The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1889-02-08

PRUDENCE IN ITALY.
humorous Picture OF Yankee Wife WI
Italian Family.


Humorous Picture OF a Yankee Wife villa.
an italian Family.
II was Just sixteen years ago sinca
she had first entered the hill town os
81 Francis She had not entered ii
alone, but in the company of a hand
some bridegroom, Antonio Guadagni
oy name. and so happy was she that
every thing had seemed to her enchanl-
iIiS-these same steep streets with
their ancient dwellings. the same dirt.
the same yellowness, the came contiu-
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 at her, she found his family as
-eTnbled. innumerable children Cthey
seemed innumerabe then), a bed-rid-
den grandam, a disreputable old uncle
twho began to compliment her), even
this did not appear burden. though
OF course it was a surprise. For Tonin
had tod her. sadly. that he was "sII
alone in the world" /: had been ono
VI the reasons why she had wished to
marry him-that she might make q
home for so desolate 4 man
Tho homo was already made, and il
WAS somewhat full. Desolate Tonic
explained, with shouts of laughter, in
which ali the assembIage Joined. that
seven Of tho children were his. ID.
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. "a very accomplished
man who had written sonnets Mr..
Guadagni number two had excellent
powers Of vision. but sho was never
able 70 discover the goodness of THE
accomplished uncle; it was a quality
which. Ike the beneicence of angele,
ono Is obliged to take on trust.
She was forty-five, New England
woman. with some small savings, whs
had come to Italy as companion and
attendant TO a distant cousin, an in-
Wild with money. The cousin had
died suddenly 1t Perugia. and Pra-
dencc had allowed the chance of ro-
turning TO Lcdhem with her effects I.
pass by unnoticed-n remarkable
lapse OF the quality Of which her first
name was the exponent, regarding
which her whole life hitherto had
t-een ono sharply outlined example
This lapse was due to her having al
ready become the captive OF this hand
somc. this Irresistible. this wholly ur-
expected Tonic, who was serving n.
waiter in the Perugian inn. Divih-
ing her savings, aud seeing with hi.
oWn eyes her wOndsEtul strength and
energy, this good-4stured reprobais
had m@dc love 20 her little in ths
facile Italian way, and the poor, plain.
slmplc-Eearted spinster, to whom no
one had ever spoken word of gal
lantry IN AL her life before, had been
eompietei.- swept of her balance by
lie novc.ty Of il, and by the throngins
new sensations which his few English
words, his speaking dark eyes, and
arJcuJ cutreatie5 reused in her mai
den breast. 1t wes her one moment Of
madness lrho has not had one?l. Sh.
married him, marveling a little in
Tardly when ne required her 10 walk
To Assist, but content 10 wall, To China
il that =hou' d DO his pleasure. When
she cached the sQualid house on the
height and s.w its crowd OF occupants.
when Ie- uryn money was demanded
to send down TO Assist TO purchase th.
wedding dinner, then she understood
why they had walked.
Bat she mover understood any thing
olso. She never permitted herself te
understand. Tonic, plump and idle,
enjoyed 4 year of paradislacal opulenos
under her ninistrations land in spite
of some Of then) he was eighteen
years younger than she WAS; it wa.
natural that no should wish To- enjoy
oo u larger scale than hers he told
heC A. the end Of Twelve months
fever carried him of, AMI his widow,
who mou ned for him with all her
heart, was left to face the world with the
eight chi drcn, the grandmother, the
good old uncle, and whatever courag.
she wis abe to muster after counting
over and over tho eighty-Gvc dollar.
that a-ous remained 10 her of the six
hundred she had brought him.
or course sho could have gone back
10 her own country. bat that idca
never once occurred 10 her; she had
married. Tonic for better or worse; she
eDuld not in honor desert the worst
now that il had come. L had come in
Forco; on the very day of the funeral
she had been obliged to work eight
hour; un cvory day that had followed
through all these years the hours had
been on Gn average fourteen; some.
times more.-Frorp Ms li'3,Gs2H's
story, IN; Front Yard. q" t.. Harpcr's
IgJ JQz.He-