Connecticut western news., 1888-03-14
ANGELA,

lam poor, paralyzed fellow who for many years past has been confined to bed or 0 sofa For the last six years I have occupied small room, looking on to one of the narrow side canals of Venice, having no ono about mo but a deaf old woman who makes my bed and attends to my food; and here eke out a poor income of about e3O year by making water color drawings of flowers and fruit (they are the cheapest models in vcnice), and these send to a friend in London, who sells them to a dealer for small sums. But, on the whole, am happy and content.
 It is necessary that should describe the position of my room rather minutely. Its only window is about five feet above the water of the canal, and above it the house projects some six feet and over- hangs the water, the pr rejecting portion being supported by stout piles driven into the bed of tho canal. This ar engagement has the disadvantage (among others) of so limiting my upward view that I am unable to see more than about ten feet of the height of the house inn mediatcly opposite to me, although by reaching as far out of tho window as my infrmity will permit can see for considerable distance up and down the canal, which does not exceed fifteen feet in width. But, although I can see but little of the material house opposite, can see its reflection upside down in the canal, and I contrive to take good deal of inverted interest in such of its inhabitants as show themselves from time to time (always upside down. on its balconies and at its windows.
 When first occupied my room, about six years ago. my attention was directed to the reflection of little girl of thir- teen or so (as nearly as could judge), who passed every day on a balcony just above the upward range of ny limited field of view She had glass of flowers on a little table by her side, and as she sat there in fine weather from early morning until dark, work ing assiduously all the tlmc, I con ! cluded that she earned her living by ncedlework. She was certainly an in. dustrious little girl, and as far as I 1 could judge by her upside down re- fection, neat in her dress and pretty. l She had an old mother, an invalid, who on warm days would sit ou the balcony with her, and it interested me to sec the little maid wrap the old lady in shawls, and bring pillows for her chair and a stool for her feet, and every now and again lay down her work and kiss and fondle the old lady for half min
 ute, and then take up her work again.
 Time went by, and as the little maid grew up her reflection grew down, and at last she was quite little woman of,
 suppose, sixteen or seventeen. I can
 only work for a couple of hours or so in
 the brightest part of the day, so had
 plenty of time. on my hands in which 10
 watch her movements, and sufficient
 imagination to weave a little romance
 about her, and to endow her with a
 beauty which, to a great extent, I had
 to take for granted. Isaw-or fancied
 that could see-that she began to take
 an interest in my reflection (which, of
 course, she could see as I could see
 hers); and one day, when it appeared to me that she was looking right at it.. that is to say, when her reflection ap- peared to be looking right at me- , tried the desperate experiment of nod , ding to her, and to my intense delight
 her reflection nodded in reply. And
 SO our two reflections became known tc one another.
 It did not take me very long to fall in love with her, but long time passed before I could make up my mind to dc more than nod to her every morning, , when the old woman m owed me from my
 bed to the sofa at the window, and again in the evening, whom the little
 maid left the balcony for that day. Ole day, however, when I saw her reflection looking at mine I nodded to her and : threw flower into the canal. Sht ! nodded several times in return, and , saw her draw her mothers attention tt the incident. Then every morning threw flower into the water for ''goot morning." and another in the evening for ''good night" and I soon discovered that had not thrown them altogethcI iu vain, for one day she threw fowe to join mine, and sho laughed ant clapped her hands as the two flower joined forces and hoated away together And then every morning aud every D evening she threw her flower when threw mine, and when the two flower 3 met she clapped her hands, ant 1 50 did I; but when they wer