Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-12-10
AN INVERTED LOVE STORY


of the narrow side canals of Venice, hay
ing no one about me but deaf old woman,
who makes my bed and attends to my
food; and here exc out poor income of
about $50 a year by making water color
drawings of flowers and fruit (they are the
cheapest models in Venice) and these |
send to a friend in London, who sells them
to dealer for small sums. But, on the
whole, am happy and content.
It is necessary that [ should describe the
position of my room rather infinitely. Its
only window is about five feet i4bove the
water of the canal, and above it the house
projects some six feet, and overhangs the
water, the projecting portion being sup
ported by stout piles driven into the bed
of the canal. This arrangement has the
disadvantage (among others Of so limit
ing my upward view that l am unable to
see mere than about ten feet of the height
of the house Immediately opposite to me,
although by reaching as far cut OF the win
dow as my infrmity will permit can see
for a considerable distance up and down
the canal, which does not exceed fifteen
feet in width But; although | can see
but little of the material house opposite,
can see its reflection upside down in the
canal, and I contrive to take a good deal
of inverted interest in such OF its inbab-
itants as show themselves from time to
time ALWAYS upside DOWN on its balconies
and at its windows.
When first occupied my room, about
six years ago, my attention was directed
to the reflection of little girl Of Is Or so
(as nearly as | could judge, who passed
every day on balcony just above the up
ward range of my linlted field Of view.
She had glass of flowers and crucl6x
on little table by her side, and as she sat
there, in fine weather, from ear y morning
until dark, working asslduously all the
time, concluded that she earned her iiv-
ing by needlework. She was certainly an
industrious little girl, and as far as |
could Judge by her upside down reflection,
neat in her dress and pretty. She had an
old mother, an Invalid, who on warm da
would sit on the balcony with her, and it
interested me to see the little maid wrap
the old lady in shawls and bring pillows for
her chair and stool for her feet, and
every now and again lay down her work
and kiss and fondIe the old lady for half
minnie, and then take up her work again.
Time went by and as the little maid
grew up Ler reflections grew down, and at
last she was quite young woman of, |
suppose, Is or II. | can only work for a
couple of hours or so in the brightest part
OF the day, SO [ had plenty of time on my
hands in which to watch her movements,
and sufficient imagination to weave lit
tie romance about her, and to endow her
with beauty which, to great extent, |
had to take for granted. | saver
fancied that could see-that she began
IL +,1ro aQaal (,x,l iol
of course, she could see as could see
hers; and one day, when it appeared to
me that she was looking right at mel
tried the desperate experiment of nodding
to her, ard to my in ense delight her re-
Election nodded to me in reply. And so
our two reflections became known to one
another.
1t did not take me very long to fall in
love with her, but long time passed be-
fore could make W my mind to do more
than nod to her, every morning, when the
old woman moved me from my bed to the
sofa at the window, and again In the even
ing, when the little maid left the balcony
for that day. One dav, however, when
saw her reflection looking at mine, | nod
ded to her and threw a flower into the
canal She nodded several times in re-
turn, and | saw her direct her mothers
attention to the incident. Then every
morning threw flower in the water for
good morning" and another in the even
ing for good night" and [ soon discov-
cred that / ha0 not thrown them altogeth-
er in vain, for one day she threw flower
to join mine, and she laughed and clapped
her hands as the two flowers joined forces
and foated away together. And then
every morning she threw her flower when
| threw mine, and when the two flowers
met she clapped her hands and so did I;
but when they were separated, as they
sometimes were owing to one Of them
having met an obstruction which did not
catch the other, she threw up her hands in
a pretty affectation of despair, which |
tried tcimitate, but in an English and un-
successful fashion. And when they were
rudely run down by passing gondola
(which happened not infrequently) she
pretended to cry and | dia the same.
Then, in pretty pantomine, she would
point downward to the sky, to tell me that
it was destiny that caused the shipwreck
of our flowers, and ], in pantomine not
nearly so pretty, would try to convey to
her that destiny would be kinder next
time, and that, perhaps, tomorrow our
flowers would be more Northumberland so
the innocent courtship went on. One day
she showed me her cruci6x and kissed it.
and thereupon took a little silver crucifx
which always stands by me, and kissed
that, and SO she knew that we were one in
religion.
One day the little maid did not appear
on her balcony, and for several days saw
nothing of her, and although | threw my
flower as usual no flower came to keep it
company However after time she re-
appeared, dressed in black and crying
often, and then knew that the poor child's
mother was dead, as far as knew she was
alone in the world. The flowers came no
more for several days, nor did she show
any sign of recognition, but kept her eyes
on her work, except when she placed her
handkerchief to them. And opposite to
her was the old lady's chair, and | could
see that from time to time she would lay
down her work and gaze at it, and then a
! 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 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 a good looking young gondolier,
standing right end uppermost in his gon-
dola for could see him in the hesh)
worked his craft alongside the house and
stood talking to her as she sat on the bal
cony. They seemed to speak as old friends
indeed, as we'll as could make out, be
held ner 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 ora: for so soon as he was