Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1890-09-05
MARIETTA'S IDEAL.

Marietta Polli stood at the corner of
one of the side streets of Naples, past
which the great post road from Gaeta to
Policrasta ran. She had her small
rough table near by, and she played her
guitar, singing the while to her accom-
paniment. Her entire property consist
ed of the already mentioned rough and
rudely painted table, a colored saucer
that stood upon it and in which the
passers by now and then dropped coin,
and her guitar-for by profession she
was street singer.
Every morning found Marietta at her
stand. She placed the empty saucer
upon the table. and taking the guitar
sang from 7 until o'clock sacred songs,
from o'clock until - songs from the
best known operas. Then from noon
until evening national love songs. Dur
ing the evening she sang miscellaneous
collection of character songs. AS soon
as it grew dark a small lamp with red
shade was lighted and placed upon the
table near the saucer. AS the clock
struck the hour of II Marietta blew out
her light, drew the strap of her guitar
over her shoulder, ernptied the saucer Of
its contents into her pocket, and hanging
the lamp on bracket fastened in the
wall above her stand raised the table to
the top of her head and walked off. Her
nights were spent in the hall of a house
which was regularly closed at 10 o'clock.
In this hall shoe member kept his work
ing bench and it was upon this bench
that Marietta made her bed. Marietta
was one of "a family Her mother made
her living by selling pocket handker-
chiefs, opera glasses, cigars, spectacles
and any other such things which her
light fingered boys picked from the
pockets of strangers and residents alike.
Nine. Polli understood the business
well, and knew how to keep the boys at
work. But some days trade was not
good and then they had to go hungry
Once week they all met at the grand
promenade" ground Then Marietta gave
each boy an orange and some chestnuts,
and to the mother some money. Soon
she would leave them and disappear
among the crowd. The boys passed their
nights in boxes under baskets, or on the
ships in the harbor. AT noon they al
ways joined their mother in one of the
"macaroni Kitchens" where they de-
.hvered their wares and fed themselves
upon macaroni cooked in oil, stewed APP
pies and fried fish, all Of which they pro-
cured for fifty centesimi, and, if bust
ness had been brisk, they would spend
sixty or seventy centesimi. Then they left,
parting each for his place of business.
SO lived this family of Polli. whether
it was right or wrong, making the most
of their talents.
Marietta was the most respectable Of
them all, for she dressed well, spent her
nights regularly upon her bench, and
also earned quite sum of money. Her
brothers reckoned she must make as
much us three Tires day. during some
parts of the year, and they often Won
dered whittier it could be that she carried
the money, and what became Of it,
This was question which puzzled both
mother and brothers, but only in times
of great needs were calls made upon
Marietta's bounty, and then she gave
sparingly, but yet enough.
Marietta's beauty was well known.
From her father, who by birth was a
Roman. she inherited here wonderfully
fine figure, her clear, broad forehead,
and her beautiful eyes. From her Sci
liam mother, her handsome nose, the
small, firm mouth, and the wealth of
black, curly hair, which blew about her
when she threw back her head in the act
of singing. and the melancholy look
which came into her eyes as she sang,
but which changed into a smile if by
chance some passer-by favored her with
bit of money.
With men in general she had little tC
say, yet as she passed along in her sing
ing, her neighbor upon the corner (whC
sat all day behind basket of dried
pumpkin seeds, across the top of which
was arranged board, upon which wer,
displayed the seeds) would stop mo
ment now and then to talk. The pro
fession of street singer had, even among
her class, a certain social standing, anC
she was thought to be a good girl AM
had the respect of all, many wealth,
family helping her by gift of clothes
Even the old principal Dorandi," as h
passed her stand each morning upon hi
way to the Palazzo used to speak to her
and he left her at his death ten hundre
Tires.
Marietta demanded a great deal of re
spect, and strangers who dared to smil
upon her received only cold looks an
scornful frowns. Even the most flattel
ing remarks upon her beauty We're with
out avail A sutton from the Hotel
Rome" with his gold braided coat, wa