The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-12-17

Piled 70 the c0unselS OF her neighbors in
those early days. Il shall have a crime
on my conscience, for she knows moth
ing and is OF violent temper: in desper-
alton she might do something rash. her
heart IS good and / hope 10 guide her
Alright. so that she can take her own way
safely as time goes on when I shall be
no more"
Her patience ala not fail her I'm her task
and Nerina became a grateful and cap
able servant: never very peaceable. quiet
or accomplished. hat unremitiing in ef-
fort devoted in sickness. useful in all
homeiy. hardy ways. and filled with a
passion Of loyalty and love for Madame
Tina and the three bright boys who had
an the old seraphic beauty Of Italy IN
their handsome faces and who. If they
sometimes plagued her. loved her warm
!y IN return
Every drop Of water which was used
IN the house she brought up In bronze
pals from the well on the rampant: she
went Tor the milk and did all the mar
keiine; she made the bread and cooked
the polenia; she scrubbed and swept and
secured all the coppers and all the stairs
and floors: she went TO mass at ; o'clock
In the morning in all weaNhers: she
washed all the linen in the river which
ram beneath the city wall: and IN her
Few leisure hours spun and sewed for the
FAMILY and herself Il was a hard life
but she was content in Il and even en-
JoNed every hour I'm II with the vigor OF
sane and robust temperament \
healthy constitution and a grateful soul
il was So much 20 her 10 sleep soundlv
without fear OF the brute kicking her OF
The bed Of leaves on 20 the ground: and
10 hear the placid voice OF her mistress
and the gay songs OF the children. in
stead of The curses OF the herdsmen and
the lewd Jokes Of the shepherds in drink
She would have asked nothing more OF
the saints than 10 let this life 40 on for
ever. only let me be- worthier." she said
I'm her prayers every time that she knelt
down In the little dusky aisle where she
went for confession in the Iongobardo
church. In This town, perched so high.
al greater altitude than even the rocks
81 the Sagro Speco. the winters are ex-
ceedingly cold and the summers
cruelty hot; in midsummer the stones
burn the feet which tread them. and in
winter the icicles hang from the fountains
and water spouts, and the winds moan
round the battlemented walls. as the mer-
cenaries OF Borgia and Farnese. Orsini
and Barberini, were wont 10 ride beneath
them Ia days Of Siege when all the coun-
Try beneath was burning in the inter-
necine wars of the pontifs and princes.
But Nerina was a strong mountain-born
woman who did not heed such small
things as heat and cold. and she came
and went. up and down the steep streets.
like a gust Of wind herself. Several offers
OF marriage were made her by men OF the
town. by men OF the hills above, and men
OF the plains below; but she would have
none Of them.
Never more a master for me-" she said
10 her mistress. Il am out OF the net OF
the fowler, never more VIII get IN II;
not J."
And this plain. peaceful tenor Of her
days might have gone on until death
should have taken her. but for the rest
lessness OF others which caught her in its
eddy as swirling stream whirls away
with II bit Of moss, dead leaf. a
snapped twiC.
The beautiful tall boys grew up and
went away, one by one. The eldest, who
was "A priest, was sent by his church 10
Brazil; the second. perforce. became q
soldier. and was in Africa: the third went
10 study painting in Venice. The young
artist came back at intervals, but rarely;