The National tribune., 1889-02-28

j !. J. ] ]. ]. !. I. !. D. |. . ] !. ! !.
inner heart more closely
N than it were possible to
NA enclasp q human arm.
NA Hemust be dead, to have
Ell sent il to me. He prom
III III ised that-and this the
80 4k-e3t Ei tokenI What part has
ses-S T3-this tinsel thing taken
- - In my sad life. What
thousand unseen
thoughts its slender
~ folds enfold. What a
-Il7FFsSA myriad miseries its jew
d @ eled head could men
ton. And / am writ
snp. little bv little the history of a useless
life. Let me begin whore first can remember.
was but child when the mention OF ltallas
Unity was terrible treason TO half hundred
Kings and Dukes. Yet my father a quiet
and unostentatious man, knew in my child
ish way, believed in that possiblity-was GER
tain OF that future. Ny mother had long since
been dead and we lived-father and I'm an
humble little cottRge on an olive hillside, some
way back Of Genoa. E0Y well remember the
secret meetings there; the many daTk-faced
mon with always-it seemed to me-tangied
masses OF hair: men who wore long cloaks and
always stepped noiselessly and looked about
with every sound. They came 10 our little
parlor et all hours of the night, and father got
MP Willingly. and there would follow long whis-
pered conversations, and the strangers would
IS noiselessly take their leave Father told me
that they were the pstriots-the real ones-Of
New Italy. Then, what a correspondence my
father had. He seemed to be writing to every
one IN the land, or else everyone writing to
him. With this / used often to help him.
What tangled names they were sometimes
and TO what odd places they were sent. Little
I cared withal save when / saw how worried
often was my noble parent. At other times
wandered of over the fields nd amongst the
budding flowers Often I would walk TO the
cliH, rot very far from where our cottage stood,
and. lying fat down, look so far below at the
blue sea breaking on the rocks beneath. As
years rolled on and / became older and more
FOmaRly, al manner Of rumors filed the air Of
our quiet surroundings, and more people came
70 see my father. Well remember one night
in6eed-the first time / saw Carlo Spetzioai. 1
knew him only By name before, as my father
otter spoke grandly of him. But was peeping
through the crack in tie halfopen door at the
Strange group that, about q rongh table. sur
rounded By father. Al seemed TO be taking
al Ecsticalating-whe the outer door few
back and there entered a splendid young and
handsome man. He had the cloak about him one
end hanging loosely on his left shoulder He
wore the great sl0uch hat Of the period, and
had leathern CATERS 10 reach above his knees.
he shut the door noiselessly behind him, and
then advanced 70 the table. All greeted him
IN whispers. bat my father rose up and took
= u
Can / forget2 Can woman's inner heart be
ever cold and really dead? How grand he
looked, with white clenched fists upon the
wooden table. the jetty hair thrown back, the
dark eyes agloW with the fire Of thought and
speech. For an hour be spoke rapidly to them
al. They all were silent at the end. Throw
ing back his head and raising his straight arm
up, he half shouted: Viva GRribaldii"
pushed the door aside and stood amidst them
these patriots. /, TOO, raised my arm and hand,
snd with my fingers resting on the shoulder of
my astonisbed father shouted:
Viva Italia libre! Viva Garibaldi!n
Little woman" Whispered Carlo, ''gracia-
we wish the sympathy Of women, but the ac-
lions Of men. Goodnight"
The beautiful days that followed then 10 me,
when We two-Carlo and Marietta-spent the
long sunny hours together. We would walk
for miles about our little place, and even some
times down 10 the great city Of Genoa. with its
sunless streets and lefty, ancient buildings.
Carlo knew eyerything-frOm the history of
every dusty statue TO the old paintings in the
CHURCHES. / noticed once-and Il made my
heart ache little at the time-that be was not
50 oeTout rs be ought 70 be; and / asked him
afterwards, as We were climbing the dusty road
toward hOme-I put my arm about his waist
there was no one that could see US. and It was.
toe, growing dusk-bcsides, / loved him
i
looked ap into his splendid face.
. Yes-child," he said slowly.
Bat, said, 1 mean in our God-in the
hsly Father, and these reverend priests and
al these splendid chunches?"
All child! childi" he answered soIemnlv;
the time is near at hand when all these Will
quake with the rumblings Of a mighty storm
The time Is near at band when the long. lone
enchaiaed souls Of thinking men-who, think
Ing these many dcsp0tic years-will burst theil
bonds, shake the very Pontif in his chair, and
echo from every hill Of disunited and unhappy
Italy the one mighty shout, Unity Liberty, ol
Death y" his voice grew quite hushed as h,
ceased. " But come" lie said suddenly; "wl
must get hone-it Is late"
So we hurried on. Another day we were il
Genoa, and Carlo took me to q jeBelry-shop
and on the way lie said, Little one we ar,
betrOthed, are we not, and viii some day mar
y. Your kind father says yes to meg" +" Oh
Carlo, Carlo how happy am !" "Then mns
] give you something 70 seal our VOWS" ",
We're simple people and poor, so picked out
little ring. But Carlo had selected q pecuIi a
thing FOR me TO wear. aud had placed il abou
my wrist. 1t was little golden bracelet i K
Q tiny serpent, with jeweled eyes. 1T wa
the serpent" Carlo said, that in Eden frs
tempted man. This viii remind both you an,
PIE thai Of all the Garth you alone could temp
tae 10 Forget my OATH" / wondered at hi
words and often worried over them, but i
the events that now fast hurried on / 500
forget thcm. Not long after a whole day pass
Cd and Carlo came not TO see me. Nor th
next-or next. ] wandered aiInlessly, hope
lessiy, about. ] thought, I dreamed, I wept
But ] Vas Loo proud 10 say or ask OF anyone
flll enc morning came home and found NJ
fatner walking up aud down the little room
Wlth hls hands clinciled behind him and hi
head dropping on his chest pile Of ope
letters ~ scattered about the floor, and her
ana there was pushed chair about as if othe
men had been bet shortly here. went TO hiI
and put NY hand upon his arm.
Father where is Carlog7
He HIS gone. dear child"
Gone? Gomez Where2" Ny hand treu
bled on his arm, my knees grew weak beneat
me, and my heart stopped lis beating.
Gone 10 Aapoli-gone to obey his OATH
j reached my room, threw myself upon NJ
little bcd-and-aA men and more wone
know what is grief and great agony-though
that burn and rush seOurging through Ii
heart; eyes that VIII not open the fountai
OF blessed tears; then dull, dead argumen
thai are weighted with the lead Of an la
consciousness that some great sorrow has el
tered The portals Of your life. had but OF
cry. What cared ] for Italy indeedg WI
Children Cry fo