The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1891-10-09

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would lay down her work and gaze at It,
\ and then flood Of tears would come to
( her relief. But at last one day she reused
herself to nod to me- and then her flower
came Day after day my flower went
I forth to join Ii, and with varying fortunes
! the two flowers sailed away as of yore.
But the darkest day Of all to me was
when good looking young gondolier
standing right end uppermost in his gon-
J dola tfor could see him in the flesh),
4 worked his craft alongside the house and
stood talking to her as she sat on the
balcony They seemed to speak as old
/ friends--indeed as well as / could make
| out he held her by the hand during the
whole Of their interview, which lasted
quite half an hour. Eventually he pushed
Off, and left my heart heavy within me.
But soon took heart OF grace, for SO soon
as he was out OF sight the little maid
threw two flowers growing on the same
stem--an alegory Of which could make
nothing, until 1t broke upon me that she
meant to convey to Inc that he and she
were brother and sister, and that had no
cause to be sad. And thereupon nodded
to her cheerily, and she nodded to me and
laughed aloud, and | laughed in return,
and all went on again as before.
Then came dark and dreary time, for
1t became necessary that should undergo
treatment that confined me absolutely to
my bed for many days, and worried and
fretted to think that the little maid and
could see each other no longer, and worse
still, that she would think that had gone
away without even having hinted to her
that | was going And lay awake at
night wondering how ! could let her know
the truth, and fifty plans fitted through
my brain, all appearing to be feasible
enough ut night, but absolutely wild and
impracticable in the morning One day
and II was bright day indeed for me-
the old woman who attended me told me
that II gondolier had inquired whether the
English signor had gone away or had died;
and so learned that the little maid had
been anxious about me, and that she had
sent her brother to inquire, and the
brother had no doubt taken to her the
reason of my protracted absence from the
window.
From that day, and ever after, during
my three weeks of bed keeping, flower
was found every morning on the ledge Of
my window, which was within easy reach
Of any one in boat, and when at last q
day came when could be moved j took
my accustomed place on the sofa at the
window, and the little maid saw me and
stood ON her head, so to speak, and clapped
her hairtls upside down with delight that
was us eloquent as any right end up de-
light could possibly be. So the first time
the gondolier passed my window beck
oued to him. and he pushed up along
side and told me, with many bright smiles,
that he was glad indeed to see me well
again. Then | thanked him and his
sister for their kind thoughts about me
during my retreat, and then learned from
him that her name was Angela, and that
she was the best and purest maiden Of all
Venice, and that any one might think
himself happy indeed who could call her
sister, but that he was happier even than
her brother for he was to be married to
her, and indeed they were to be married
the next day,
bursting, and the blood rushed through
my veins so that / could hear it and
nothing else for u while | managed ut
last to stammer forth some words Of
awkward congratulation, and he left me,
singing merrlly, after asking PERMISSION
to bring his bride to see me on the morrow
as they returned from church.
'For, y said he, "my Angela has known
you for very long-ever since she was
child, and she has often spoken to me of
the poor Englishman who was good
Catholic, and who lay all day long for
years and years on sofa at window,
and she had said over and oyer again how
dearly she wished that She could speak to
him and comfort him; and one day, when
you threw flower into the canal, she
asked me whether she might throw an
other, and / told her yes for he would
understand that it meant sympathy with
one who was sorcly afflicted
And so learned that it was pity, and
not love, except indeed such love as is
akin to pity, that prompted her to interest
herself in my welfare, and there was an
end Of itaall.
For the two flowers that | thought were
on one stem were two flowers tied to-
gether (but could not tell that, and they
were meant to indicate that she and the
gondolier were atlianced lovers, and my
expressed pleasure at this symbol de-
lighted her for she took ii to mean that I
rejoiced in her happiness,
And the next day the gondolier came
with train of other gondoliers, all decked
in their holiday garb, and in his gondola
sat Angela, happy and blushing at her
happiness, Then he and she entered the
house in which dwelt, and came into my
room (and it was strange indeed, after SO
many years of inversion, to see her with
her head above her feeD and then she
wished me happiness and speedy restor-
alton to good health (Which could never
be, and |, in broken words and with tears
in my eyes, gave her the little crucitix
that had stood by my bed or my table for
SO many years, And Angela took it
reyerently, and crossed herself, and kissed
it, and so departed with her delighted