Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-07-13

know no love.n Thus at times phi losophizes old Gabbadio over his mute friendlings as he sits in his armchair, and tickles the end of his nose with a fresh plucked reseda.* This is his favorite flower, ill formed, almost colorless, yet exhaling sweet perfume from every little fiber and flament. This flower was first brought into Europe in 1752 and had already for years been cultivated by Gabbadio in his gardens and conservatoEies. He loves the little flower so tenderly that he seldom calls his little daughter Teresa by any other name than Reseda- She seems to him the embodiment of this wondrously fragrant flower soul And in this he does little injustice to the beautiful child, for little Reseda Is in all her simplicity and modesty a glorious creature. She be- longs to the rose world in the richness of her nature
 Today she scarcely knows how her head keeps It's steadiness. The father is tied by gout to bis armchair, and this afternoon Is the flower corso, and @ hundred orders are yet to be executed, and the care of all this falls almost entirely upon her. The two old servant women are of little help to her. One must be young to know how to bind flowers. Resedchen is skilled in this beautiful art as no one else. She knows what odors belong together and how to mingle them; what colors fall into beautiful harmony and con- trast, and a bouquet bound by her hand is always masterpiece of fragrance and per feet natural beauty. Hard 1t seems that such things must wither! The old man watched over the work from the ad- joining room, but as often as he called out about this or that order it is found already dispatched or quite ready. 1.-Two hundred little nosegays for the Palazzo Ruspoli, for get not, Resedal' 'Quite ready. papal" "As many for the Palazzo Chlgaw "AI ready, papa" And the flowers for the Pa lazzo SciarraP "Quite ready, papai" Amax- ing it Is, almost a marvel, to see the swiftness with which the little maiden fingered the flowers piled up before her; how quickly she seizes the roses, violets, pansies, geraniums, hyacinths, orange blossoms, and arranges them with exquisite art. It is as if the flow CTS flew together, lovingly seeking each other Reseda is their mistress. They divine her wishes, they anticipate her thoughts. They seem to ask sadly why now and then little cloud fits over her fair brow. Does our beautiful queen sorrowa Does she grieve, perchance, that she must bind flowers for others, but remain herself away from the festivitya In truth, queen, thou shouldst also be there. And see how the flowers grow merry and rally the maiden as she blushes. over secret thought. Of what is the beau,
 
 of the gay Bertino Brandani, who buys so many bouquets of her. An, see how the, beautiful maiden is perplexed She is afraid, she remains seated. But the kindly voices of the bells drown these loose chat terings. Every maiden, as every fragrant flower, has her own secret; that is the charm of the maiden and of the flower and none shall invade 1t. The fraumothers are much too good to grieve the lovely queen. Out of thousand flower cups and bell blos- sons ring out words of comfort. "Hold thy patience little, dear queen, we will surely help thee to 0 husband, but we know not of a certainty yet if it Is to be the gay Bertino." And the bouquet of camellias which the Signorina Giletta orderedg" again cried out the old man. 'I am just binding it." an- swered the little daughter. The camelia was then as yet one of the rare flowers. The Jes- uit father Camelli had brought 1t from Ja-> pan into Europe in the first half of the century. Gabbadio cultivated it with the greatest success, but beyond that cared little for its odorless, spiritless beauty. A suitable flower for Giletta, he would have thought, certainly, had his respect for the upper, classes been no stronger than his flower phil osophy. This bouquet also Is now ready Reseda has fashioned it with especial care, meanwhile involuntarily asking herself to whom the sgnorina would throw it. ''To; Bertino, to Bertino!' hum the voices under the flowers. The clouds are gathering over the bright stars which will dim her bright eyes. "Al readyF' inquiries the old man. "Yes, papa" A few resedas are left among the heaps of various flowers. Half mechani- cally the maiden gathered them together, and stuck an open red blossom in the midst. That plain little nosegay, with the flaming red in the center, is not slow tongued to tell of open heart wounds. She inhales thank fully the mild fragrance.
 Alas, this Bertino! How could she, a gar dener's daughter, even so much as think of it, that he could become hersa As little as that this poor nosegay should ever adorn his coat! And the flowers murmured in chorus: Comfort thee, beautiful queen-it is not he; it is another"
 The Corso was splendidly decorated for the flower festival. The windows were hung with carpets, the balconies with bright silken stutfs bedecked, the logga displayed adornments of various kinds. Each house strove to outdo the other in show and osten- tion. But the palm of beauty belongs to those whose windows and balconies were filed with groups of lovely maiden faces. 'SFlowers and maidens" becomes the watch word of the day. In the narrow street of the Corso, stopped here and there by the thronging masses of people, two lines of car riages pass up and down in opposite direc- tions, and the occupants of the flower laden equipages pelt each other from opposite sides with large and small bouquets. The lovely missiles dart hither and thither, they fly up to the beautiful faces at the windows or fall flung by these pretty ones upon the heads, and Eecks, and noses of the pass CTS beneath. Meanwhile they overhead pour upon the moving sea below a rain of many colored paper clip pings, and cast Ger the whole carni- val scene a glittering variegated cloud. Upon the balcony of the Palazzo Lamberto stands Giletta at her fathers side. Near her is great basket, filled with little bouquets, which Messer Lamberto was plundering with busy hand He bombarded all, friends and acquaintances. The basket was soon emptied, and the canellias alone remained, which Giletta, however, holds in reserve. A gold ring, plain, but expressive, had been placed by her among the flowers. In this manner sought she to convey encouragement to her silent adOrer, Bertino Long she waited for