Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-02-08
BELLINI'S MODEL.

tducF uluoU6ouUn III LONDON. Wn5n VICTOR
Carpaocio and John Bellini paced the
marble pavement together in their stately
lowered robes, there was hardly a sight
that met their eyes, whether they turned
to the rose flushed carvings on the doge's
palace, the fairy domes and spires of St.
Mark or the glittering water that Tapped
the steps. which was not beautiful in form
and color. Brightly colored gondolas be-
longing to the ruling classes in Venice
were interspersed among the black ones of
the %commonalty, and draperies worn by
both men and women had a stately sweep
unknown in modern Europe. All was
fair and comcly that the eye could reach.
No-not all. There was a wretched
sickly child of. 4 laid upon the steps of st.
Marks lion, who walled feebly and per-
sistently and whose unsceing eyes told of
brain trouble. He was in the charge of
an older child-a little girl Of 8 or 8, who
held a guitar upon her knees. She was
picturesque enough; her long frock of
faded bronze color was just the right tint
to throw up the true Venetian red" of
her hair, which arched itself somewhat
straightly over her sweet little face and
turned up its ends with a latent inclina-
tion to curl. Every now and then she
sang q little song to her guitar in a per-
functory, childish way-playing and sing
Ing in perfect tune, but without enjoy
ment or interest. When her song was
done, she mechanically held out Il little
brass bowl to the passersby, and then,
full or empty, set 1t down on the steps by
hor oido On6 kvvu,,oJ v,3th ,oNthou1, <,,,J0r
ness to the wailing child beside her, who
seemed to be quieter when laid across her
little knee In place of the guitar.
"The Madonna in glory, two saints on
either side. angels playing below" Bellini
was saying as they paced the pathway.
mime is to be the Presentation In the
Temple" said Carpaccio, land l also
must have angels playing below. So the
doge has ordered. But truth to tell, l
hardly see my way to those same angels.
I cannot frame my mind to the vision Of
them at that moment"
A soldo for my song, ex~cellency," said
the little maiden's childish voice at his
knee as she held out her brass bowl. Bel
lini loved children, and he felt in his pouch
for a soldo, which fell ringing into the
bowl. The child looked up with smiling
thanks.
"What do they call thee, little onep'' he
said, OBTAINING her a moment, as she
would have hurried back to her guitar
and her baby.
my name Is AnZiola Casalla, signor,
but they call me Zanze of the Lion steps,"
said the little girl, because l always sit
and play my guitar here when no one else
drives me away" Then Bellini released
her, and she went back to her wailing
charge. An acquaintance here came up to
talk to Bellini, and Carpaccio waited by
his side and watched the little Zanze at
some 20 feet distance from her.
Suddenly q man attired in shabby fnery
came up to the little girl and spoke rough
ly to her, evidently looking in great con-
tempt at the few soldi in the bowl. Lazy.
bones, good for nothing" he said, always
nursing that idiot instead of earning thy
OWL bread. Thou shalt have the stick
when we get home"
"Nay," said Carpaccio, 1.-THE little one
does her best. Here is a silver piece If she
will sing me her best song" and he drop
ped 1t into the bowl.
Zanze drew a long breath and looked at
him gratefully. Casalla lifted his shabby
hat not ungraoefully and with a shade Of
apology.
1.-THE signor is good, +" he said. "Zanze
can do better than anything his excellency
has heard. She has an ear as keen as any
In Venice, and she can strike the note
upon the guitar of any sound she hears.
Choose among the sounds your exoellency
may hear around us, and she shall strike
the note"
There was a chaos Of sounds around
them, street cries from the Piazza, sing
ing family heard from within st. Marks,
the chatter Of the ~gondoliers, the plop plop
Of the water against the marble steps, but
Carpaccio, whimsical by nature, said,
LET her strike the note the babe walls
in."
Zanze received her orders and laid her.
self out to obey them. First Of all, she
very tenderly laid the child along the step
by her side; then she sat down and took
up the guitar, balancing 1t with one slen-
der little leg and bare foot flung far over
the other, while she bent her serious little
face over the guitar to try to get the note
Of little limos cry. But art was In CON
flict with nature. As Zanze listened to
the poor child's wall her delicate eyebrows
twitohed and the corners of her mouth
dropped. She wanted to take him up and
comfort him much moro than to initiate
his cry. However, with an admonishing
word or two from her father she found the
note and initiated the sound. But the
moment her task was over she laid down
her guitar and took Elmo up again, and
while her father, with some skill and taste,
was performing q barcarole on the instru.
ment she was cosseting and kissing the
poor little unreoeptive child. Then Car
paccio said q few words to Casalla and
turned away and thrust his arm through