Santa Fe daily New Mexican., 1897-11-06
A LOVE SONG.

On warm summer nlRnt, WIN ltS aG-
| tendant beauties of bright moon and
many stars IA Canadian canoe was slowly
drifting down the stream Of a beautiful
| English river The extreme stiffness was
only broken by the occasional dip of the
| paddle in the water, and the tinlsling of a
soft accompaniment by guitar to a me-
| lodious and soothing tenor voice. The
| tenor voice belonged to an occupant of the
canoe, and he was singing little French
student song, beginning:
Joli dragon,
Gentil dragon
"What is that funny little song?" mur-
| INJURED the man with the paddle. "Where
| did you pick it up and why do you sing
it as if it were Il tender love song?'
did 1?'' laughingly. SWELL, the fact is
that song reminds HE Of very pleasant
times. -"
AHA! l see, of course, you were nat
urally the 'joli dragon Of the song, eh?
Was she very charming, your enchan-
tress? Tell me about it, old man.
"There is not much to tell, but such as
the story is you shall hear it. Well, about
two years ago, when l was coming back
from India, Travelled through Italy to
meet sister Of mine who was at Florence
| met my sister, and we decided to stay a
few days at Florence before going back
home, as we intended doing, through
Switzerland. The first evening on my
arrival at Florence my sister and / were
sitting on the veranda of the hotel after
dinner, smoking and feeling thoroughly
at peace with the world in general, as one
sometimes does. Suddenly we heard
voice singing from a balcony aboye-such
a lovely roice--to guitar. 1t was one of
those low and exceedingly sympathetic
contraltos-a voice that appeals immense
ly to me. | was enchanted and mentioned
the fact to my sister, ut the same time
asking her il she knew who the lady was
who was singing so divincly.
g Oh, yes" said my sister, that is May
mentioning her surnamc); she and her
mother are here on their way to Rome.
was glad TO hear that my sister knew them
slightly, having met them once or twice
in town, and she promised to introduce
me the next day | cannot tell you why,
but l felt particularly anxious to meet
Miss May -, especially as my sister as
sured me she was beautiful Well, / was
introduced to her the following morning
am afraid | cannot describe her to you,
as should go on raving about her to you
for the next hour. We struck up a great
friendship in two days, and induced my
sister to stay in Florence as long as my
divinity and her mother were there She |
demurred at first, saying it was no good |
losing my heart in that direction as May
was engaged.
II HTnr n ,tn1 I IL r
thought, there was no harm in having
some one else's tiancee as a friend any
more than some one else's wife Well, as
said, we got very intimate, May and my
self, my sister and her mother We went
for excursions together, always dined at
the same table, and in the evenings she
used to sing to us. Such sweet songs,
sung so sweetly! And among other songs
she used frequently to sing the absurd lit
tie song was singing just now, saying
that l was the 'Joli dragon, etc You
see, she got into the way of looking upon
me as a sort of brother. Never be
brother to some one else's fiancee, especial
ly if she be beautiful! Well, need hardly
tell you that fell desperately in love with
my new sister We had many tastes in
common. And she gave me such sweet
Siatpr]v counsel IN ,nopy thipr, x,,b;,b |
INV nroner sister never did
mOpe nioht sbn and I ,yora sit+i,cr o,,+
in the hotel GARDEN tooether She had
been SINGING softly for INV snec;aI ,,loos.
ure q fo,v of tho songs 7 joynd NJ, e;,
ter and her mother were indoors. There
was a romantic eort of foolin,, l., +ha a;r
and well nld man ,vitbont ap,, ,,-arn
inp or knowing what T ,ga. e,oi,'a 70 40
7 kissed her, Rv love sbe ,yas ana,,,
and ala feel y hruta of co',rso La5
M more ripbt IN Eiss han +,,a,, hn,o W.
kiss the Queen, Wo wont hac,r 70 +ha No.
To, in silence She wac ooinr o,ya,, ,,ns+
dnv and T had not n choeoo oe +oI,i,. hn,
how sorry 7 was and to ask ber to fornira
mo and ali thnt Sbo aid not ,,,;sh eo wv
goodhv and fnlt n,isnrohla at ~ his hnrinD @
been forgivan bv NV s,noot it'll sistaa ms
They Vent to Rome ana % ,ya ,ront ~ na -
never % ceased % tbinl in, pm % "f
her and feelino now low had s,,,l, IN hor
estimation ' Vim - '''i
uSix months aftor,v.rd mot h
bar motber au,in IN po,;s ch, e,o,,,aa ~
have forgotten that nfnrt,,na+o - it'll 1u oan
troter,ns in tbo na r5a,, o. Tlnnoo ,,o'o .'4I NJ
determined to confess nv fault should an
present itself The fates worn
hind Wa w-oro 10th nn;,u +o a,,,a,
-: se " u'iioo
that I told bcr how sorry T was for bavin1
behaved in such an ungentlemanlv man,
ner, etc. to her in FLORENCE she forgave
me, and we once more resumed onr old
friendshin where If had dronnod T woe
yoinp hack to India in n montb,s +;me
rom that and asked her to tbint soma.
lines Of her 'brother, and friend What
,niemas women arel When we said good'
" to each other which nc = hannened
We did nrivatelv she flnng ber , r,aS ro,,n5
nv neck and cried nc If hon boo,t ,,o,,1d
,,e.L Thoro ,,as ,,a+ ,,,,,ol, - W. aa,.