Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1892-07-21
The POOR ROSINA.

Rosina!' walled my hand maiden one
morning as she brought me my coffee
and the usual first breakfast OF the
italian nation (when they get any
breakfast at alD and deposited 1t upon
the table at my bedside.
"Well, Sofa, whats the matter
with the poor Rosina?" l responded
only half awake.
"Ah, poor child, she is dead, she is
murdered"
"Impossiblel" exclaimed. 81
saw her only last night in the thea
ter"
Pardon, Signora; the night before
she walked from there out of The city;
the last seen of her was near the brick
fields, poor Rosina," "They threw
her into one of the furnaces, and
nothing remains but her little flower
basket, which was found quite near.
''Oh, Sofa, this is too horrible; it
cannot bel"
Nevertheless that is what hap
pened Signora,' and with what
seemed under the circumstances an
ironical wish she departed, wishing
me "good appetite"
was staying in small city mid
way between Genoa and Turin, city
famous for its ruined bastions said to
have been built by the Romans, and
for its having been the field of one OF
the first Napoleou's great battles, and
where fell one of his bravest and
most celebrated generals; in fact, a
monument recording the victory
proclaims it as having been very
bloody and unfortunate one.
The city is likewise famous for its
silk manufactures, mysterious places
jealously guarded by the proprie tors
lest one should discover from another
the secrets of the intricate machinery
which produces the beautiful goods,
employees being bound to a secrecy as
profound as that of Freemasonry.
In nearly every house were signs
of this industry, for many families
kept silk-worms during the proper
season, and the storerooms were often
filed with bales and ba.es of the
beautiful cocoons-white, pale green
and pale straw color.
This city supported an opera COCA
panv for few weeks yearly, the man.
agement being the city government,
as is usual in Italy. The performers
were treated in the kindest manner.
Their advent was an event and was
hailed with JOY, ,and during the season
the city was in fiesta. | was fortunate
enough one season to be the prima
donna, and l found the management
a most paternal one, for even my
health was watched over by the
mayor and city government, and
certain food prescribed by them
which l felt obliged to eat (though it
was very nice), and my landlord was
charged to see that took daily walks
of a certain length, he to accompany
me, which the solemn old gentleman
punctiliously did.
il. was at the theater that Iifrst
saw Rosina. One night the door of a
boz near the stage few open and a
tall, slim, handsome woman walked
IN. She had true Italian face and
eyes, and was dressed in the costume
of the province, only in rich materials
A white lace veil over her head
arranged with exquisite taste and
oaouetry, and on her arm she carried
a dainty basket filled with bouton
nieres. Some one on the stage said
In an undertone, "Rosina has come
back again." and l noticed stir in
the theater and eyes turned to the
box; she fastened a flower in the
gentleman's button hole, and with.
out waiting for remuneration left .at
once, proceeding to other boxes, and
finally / saw her watching the
performance from the floor. Then
she disappeared.
There was something SO striking
about her, so different from the 9th
er flower girls, so free, bouyant,
debonair-I hardly know how to ex-
press her unusual style,-withal SO
self-contained and restrained, for
she held no conversation with any
she met, handed out her fowers,
asked no remuneration, though what
was thrown in her basket she allowed
to remain. seemingly not to notice it.
Altogether she excited my interest to
such an, extent that l questioned my
landlady regarding her one day.
"Resina? 'Oh, yes. She has been
here for years, walked into town one
morning barefcoted; now look at her!
Yes, she's good girl, took care of
her mother and a sick sister until
both died; minds her own business, a
flower shop in the Vla-keeps to her.
self and some say has taught herself
to read and write. She is very an-
bilious and said, years ago when she
first came, she would some day marry
gentleman. Finally the Count Tor
rani did fall in love with her aud
promise to make her the Countess
Torrani, and they rem away together.
She was disappointed, for he de-
serted her after he had run through
her money; he hadn't any of his own
and he didnt marry her after all, SO
here she is again, but dear me, cara
mia Signora, she isn't the same Rosl-
ma; she used to jest and chat with all;
who so bright and welcome as she
passed through cafe, tossing her