Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-02-28

sometimes He stared at me a lit
at first and said: ''Impossible!' an
then he told me to sing whatever
. knew. SO / did-two verses of on
Of orr beautiful Italian hymns. The
L 1 sang another and another, little sin
. pie airs, but l loved them, for the
were all the life l had besides carin
for the little mules and selling tn
. milk.
When | had finished l was yer
much frightened, and longed to &c
away. The signore said nothing a
all, but rang a bell and ga9e some or
Der to a servant. l felt very mucl
ashamed. for thought 7 had no
pleased him; but he led me outsid,
again, and by the porch stood his
carriage. Get in" he said briefly
II, ~Signore?" 1 said, h~esitating, an6
then l obeyed, trembling with joy ant
wonder.
We drove to what was then the
square opposite which Signore Lupez
had his classes in music, and before
[ knew what was happening we stood
before him and Signore Arleigh was
saying: ~"Signore, I have brought to
you a genius. Can you arrange to
take him to study with your"
To study-with you! The words
were there, but 1 could not grasp their
meaning, nor apply them to me; but
when | did, ah, when 1 did! When I
every week and practice all day if /
chose, when he told me the next day
that ] was to study language and
literature besides. need I tell you that
| almost believed that I had found
heaven?
| was 20 years old then, and for six
years l studied with him. Signore
Arleigh came back from England only
once. and that a year after 1 began,
that more than pleased him. 1t was
wonderful, this new life of mine.
SO the time passed until the June of
the year l was "a. Ny work was
nearly over, for in the holiday season
that year l was to go on the stage
first, here in Florence. I had taken
lodgings in the Via de Grandi, and
was supporting myself by doing a
little copying for Signore Lupez, or
helping him with beginners. And in
the vacant rooms across the street two
persons-Signore Verniti, an artist,
and his daughter, Carlotta Verniti.
l canno tell you how it all began;
it is too sacred to me-tOO sacred and
too unutterably sad. From the mo-
ment when 1 saw her first in her
little scarlet cap and jacket 1 loved
her. I used to watch her moving about
their little rooms evenings, before the
blinds were drawn, and 1 grew to love
her more n more. You do not un-
derstand, do you? To love before you
have spoken to one? Unless you are
from Italy. toO-fOr we are the only
ones who love like that. who would
even love on for years without a word
beautiful, is it not?
But one day we met. Almost always
she did their small shopping in the
early morning and | would plan to go
to practice just as she was returning,
so that | could see her face. This day
l had walked but a little way when
l saw her coming in the little scarlet
cap | knw so well. She had a basket
which just before l met her she in
some way let fall and it's contents
some pomegranites, | think-were
scattered on the pavement. l went
forward eagerly and helped her to
gather them up, and flushing a little
and Smi1inU Shn th1nlynl mo flor
that we always exchanged a greeting
when we met, which you may be sure
was often, and one day 1 ventured to
leave the house just after she did and
so overtake and walk a little with
her.
l came to do this often and one
morning she asked me timidly if l
would not com: sometimes and sing
to her. She played a little, she said,
and listened to me often and often
when the windows had been open and
| had been practicing a little alone.
OF course l went gladly, and she
played for me some simple. soft italian
airs on the little, old piano.
SO the long beautiful summer days
went by, and one day when the u
tumn came l told her first that l
loved her, and learned from the dear
lips that 1 too was loved. After that
life was more beautiful than ever. l
lived-and l am not so foolish as to
suppose l am the only one who has
lived so, else l should not try to tell
you of it-in a kind of trance of hap
piness. Every one reminded me of or
1 compared with-her. My first
thought in the morning was that l
should that day see-her; my last
prayer at night that I might dream Of
her; the sun had never shone so
brightly.
Then came December, and in the
course of the first week a note from
Signore Arleigh, saying that he would
return to Florence to hear the opera
Christmas week. l was very busy
preparing myself for the time, and
yet not till the day the evening of
which meant so much to me-did l
realize what it would be to stand be-
fore all Florence and sing. But when
she pressed my hand as I left her, and
whispered that she would pray God to
help me. and that I must sing we'll for
her sake then 1 left her with her kiss
fresh upon my lips and wished all
Naples were to be there, too.
In a little while the great theater
was filled to overlooking, for Signore
Lupez was a great man in his way, and
the opening night of a new opera and