The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1888-12-21


Humorous Picture or Yankee wife with
an italian Family.
II was just sixteen years ago since
she had first entered the hill town OF
ST. Francis. She had not entered 1t
alone, but in the company Of hand
some bridegroom. Antonio Guadagni
by name, and SO happy was she that
every thing had seemed TO her enchant-
ing-these same steep streets with
their ancient dwellings, the same dirt.
the same yellowness. the came contin-
nous leisure and causeless beatitude.
And when her Tonic took her through
the town and up this second ascent to
the squalid little house. where. staring
and laughing and crowding nearer to
look ri her. she found his family as
sembled. innumerable children (they
seemed innumerable then). bed-rid-
den grandam, disreputable old uncle
(who began to compliment her), even
this did not appear burden. though
OF course il was q surprise. For Tonic
had told her. sadly. that he was ''all
alone in the world" Il had been one
Of the reasons why she had wished TO
marry him-that she might make q
home for so desolate man.
| The home was already made. and 1t
was somewhat full. Desolate Tonic
explained. with shouts OF laughter, in
which all the asscmblage joined, that
seven Of the children were his. the
eighth being an orphan nephew left to
his care; his wife had died eight
months before. and this was her grand
mother--on the bed there; this her
good old uncle, very accomplished
man who had written sonnets. Mrs.
Guadagni number two had excellent
powers Of vision, but she was never
able to discover the goodness OF this
accomplished uncle; it was quality
which. like the beneficence Of angels,
one is obliged to take on trust.
She was forty-five. a New England
woman. with some small savings. who
had come to Italy as companion and
attendant to a distant cousin. an in
valid with money. The cousin had
died suddenly at Perugia. and Pru-
dence had allowed the chance OF re-
turning to Ledham with her effects to
pass by unnoticcd-a remarkable
lapse Of the quality Of which her first
name was the exponent. regarding
which her whole life hitherto had
been one sharply outlined example.
This lapse was due to her having al
ready become the captive Of this hand
some. this irresistible, this wholly UNI
expected Tonic. who was serving as
waiter In the Perugian inn. Divin-
| ing her savings, and seeing with his
own eyes her wonderful strength ard
energy, this good-natured reprobate
had made love to her q little in the
facile Italian way, and the poor, plain,
simple-hearted spinster, to whom no
one had ever spoken word Of gal.
lantry in all her life before, had been
completely swept on her balance BY
the novelty OF il. and by the thronging
new sensations which his few English
words, his speaking dark eyes. and
ardent entrcaties reused in her mai
den breast II was her one moment OF
madness (who has not had one?). She
married him. marveling little in
wardly when he required her to walk
to Assist, but content to walk to China
| II that should be his pleasure. When
shc reached the squalid house on the
height and saw its crowds Of occupants.
when her own money was demanded
to send down to Assist TO purchase the
wedding dinner. then she understood
why they had walked.
| But she never understood any thing
else. She never permitted herself to
understand Tonic. plump and idle.
enjoyed a year Of paradisiacal opulence
under her ministrations (and In spite
OF some Of them); he was eighteen
years younger than she was; Il was
natural that he should wish to enjoy
on larger scale than hers-so he told
her. At the end Of twelve months a
fever carried him OF. AMI his widow.
who mourned for him with all her
heart. was left to face the world with the
eight children. the grandmother, the
good old uncle, and whatever courage
she was able TO muster after counting
over and over the eighty-five dollars
that alone remained to her OF the six
hundred she had brought him.
OF course she corld have gone back
70 her own country. but that idea
never once occurred TO her; she had
married Tonic for better or worse; shc
could not in honor desert the worst
now that IL had come. II had come in
force; On the very day Of the funeral
she had been obliged to work eight
hours; on every day that had followed
through all these years the hours had
been on IN average fourteca; some
times more. From Mss Wooison's
story, "zAe Front Yard" ~ Han y .
Magazine.