Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1896-10-29
LITTLE PIPPO.

Little Pippo was only an accordion
player i'll the streets of London, but
yet fearless lad, who might have
been trained for good, only he be-
lOnged to the padrono, Marco Ferra-
ii, who owned several other chill
dren, upon W hose earnings he throve
and grew fat and made their little
lives n hell TO them.
Thus it happened one day and
when tho mellow autumn hung over
the city that Mr.. Arnold Ingram
and his vito saw him playing his
uncertain little tunes in Bond street.
Ingram was q man not much past
30, a philanthropist-no one of the
Ostentatious sort, for let US be thank
full that there are some few whose
ideas of goodness do not begin and
end with the heading of subscrip-
ton lists. There was something in
the boy faCe-his soft, black eyes,
porhaps-that interested him, so he
asked:
Where do you come from, my lit
tie MANI"
Saffron hill, signor."
"Oh, ] guessed that, said Mr.. In
gram, smiling. Il mean where in
Italy?"
"Varenna.
"Varonna, on the lake of Como?"
Isl, signor; lago di Como" and
the little fellows oountenance
frightened up. Those other two
faces, SO strange oontrasted with
his, also frightened,
Mona, you remember Varenna
and the rainy week."
To be sure she did. You could tell
by the soft light which came into
her eyes. Arnold Ingram was stay
ing at the Hotel Narenna with some
friends a certain memorable rainy
week, when even Como's lake was
dark and misty, so that the party
was kept much indoors, and there
it was that he had wooed and won
the lovely girl who now stood by his
side, his wife.
Il daresay you would like to go
back there?" he said to the boy.
II should think so, signor. We
lived in little cabin on the hill
where the vines grow. l used to be
happy then. But the padrone came
and told my father and mother that
he would make my fortune in Eng
land, and they let him take me
away"
And ever since then he has taken
your earnings and beaten and
starved you"
You know him, signor?"
"There are plenty like him, unfor-
tunately. Goodby, my little lad, "
and he moved away.
You did not give him anything"
his wife said half reproachfully.
What is the use? 1t does more
harm than good. The poor urchin
would have to give it up. My dear,
I have been among them. l have
been in the loathsome dens where
the padronos keep these boys and
girls herded with mon and women.
He belongs body and soul to the pa
drone, who, like the vampire that
he is, lives upon him"
Can nothing be done for them?"
Yes, English people could, with
one accord, abstain from giving
them money. Then the ruffians'
source of income would cease and
at the same time the poor little
creatures sufferings
1t so happened just then that Mar
co Ferrati was proving along on
the opposite side of the street. He
found blows and starvation excel
lent methods of collecting the boy s
contributions, but he thought lit
tie personal supervision now and
then did no harm. So he crossed
over and asked:
well, Pippo, how much did they
give your"
Nothing, padrone."
You little liar and thief! You
can't tell me. l know these gentle
folks. They haVo given you big sill
YER, perhaps gold. If you do not
give it up this instant, I'll thrash
you within an inch of your life"
Il have nothing to give up, and
you dare not strike mo now" tho
boy answered fearlessly.
He was quite right, he dared not,
for there within few yards, at the
corner of Conduit street, stood he'll
melted guardian of the peace. But
what he escaped then he had a dou-
BILE dose of that night at home, for
as the padrone only in exceptional
cases told the truth, he was utterly
incapable of understanding that lit
tie Pippo scorned to tell lie.
Pippo's knowledge of London was
as varied and extensive as the late
Mr.. Sam Weller's. Some time after
this he found himself droning out
LA Dome Mobile" upon his &C
Gordon in a street of large houses
In Kensington. A lady stood at q
drawing room window. 1t was Mona
Ingram. She took an interest in him
because of the place he came from
the village where the low vine BUSH