The morning call., 1892-12-15
TREASURER WORLDS COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION Chicago

the fair quickly forgot my friend. But late
In the afternoon. as / had my eyes glued to
a peepshow. heard voice behind me cry
Little boy!" and turning, saw him again.
He was without his geese.
II have sold them," he said, 'fnr G5; and
1 have taken the glass house. The rent is
only e3 year. and [ shan't live longer, so
that leaves me money to buy books. l shall
feed On the snails in the garden, making
soup OF them. for there is a beautiful stove
in the.glass house. When syour next half
holidayP"
ION Saturday"
Very well. | am going away to buy
books: but shall be back by SATURDAY., and
then you are to come and learn Latin"
1t may have been fear or curiosity, GER
tainly it was no desire for learning, that
took me TO Gardener Tonken's glass house
next Saturday afternoon The goose-driyer
was there TO welcome me.
"Ah. wide mouth" he cried; 81 knew
library"
He showed me a pile of dusty tattered
volumes arranged on an old fower-stand.
See" said he. no sorrowful books, only
Aristophanes and Lucian, Horace, Rabelais,
Moliere, Voltaire's novels, Gil Blas,' Don
Quixote, Fielding. play or two of Shakes
peare, volume or so of Swift PrIor's
poems. and Sterne-that divine Sternei
And Latin grammar and Virgil for you,
little boy. First eat some snails."
But this / would not. So he pulled out
two three-legged stools, and very soon /
Was trying to fix NY wandering wits and
decline mensa.
After this / came on every half-hoiday
for nearly year. One September after
noon / sat constituting to F0rtunio out Of the
first book of VirgIPs "Ened"-so far was
l advanced, and coming to the passage.
Tum breviter Dido. vultum demisss. profatur"
/ had just rendered vultum demissa with
downcasteyes." when the book was snatched
from me and hurled to the far end OF the
glass house. Looking up / saw FOrtunio in
transport OF passion.
Fool, little fool! VIII you be like all
the commentators? Will you forget what
Virgil has said and put your own nonsense
into his golden mouth?"
He stepped across, picked I'D the book.
found the passage, and then turning back a
page or so, read out:
sapts arms solique alte subnixs resedit
"Alte, Altei" he screamed. dido sat on
high. Aneas stood at the foot of her throne.
Listen to this: Then Dido. bending down
her gaze"
He went on translating. A rapture took
MIN, and the sun beat in through the glass
roof and lit up his eyes. He was transfig-
ured. His voice swelled and sank with
passion, swelled again and then. at the
words
Qua te tam leta Inherent
s1culaf Qui tanti tslem eeDuers parentesf
1t broke, the Virgil dropped from his hand,
and sitting down on his stool be broke into
a wild fit of sobblng.
''0h. why did [ read it? Why did / read
this sorrowful book ?" And then checking
his sobs he put a handkerchief to his mouth.
took it away and locked up at me with dry
eyes.
"Go away, little one. Don't come again.
am going to die very soon now"
stole out. awed and silent, and went
home. But the picture of him kept me
awake that night, and early In the morning
dressed and ran off TO the glass house.
BE was still sitting as had left him.
why have you Gomez" he asked.
harshly. II have been coughing. / am
| going to de-"
mo"
"a Clergyman"
But ran for the doctor.
Fortunio lived on for a week after this
ana at length consented to see a clergyman.
| Drought the vicar. and was told to leave
them alone together and come back In an
| hours time. - ="
| When l returned Fortunio was stretched
| quietly On tie rough bed we had found for
| him, and the vicar, who knelt beside II.
| was speaking softly In his ear
| AS entered on tiptoe / heard:
In that kingdom shall be no
| weeping"
| .'Oh, parson," interrupted Fortunio.
| that the good God might surely allow few
| tears"
| The parish buried him, and his books
went to pay for the funeral. But i kept
| the Virgil; and this, with the few men,
| cries that L impart to you, is ali that re-
mains 10 me of Fortunio.
| ----=