.ried the desperate experiment OF nodding
20 her, and to my intense delight her ne
lection nodded to mo In reply. And 20
,ur two reflections became known to ono
mother.
1t die. not take me very long to fall In
ove With her, but . long time passed b.
ore could make up my mind to do moro
han nod to hePevery morning, when the
I'D woman moved me from my bed to the
,ofa ut the window, and again in the even
ne, when the little maid left the balcony
or that day. One day, however, whom
saw her reflection hooking at mine, nod
led to her and threw flower into the
anal She nodded several times in re-
urn, and I saw her direct her mothers
to the incident Then every
morning threw flower in the water for
good morning." and another Ia the even
ns for good night" and soon discov-
red that had not thrown them altogether
u vain, for one day she threw . flower to
DIN mine, anti she laughed and clapped
Ter hands as the two flowers joined forces
.nd fioated away together. And then
very morning she threw her flower when
threw mine. and when tho two flowers
net sl.e clapped her hands, and % did L;
IL: when they were separated, - they
ometimes were, owing to one. Of them |
aving met an obstruction which did |
o. latch the other, she threw up her |
ands in pretty affectstion Of despair,
rhich tried to initiate, but in an Eng |
ish and unsuccessful fashion. And when |
hey were rudely run down by . passing |
ondola (which happened not infreQuently) |
he pretended to cry and did the same |
hen, in pretty pantOmime, she would |
DIN. downward to the sky, TO tell me
hat 1t was destiny that caused tho ship |
Treck Of our flowers, and I, in pantomime
ot nearly SO pretty, would try TO convey |
D her that destiny would be kinder next |
me. and that, perhaps, tomorrow our
overs would be more fortunate-and so
be innocent courtship went on. One day
he showed me her crucifix and kissed 1t,
nd thereupon look a little silver cruel
x which always stands by me, and kissed
hat. and SO she knew that we were one
, religion
One day the little maid did not appear
n her balcony, and for severa days saw
othing Of her, and although threw my
over as usual no flower came to keep It
Dmpany. However, after time che re-
ppesred dressed in black and crying
ften, and then I knew that the poor
he was alone in the world. The flowers
lme no more for many days, nor did she
how any sign Of recognition, but kept her
yes on her work, except when she placed
er handkerchief to them. And opposite
, her was the old lady's chair, and
1uld sec that from time to time she
'ould lay down her work and gaze at it,
nd then flood Of tears would come to
er relief But at last one day she reused
erself TO nod to me. and then her flower
,me. Day after day my flower went
nth 10 join II, and with varying fortunes
le two flowers sailed away as Of yore.
But the darkest day Of all to me was
hen q good looking young sondoiier,