The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-11-27

When Margaret informed me that
she intended to travel third-class from
Naples to Messina for the purpose of
studying human nature and gaining
insight into the manners and customs
of the Italian peasantry. 1 agreed at
once, and remarked that admired her
spirit. disagreeable person might
have associated this resolution with a
recent purchase of nnosaics and Roman
pearls, but as no good ever results
from being smart at a friends ex-
pense 1 made point of taking Mar
garet's spasmodic economies seriously,
and in this instance resigned myself to
the discomfort with what good grace
I might
We booked third-class, therefore, and
Margaret divided responsibilities by
leaving me to wrestle with the baggage
while she strolled down the platform,
peering into one carriage after an
other, with the object of choosing the
most interesting fellow passengers.
Such, at least, was my charitable con-
clusion; but 1t would appear that her
own comfort was an even more pow
erful motive, for she passed by parties
of merry, laughing peasants and reach
ed the very end of the train before
she beckoned TO me with an air of
triumph.
window seats and only one compan-
ion; such nice, clean mani
I toiled up, laden with possessions,
and Immediately upon my appearance
1.-THE nice, clean man" stood up to take
one bundle after another from my
hand, swing them upward with an
easy strength and pack them in the
or
quiet, deferential manner. and when
we subsidized into our respective corr
ners looked at him with interest to see
what sort of companion fate had given
to us for the long night journey.
saw a respecta ble-looking conta-
dino, dressed in blue homespun, with
a wildly white shirt, above which his
sunburned face appeared even brown
er than ever. His hair was gray. his
features grave and worn, and / put
him down as sixty years of age, or
even g. little older. We were agreeably
impressed by the mans personality,
which was more than could be said OF
his attitude toward ourselves, for his
assistance had been given In mechan-
ical fashion. and the moment that We
were seated he resumed that steady
stare out of the window which had
been interrupted by our appearance.
He seemed more inclined to silence
than the majority OF his felllow-coun-
trymen, but Margaret was bound to
make some pretense of carrying out
her purpose so she coughed gently to
attract attention and remarked in her
very best italian that 1t was beau
tiful evening.
II was a commonplace observation,
but we were startled by the intensity
OF the reply.
"Ah. 1t is indeed a beautiful even
ingr cried the stranger, ana the en-.
phasis with which he spoke proved
| that the words had no common sig
| nificance in his mind, though
fine evenings are of by no
means rare occurrence in Italy
In the month OF May. As he
! spoke he turned reluctantly from the
window, and we looked into his face
with a shock of surprise. The features
were stamped with the impress OF q
great sorrow, but 1t was the eyes which
| held I'D spellbound-brown eyes, liquid
and beautiful as only italian eyes can
| be, but with an expression of such In
| finite pathos as words cannot describe.
His glance wandered from Margaret
| to myself, and dweft upon us with the
wistful appeal OF an animal in pain,
| longing for sympathy, trembling lest
| its confidence may be misplaced, while
| we sat silent, conscious to the bottom
| Of our souls OF the gulf which yawned
between this man and ourselves-we.
with out petty trials and annoyances,
worrying over imaginary woes, and
vastly troubled because, forsooth, the
trick did not always fall to our share;
he, set apart In some desert of expert
ence. branded by a suffering Of which
| We could not even understand the
/ meaning. We felt our hearts go out
| in a way Of sympathy, and made up
| our minds there and then to do all that
was In our power to cheer the poor fell