Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1892-07-14
ADVERSE FATES.

his
| Who was Amelia?
The beautiful widow of Count
Giummi had found her one day, pale,
desolate and exhausted, beside a dead
woman in a squalid, dark room. That
dead womanwas the aunt of the count
ess and the mother of Amelia, and the
poverty which surrounded her was the
sole inheritance of the fair young girl.
Countess Giummi, rich, admired and
courted by the fine flower Of aristocratic
salons, lived upon vanity and coquetry.
But in spite of that she had a morsel Of
heart, and poor Annella's little white
face had the power to draw two beauti-
full tears, more lucent than pearls, from
her great, black, enchanting eyes. II
the baron, the viscount or the marquis
could have seen thosetwo pearls, surely
they would have loved her even more
than they did-so compassionate and
tender did she seem amid the triumphs
of her happy youth.
That same evening Amelia reposed in
a soft bed, under a counterpane of pink
silk, while at the balcony window, that
she had left partly open, the moon
peered IN and laid tint of pallor upon
the rose red divans,sf the elegant little
room.
Two years passed after that first tran
quill sleep. Annella's beauty, which early
privations and sorrows had almost with
I
cred in the bud, bloomed again as if by
magic. 1t was pleasure to see the
radiant girl; slender little person, but
with perfect curves Of outline, the bust
fun, the throat of admirable softness,
and the little head-oh, that dainty little
head was like an artists thought! Like
o golden wave, the curling hair, which
she wore unbound and floating, rippled
down her shoulders; her eyes laughed
with the color of the clear heavens un-
der arching, delicate eyebrows that
were black against the whiteness of her
forehead and gave resolute expression
to her beautiful countenance. Her
small, rosy mouth was always smiling;
it was but languid smile and tinged
with an expression Of melancholy or
bitterness.
Now, after having sketched Annella's
graceful figure, it seems strange not to
be able to give it background of bright
colors. We know how much a brilliant
setting adds to a gem, and certainly the
Countess Giummi's beauty gained great
ly by the luxury and richness of her
dress and surroundings. A fashionable
dressmaker, an artist in his line, dressed
her with Partisan taste; a skillful young
woman, who was maid and confdante
together, combed the wealth of her dark
hair that touched the floor and adapted
to her shapely person stuffs, eolors,
flowers and jewels. From their hands
the countess issued true goddess of
love, and her shrine cleaning with
silks, marbles, silver and crystal in
creased the enchantment and rendered
her marvellous to the eyes of visitors.
Poor Annellal so simple in her little
muslin gown; so timid in that rich
house, not her own, how could she con-
tend for the palm with that superb
queen? And it is no new thing that the
bright rays of the moon dim the placid
light of the quiet stars. So the hundred
gentlemen that hocked into those gilded
rooms had eyes only for the beautiful
countess, and if they deigned to bestow
passing word or look on the timid girl,
that was merely an act of homage to the
reigning lady, homage that showed
their admiration for her charity to de-
pendent. They all knew, and from her
own mouth, too, the countess had taken
the forsaken orphan to this beautiful
home and changed her sorrow to happi-
ness.
But was Amelia really happy?
Her young heart thirsted for love. In
: her childhood she had been the one
treasure of her poor mother, and though
she had often lacked bread, air and sun
light, caresses were never wanting. She
knew the sweetness of kiss into which
is transfused all a loving soul; she
knew the dual life, the breath mingled
with another breath from a breast pal.
pitating with tenderness Yes, her moth.
er's love had taught her all these things
and taught them to herin poverty. Then
came fine times, abundance of every.
thing, new amusements every day and
every hour, noisy gayeties and the lux.
ury of carriages and dinners. But
strange to say, amid all this laughter Of
, life, her heart was narrowed, closed
She indeed no longer suffered from hun
ger, cold or fear of worse misfortunes
, but henceforth she had no one to love
her, nor simple object to call forth
her own lovo, though she felt an over
powering need to bestow on some one
, all her warm, impassioned soul.
At first she had tried for this exchange
, of affection with her cousin, the mag
| nifcent countess. Alas! she had found
her kind, courteous, generous, but friv.
olous, full of herself and her attractions
and incapable not only of feeling love
but even of comprehending it.
! Discounted, Amelia had looked about
her, and amid that array of faces, coats
and decorations that made a circle
| around her beautiful cousin she had
| sought and sought. An odd grill She
had actually found those polished gen.
tlemen empty and unsympathetic, al
though finely clad and unexceptionable
from top to toe. How could she have
, dared to raise even her thoughts to the
heights on which they moved? Which
of them would have deigned to descend
to her, poor little orphan, sheltered by
the pity of her cousin?
Thus set apart and averse to all fiat.
teries, she led her own life, amid. the
festivities and the constant noise and
confusion of the house.
But one evening she discovered among
the crowd newcomer-blond and
handsome like herself, and like herself