Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-06-17
BY A W0MAN'S HAND.
CHAPTER I.

CHAPTER l.
 
 feeling nothing. seeing nothing. caring foa no greatness, only grubbing among your cab. bages and forcing me to do the same."
 ''Nita-- Nita Who has put these things into your headi Do you know what you are saying2"
 The agony and entreaty of her sisters voice touched the girl to . feeling of momen- tary regret for her rash impatient words. We'll enough she knew what n dull drcary unlovely life Gennas had been and was yet no complaint ever left the patient lips-no murmur against the constant uphill strug- gle with poverty and labor ever had entered her heart. She had a nature whose sunny content made her happy with very little; a na ture 50 patient and enduring that it showed her no brighter lot which she cared to covet no hardship against which che could rebel,
 He sisters words shocked her greatly. be- traying as they did an inward discontent against the humble peace and safety of her life and a longing for things unattainnble. and therefore, to 0snna's ideas, wrong.
 "1 did not mean to vex you" said Nita, penitently; but. indeed, cannot hslp wish ing for what l said. The faces around me
 
 stupid. monotonous. I am sick of it all. If only could get away.-to Florence-Rome."
 "To Florence" echoed Gonna in amaze ment It was to her as if Nita had said the end of the world, even though from her own high hills, she could see the white. gleaming roofs of the City of Llllies. "To Florence! Oh Nita, my dear, you surely do not mean it3"
 "I do," said the girl. willfully; 'it is so foolish of you and every one here just to live on and plod on. while a days journey away lie beautiful towns and cities of which yon know nothing - of whose marvels you will live and die in total ignorance. lwould go away tomorrow if couid."
 0enna looked at her with a helpless terror that would have been almost ludicrous had not the passionate love in the pathetic brown eyes redeemed the face from its childish be- wilderment. Indeed. Nita had but spoken the truth, for the peasants often live and die within . score of miles of the clties and never travel to see them once. Of any world beside their own hamlet they are as ignorant as children.
 'Some one has been telling you about the cities" said Genna presently. "Who was it?' The hot color surRed to the girls brow at the question. "That is my affair."" she said, sullealy. and so rose and pushed aside her platI, and went of to her own little loft with outanother word.
 donna sat there perplexed, terrified, be- Hildered. What has come to the child?' she murmured, while the great tears gather ed in her eyes and fell down on her coarse, rough hands; "I cannot understand"
 And she could not, for God had given to these two sisters natures different as drought from rain, as summer from winter. NitaS words were all obscure to Genna- terrible. incomprehensible, full of i'll in store.
 From childhood she had been her one care, her one thought the one poem of grace and sweetness and beauty in the dead level of her life. She chung to Nita with an in- tense fidelity. She was the sole ray of light in her long day of toll and ceaseless labor, though both labor and toll were alike unre- compensed, and performed simply from the sense of duty that to her meant lifes strongest obligation. And now this simple, faithful. tender affection was as nothing to her who owned twas not for one moment regarded as worth consideration beside the allure ments of another life in which all was danger, and in which she could have no part.
 "I am nothing to her," she said sadly, and the tears gathered in her great wistful eyes, She went to the room she shared with Nitu and lay down to rest.
 Nita was asleep, looking beautiful as q pie ture, with her flushed checks and tumbled waves of hair, and parted scarlet lips. Genna did not kiss her. She feared to wakep her.
 "She is but ohild," she thought, look1 ne lovingly at the beautiful face. "She did no, mean It."
 And SO comforting herself with that thouch che fell asleep. while the stiffness and fra kfa9ce of the summer night Wrapped all the q4iet house in its own sost mantle of peace add rest.