Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-06-03

dIOHS through one OF the prlnclpa
streets, considering whether or not
should return on foot TO my owl
DIV cling on the heights, | heard {
Sound Of singing and perceived in the
distance a glimmer Of white robes
1t vas the month Of May. and l al
once concluded that this must be Ar
approaching Procession OF tie Virgin
Half in idlaness, half in curiosity.
stood still and waited. The singing
voices came nearer and nearer-I saw
the priests, the acolytes, the swingins
gold censers heavy with fragrance
the faring candles, the snowy wells Of
children and girls-and then all sud.
denly the picturesque beauty of the
scene danced before my eyes in a
Whlrling blur of brilliancy and color
from which looked forth-one face,
One face beaming out like a star from
a cloud of amber tresses-one face of
Irose-tinted, child-like loveliness-a
ICyeliness absolutely perfect, lighted
up by two luminous eyes, large and
black as night-one face in which the
j small, curved mouth smiled half
prov6kingly, half sweetly, l gazed and
gazed, again, dazzled and excited
! beauty makes such fools of US all!
i Ibis was Woman-One of the sex |
! mlstruSted and avOided-a woman in
| the earliest spring of her youth. a
| girl of fifteen or sixteen at the utmost.
Her veil had been thrown back by ac-
n16pnt 6QCiOn mr. Of
ment | drank in that soul-tempting
glance, that witch-like smile, The pro
cesSiOn paSsed-the vision faded-but
IN that breath of time one epoch of my
life had closed forever, and another
had begun.
* $50
Of course | married her. We Nea-
politans lose no time in such matters.
We are not prudent. Unlike Cne calm
blood of Englishmen, ours rushes
swiftly through our veins-it is warm
as wine and sunlight, and needs no
fictitious stimulant. We love, we de-
sire, we possess; and then? We tire,
you say? These southern races are so
tickle! ALI wronS-we are less tired
than you deem. And do not English
men tire? Have they no secret ennni
at times when sitting in the chimney
nook of home, sweet home,' with
their fat wives and corresponding
families? Truly, yesi But they are
too cautious to say so.
l need not relate the story Of my
courtsh1p-it was brief and sweet as a
song sung perfectly. There were 70
obstacles. The girl l sought was the
only daughter of a ruined Florentine
noble OF dissolute character, who
gained a bare subsistence by frequent
ing the gaming-table. His child had
been brought up in a convent re-
nowned for strict discipline-she knew
nothing Of the world. She was, he
assured me, with maudlin tears in his
eyes, "as innocent as a flower on the
altar of the Madonna" | believed him
for what could this lovely, youthful
low-voiced maiden know of even the
shadow of evil? | was eager to gather
so fair lily for my own proud wear
ing-and her father gladly gave her
to me, no doust lnwardly congratulate
ing himself on the wealthy match that
had fallen to the lot of his dowerless
daughter
We were married at the end of June,
and Guido Ferrari graced our bridal
with his handsome and gallant pres
tnce
by the body of Bacchus!" he eX-
claimed to me when the nuptial cere-
mony was over, thou hast profited by
my teaching, Fabio! A quiet rogue is
often most cunning! Thou hast rif1ed
the casket of Venus, and stolen her
ffirest jeWel-thou hast secured the
lOVellest maiden in the two Siciliesi"
I pressed his hand, and a touch of
remorse stole over me, for he was no
longer first in my affection. Almost /
regretted it-yes, on my very wedding
morn | looked back to the old days
old now though so recent-and sighed
to think they were ended. l glanced
at Nina, my wife. The melting Ian
guor of her large limpid eyes stole
into my veins-I forgot all but her.
I was in that high delirium of passion
in which love, and love only, seems
the Keynote of creation. I touched
the tormcst peak of the height of Joy
the days were feasts of fairy-iand.
the nights dreams Of rapture! No; [
never tired. my wife's beauty never
palled upon me; she grew fairer with
each day OF possession | never saw
her otherwise than attractive, and
within few months she had probed
all the depths of my nature. She dis
covered how certain sweet looks of
hers could draw me to her side, a will
ing and devoted slave; she measured
my weakness with her own power; she
knew-what did she not know? [ tor
ture myself with these foolish mem
cries. All men past the age of twenty
have learned somewhat of the tricks
OF women-the pretty, playful moth
lDgs that weaken the will and sap the
force of the strongest hero. She
loved me? Oh, yes, suppose so! look
ing back on those days, I can frankly
say I believe she loved meas nine
hundred wives out of a thousand love
their husbands, namely-fOr what they
can get. And I grudged her nothing.
If I chose to idealize her, and raise her
to the statue of an angel when she was
but on the low level of mere woman
hood, that was my folly, not her fault
We kept open house. Our villa was
a place Of rendezvous for the leading
members of the best society in and
around Naples. My wife was univer-
sally admired; her lovely face and
graceful manners We're themes of con-