Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1896-06-05
HIS CHANCE IN LIFE.

HIS CHANCE IN LIFE
Miss Vezzis came from across til,
border line to look after some children
who belonged to a lady until a regular
ly ordained nurse could come out. Tht
lady said Miss Vezzis was bad, dirt,
nurse and inattentive. 1t never strucl
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 te
Miss Vezzis Very few mistresses admit
this sort of reasoning Miss Vezzis was
as black as a 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 mann
ma, who lived for the most part on an
old cane chair in greasy tussur silk
dressing gown and a 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 crueifXes,
dried immortelles, pariah puppies, plas-
ter images Of the Virgin, and hats with
out crowns. Miss Vezzis drew 20 rupees
a 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 a 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 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 So rupees month
The fact that he was in government
employ made Mrs. Vezzis lenient to the
shortcomings Of his ancestors.
There was q compromising Legend
Dom Anna, the tailor, brought it from
Poonani-that a 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 mental work connected with
cooking for q club in southern India!
He sent Mrs d'Cruze Z rupees annas a
month, but she felt the disgrace to the
family very keenly all the same
However, i'll 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
ter'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 well
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 tc
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,
eIn nomine sanctissimR' '-(whateve,
the name Of the she saint isl and sc
forth, ending with a kiss on the fore
head, kiss on the left cheek, and &
kiss on the mouth-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 O.
India, you will see long line skirtine
the coast from Backergunge to Madras
Michele was ordered to Tibasu, little
subofice one third down this line, tx
send messages on from Berhampur tx
Chicacola, and to think of Miss Vezzi
and his chances Of getting so rupees
month out of Office hours He had tn,
noise Of the bay Of Bengal and a Ben
gall baboo for company-nothing more
He sent foolish letters, with crosse
tucked inside the flaps Of the envelopes
70 Miss Vezzis.
When he had been at Tibasu TO
nearly three weeks, his chance came.
Never forget that unless the outward
and visible signs Of our authority ar
always before a native he is as incapa
bic as child of understanding wha
authority means or where is the DANCE
of disobeying it. Tibasu was a forgotten
little place with few Orissa NOLAN
medans in it. These, hearing nothin,
of the collector sahib for some time ant
heartily despising the Hindoo subjudge
arranged to start little Mohurrum rio
Of their own. But the Hindoos turnet
out nd broke their heads When, find
ling lawlessness pleasant, Hindoos an,
Mohammedans together raised an aim
less sort Of Donnybrook just to see hoy
far they could go. They looted eacl
others shops, and paid off privat
grudges in the regular way. It was
nasty little riot, but not worth putin
in the newspapers.
Michele was working in his ofAc
when he heard the sound that a ma
never forgets all his life-the ali yahl'