The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1896-05-07
HIS CHANCE IN LIFE.

DOrder line TO look AFTER some children
who belonged to lady until regular
ly ordained nurse could come out. The
lady said Miss Vezzis was bad, dirty
nurse and inattentive. 1t never struck
her that Miss Vezzis had her own life
to lead and her own affairs to worry
over, and that these affairs were the
most important things in the world to
Miss Vezzis. Very few mistresses admit
this sort Of reasoning. Miss Vezzis was
as black, as boot, and to our standard
Of taste hideously ugly. She wore cotton
print gowns and bulged shoes, and
when she lost her temper with the chill
dren she abused them in the language
of the border line--which is part Eng
lish, part Portuguese and part native.
She was not attractive, but she had her
pride, and she preferred being called
Miss Vezzis,"
Every Sunday she dressed herself
wonderfully and went to see her NAM
ma, who lived for the most part on an
old cane chair in greasy tussur silk
dressing gown and big rabbit warren
of house full Of Vezzisses, Pereiras,
Ribieras, Lisboas and Gonsalveses, and
a floating population of loafers, besides
fragments Of the days BAZAAR garlic,
stale incense, clothes thrown on the
floor, petticoats hung on strings for
screens, old bottles, pewter crucifixes,
dried immortelles, pariah puppies, plas-
ter images of the Virgin, and hats with
out crowns Miss Vezzis drew 20 rupees
month for acting as nurse, and she
squabbled weekly with her mamma as
to the percentage to be given toward
housekeeping
When the quarrel was over, Michele
d'Cruze used to shamble across the low
mud wall Of the compound and make
love to Miss Vezzis after the fashion of
the border line, which is hedged about
with much ceremony. Michele was a
poor, sickly weed and very black, but
he had his pride. He would not be seen
smoking huqa for anything, and he
looked down on natives as only man
with seven-eighths native blood in his
veins can. The Vezzis family had their
pride too. They traced their descent
from a mythical plate layer who had
worked on the Some bridge when rail.
ways were new in India, and they val
ued their English origin. Michele was a
telegraph signaler on 35 rupees month.
The fact that he was in government
employ made Mrs. Vezzis lenient to the
shortcomings Of his ancestors.
There was compromising Legend
Dom Anna. the tailor, brought it from
Poonani-that black Jew Of Cochin
had once married into the D Cruze fam
lily, while it was an open secret that an
uncle of Mrs. d'Cruze was at that very
time doing menial work connected with
cooking for club in southern India!
He sent Mrs. d 'Cruze rupees annas a
month, but she felt the disgrace to the
family very keenly all the same
| However, in the course Of few Sun
days Mrs. Vezzis brought herself to
overlook these blemishes and gave her
consent to the marriage Of her daughter
with Michele, on condition that Michele
should have at least so rupees a month
to start married life upon. This Won
derful prudence must have been lin
gering touch Of the mythical plate lay
er's Yorkshire blood, for across the bor-
der line people take pride in marrying
when they please-not when they can.
| Having regard to his departmental
prospects, Miss Vezzis might as we'll
have asked Michele to go away and
come back with the moon in his pocket
But Michele was deeply in love with
Miss Vezzis, and that helped him to en-
dure. He accompanied Miss Vezzis to
mass one Sunday, and after mass, walk
ing home through the hot stale dust
with her hand in his, he swore by sew
eral saints-whose names would not in.
terest you-never to forget Miss Vezzis,
and she swore by her honor and the
saints-the oath runs rather curiously,
SIN nomine sanctissim@''-(wha
the name of the she saint is) and so
forth, ending with kiss on the fore
head, a kiss on the left cheek, and a
kiss on the lnouth-never. to forget Mi
chele
Next week Michele was transferred,
and Miss Vezzis dropped tears upon the
window sash of the intermediate
compartment as he left the station.
If you look at the telegraph map Of
India, you will see long line skirting
the coast from Backergunge to Madras
Michele was ordered to Tibasu, little
suboffice one-third down this line, to
send messages ON from Berhampur to
Chicacola, and to think of Miss Vezzis
and his chances Of getting so rupees a
month out Of Office hours. He had the
noise Of the bay Of Bengal and Ben
gall baboo for company-nothing more
He sent foolish letters, with crosses
| tucked inside the fans of the epyelopes