Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1893-07-22
a FILJu1 OF G0SSaHER.

holiday harvest of the year, and thost
who, like me, are interested in the rura
life of the country, may see it then at it
merriest and brightest. had taken W
my abode one October in the village O.
Tereglio, which was admirably situated
for my purposes of landscape study, ano
selected for my dwelling substan tia
farmhouse just outside the gates, owned
by one Vincenzo Contrucci, who, like
many of these mountaineers, had emf
grated to America early in life, and
saved sufficient money to return at the
end of ten or fifteen years and set up a,
small proprietor in his native place.
His subsequent prosperity was owing
partly to his own industry and gooo
conduct, partly to the thrift and clever
ness of Sora Nina, his e; and the re
suit of their combined good qualities
was that he now was one of the most
thriving farmers in the commune. owning
considerable tracts of chestnut woods
along the higher sleeps, with
vineyards and fields of beans and corr
further down. He was a tall, stalwart
peasant, with the broad brow and calm
eyes of Tu3cah OK, slow of speech,
though 10y no means dull of understand
ing, he was a complete contrast to the
quick witted, sharp-tongued little wife,
who in minor matters governed him com
pletely. Sora Nina was of lighter com
plexion than is common among those
hills, and partly for that reason had been
reckoned very pretty before she lost her
youthful bloom
The only daughter, Assunta, was mar
ried, and living at some little distance;
two sons, Massimo and Ferruccio, were
gone to America, as their father had done
before them; and there remained at home
only the eldest, Leandro, commonly
called Andrino, according to the usual
Tuscan fashion of injecting proper
names by dropping the beginning and
adding on diminutive at the end. An
drino was handsome young farmer of
three-and twenty, perfect fac-simile of
his father.
The only other permanent member of
the family with which | had taken up
my abode for the time was tall, gaunt
serving woman, Maddalena, a relative of
Sora Nina's who assisted her in the care
of the house and poultry-yard, besides
helping in some of the lighter work of
the farm.
But during my stay at La Cascatelle
las Contruccl's farm was called. from a
little rivulet that came leaping down the
steep behind tine house, its ordinary
inmates were REINFORCED by three extra
hands engaged to assist in gathering the
ripe chestnuts as they fell. Those en-
ployed in this way are generally young
girls, whose services for forty days are
repaid, according to the prevailing form
If contract, by bounty of two sacks OF
the farina dolce, or chestnut flour, at the
end of the term, and their board and
lodging during its continuance.
Two of Sora Nina's hand maids. Ber-
tuccia and Vannina, were handsome,
dark-browed, gypsy-looking girls from
the neighborhood, daughters of small
proprietors, whose services were not
needed at home, and who were glad to
come for the holiday month to the mas
seria Contrucci, not perhaps without a
remote hope of establishing themselves
there permanently, through the oppor-
tunity afforded by daily intercourse for
securing the good graces of the hand
some young farmer.
Poor little Ginevra had no such pre-
tensions. She was not even pretty, &C.
cording to the standard of taste prevail.
ing among her equals, for she was slender
and understood, looking, at seventeen,
more child than woman; and in point
of physique seemed but an insignificant
creature when put into competition with
them. Worst Of all, she was but con-
tddina-that Is to say, her father cult
waited another mans land, on the nlezzerio
or half.produce system; and as in that
country the farmers as rule are pro.
prietors of the toll they till, this inferi-
ority of social standing naturally made
her an object of contempt among her
betterborn associates
have said that Ginevra was not even
pretty, but it would be more correct &c
say that she had not been so till now, fol
she was developing dainty, wild-rosC
bloom Of her own, tardy flower oil
beauty, which had all the added charm
of surprise, as it began TO flush her pale
face with soft glow Of tenderness. and
give e new depth and brlliancy to the
large gray eyes under their dark browi
and hshes. One began to notice ther
how delicately turned were head aud
neck and ear under the carelessly-knotteC
kerchief, and when ii was thrown aside
wealth Of nut-brown hair lay plated
coil on coil, beneath it. She had voice
like a cuckoo, too, and many a passer-b,
fingered under her fathers garden wal
10 listen TO the unseen song bird wit
oaroled forth the tuueful Tuscan melo
dies among the pomegunate trees aham
with bloom, and Cape iasmnes studde,
with moon-like orbs breathing incense OF
the air
had not been many days domiclled il
Casa C0ntwco before I discovered tina
u had another inmate whose e9es wer
a. little hlIad IA nag own 90 Ginevfa
unsupported attractions. During III
day, Indeed, saw little Of the house
hold Who were an scattered T. thei
different vHaailonf before I came doel
% mY morning fomI aal whose mIl
daf meal + il4 uat Share. AZ / aenaall
eafrHi Mlaa Sob nf 90 ths scene 81 la
ahnu 81 lHf umo heuF A. aprol
hnHafrf Hi IHtn m lha fammH
h... fH.H eaI $500 .n m. slsf hla