Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-10-31
CHAPTER II.


He used 70 come back to sing before the hotel
twice a week, and always after the first few bars
OF his song she used to appear on the balcony
and lean on the marble and listen and watch
him. He was always sure of having his silver
franc thrown down, folded in paper. On the
morning OF the flower carso, at the end of the
carnival, she threw him two, and often the girl
with the gray eyes threw him one also. They
never threw him coppers, and they generally
waved their hands to him and said ..Buon
gurino" as be picked up his money.
Whether money was thrown from other bal
comics or not, he was always sure of his little
revenue from the one where the black figure
stood listening
Being bright spirited boy who liked to be
appreciated he began to rather look forward to
his mornings before the hotel. He felt some
how as if these ladies liked him and were his
friends He began even to feel thu; he had a
sort of claim upon them, and he always sang
his best under their balcony and made his
most graceful bow.
One day they were walking through the town
and boy, passing them, stepped aside from
the narrow pavement and, pulling OF his cap,
''Buon gurino, Signoras"
The tall girl turned to look at him.
An, she said, that is our boy who sings.
He is alone and he knew US and said .Buon
gurino.'"
The lady in black turned also. ..Yes, il is
49, oNys ehC cdiu. Al. iet US 20 Udch ana
talk to him little. want to see him closer"
10 Giovanni's surprise they turned back aud
came toward him. He stopped and pulled off
his cap again. He had smooth, pretty, dark
haired head. and seen close he was handsome
boy with a merry smiling face.
You sing for US before our hotel don't
you! said the gray-eyed girl. speaking
Italian.
Isl, signorina." be answered feeling pleased
at her gentle, friendly manner.
what is your nameY
Giovanni Calcagni."
And you are fond of music?'
Isl, 81, Signorina," smiling
Then they asked him how old he was and
where he had learned to sing and he told them
he was fourteen and had always sang little
songs. but about three years ago a one-eyed
man had taken him about with him to sing
before the villas and hotels and SO he had
learned to sing better.
''The signora, here" said the tall girl '.has a
boy who Is fourteen years old, like you, and he
has beautiful voice and sings some of YOUR
Italian songs, so the signora likes to hear You
sing, very much"
lis the signorine in San Remo?' Giovanni
asked.
No, he was was not in San Reno. He was.
In America. Giovanni had heard of America:
IL was far away. A long voyage across the sea
people went there and became rich. There had
been San Remese sailor-quite a common
man-who had gone there. and after two years
had come back and built wonderful villa by
the sea- 1t was a marveiously Ornamental
villa, Enthusiastically decorated Giovanni had
once heard that there were forestieri who
smiled at 1t and said it was decorated like a
wedding cake. But it was known to have cost
great deal Of money and the owner had made
all this money in America, though no one knew
how. Probably he had picked it up in the
streets.
This made the lady in black and her friend
aoditlonally interesting. They were of course
rich as they lived at the Grand Hotel des Anglais
and threw ont silver to singers. But it more
than Interesting to hear OF boy OF his own
age who lived in America and also sang La
BELLA Serrentina, and the rest, in italian. 1t
seemed enviable
The lady in black looked at him with long
ing in her eyes and she gave him a franc for
himself on the spot and then the two smiled
and left him.
Il wonder said the lady In black as they
walked along the promenade under the palm
trees, IL wonder if he will have a fine Voice
when he Is man. 1t is difficult to tell. l sup
pose. l have always heard so. Musicians
always advise me not to let Geof use his voice
too much, now he is growing older"
That Is the great point believe" said her
companion. ''Giovanni's voice is a beautiful
one but 1t may not be so fine when it changes
into mans voicc-certainly it won't if he
strains it by singing too much now and by
forcing his notes"
ut would be a cruel thing for il to be
spoiled, returned the lady in black, reflect
lively Think what future it might make
splendid gift
Now you are making a story out Of him."
said the girl with a caressing little laugh you
are imagining he may have a career before
him and be world-renowned tenor. / know
your little ways"
The lady in black smiled.
Yes, she answered, ''of course. am a
romantic person and will have my story
whenever have chance-there is a shadow of
chance. See what story it would be, Ger
trude! Here he is-Giovanni-a perfectly
simple, ordinary little peasant boy, singing
about the streets with one-eyed man and a
harpist and feeling quite rich when one throws
him franc. have no doubt he thinks it is
quite splendid to be one of the forestieri and
i've In a hotel. He probably lives in one
Cita fecchia'-one Of those in the climbing
streets which are like corridors and have little
archways thrown from house to house and an
parentiy nc windows, only tiny square holes
with rusty bars across. You remember how
dark they are. and how green things grow out
OF the Stones and how sometimes there are
sheep or cows in the room on the first floor"
I'VE will suppose he lives there and sits with
the sheep when it is cold. He eats polenta
and farnata and castagnone-those brownish
and yellowish slabs. which look like unin-
Wiling pudding when one sees them being
cooked over the charcoal fires in the narrow
streets. They are made of maize or chestnut
flour. or coarse -four, and it does not give one
an appetite to look at them. Sometimes he
has macaroni and goat cheese, and in the sum-
mer he eats ripe figs and grapes and black
bread: Perhaps he never had franc all to
himself until / gave him that one today.
wonder what he will do with it? Perhaps he
will buy carral, that hard sticky cake made of
nuts. He looks like dear boy, but don't
think he looks imaginative or ambitious.
don't imagine he dreams about a career. Now,
imagine that this beautiful boys voice changes
into wonderful tenor. Imagine that some
one helps him to cultivate it and brings him
before the world, and it begins to applaud and
adore him."
ut would be like fairy story" said Ger
trude. HE would think he was living in q
dream"
"He would be rich" said the lady in black.
He would travel from country to country, and
everywhere he would be feted and caressed. OF
course we are imagining him to be a sort of
king OF tenors, and not one with an ordinarily
good voice. Kings and queens would hear
him and praise him, and IL he we're q charming
fellow would make q sort of favorite Of him.
think he would be charming fellow, don't
you! He has a bright, handsome face"
The girl with the gray eyes turned to look
down at her friend (she was the taller Of the
two). with her soft caressing little laugh.
~ think he would" she said. sswe will
imagine he would be perfectly beautiful and
perfectly delightful AS we are imagining things.
1t makes the story prettier."
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