The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1901-02-23
MAR|[TTA'S IDEAL.
M ARIETTA PoLLI stood beside her

ll rude little wooden table on the
corner of street that branched
from the Via Roma, still popularity
called by its old name of Via Toledo,
the most lively thoroughfare of the
great city of Naples. She was a
street singer, and her only posses
sions consisted of rude table, an
earthen salad bowl decorated with
blue fiowers-into which the passers-
by threw their offerings-and we'll
worn guitar. Every morning prompt
ly at seven Marietta came with her
table, placed it in its accustomed
nook with the empty bowl at one
corner, and, without much ado, took
up her guitar and in a sweet, plain
tive voice sang hymns for a full hour.
From eight until noon she rendered
ambitious operate selections; in the
afternoon she alternated stirring ma
tional airs with songs of love, hero
ism and adventure, and in the even
ing she changed her programme to
the most popular ballads of the day.
Punctually at II o'clock, when the
streets became deserted, Marietta
hung her guitar over her shoulder,
extinguished the light that stood
near her contribution bowl, poured
the money into her pocket. and, after
hiding the lamp in secret niche in
the wall near by, lifted the table over
her head and wandered away to the
tenement district where the tall, mar
row houses swarm with children, like
rabbits in warrens, and where whole
families live huddled together with
out cleanness or decency, and the
air resounds at once with blows and
cries and singing and laughter. Here
she slept in the small hallway of a
tumble-down shanty which served as
a cobbler's workshop.
But Marietta was not alone in the
world. Her widowed mother con-
trived to make living from the sale
of handkerchiefs, opera glasses, cigar
cases, spectacles and miscellany of
such articles, which both her half
grown sons managed TO steal from I'M
suspecting touristsor simple strangers
from neighboring cities. Signora
Polli understood her calling thor
oughly, and her boys were shrewd
HitoSCthcT,
well, although occasionally there came
a hungry day. Once every week the
family assembled at the Villa Reale,
the famous Neapolitan promenade
garden on the Chiaja, where the band
gives open-air concerts. Then Mari
eta purchased for each an orange
and few roasted chestnuts, and
slipped a few lire into the greedy
palms of her mother. After hat each
went his way. The ragged young
sters passed their nights in unguard-
ed barges or the large baskets and
empty casks that were unloaded from
the ships at the wharves, AMI at noon
the next day met their mother at a
macaroni stall along the Moo. Here
they delivered the articles they had
stolen, and related their adventures
as they ravenously devoured their
fried fish or macaroni made palatable
with oil and tomato sauce. And
sometimes, when they had Leen I'M
usually successful, their mother al
lowed them other luxuries.
Marietta was the only one of the
family who possessed one faint spark
of decency and responsibility; she
clothed herself neatly, at least had n
roof to cover her head at night, and
earned considerable money. Her
brothers declared that she often
cleared as much as three lire day,
and, with their mother, wondered
what became of this great wealth.
However, only when they were in the
1nr -
Marietta for assistance; and then she
responded none too generously-only
enough to tide them over their diff
culties.
The Neapolitnns considered Mariet-
ia beautiful. From her father she
inherited stately figure, smooth,
broad forehead, and large. dreamy
eyes, and from her Sicilian mother,
a sharp, straight nose, small mouth
with firm lips, and wonderful mass
of curly hair, which fell in ringlets
about her face as she sang with
downcast eyes. This was her favor
lite attitude, but when a contribution
was thrown into her bowl, either in
compliment to the music or in COM
passion for the songstress, she raised
her pretty face and expressed her
thanks with grateful smile. She
found no pleasure in conversing with
the men who attempted to fiirt with
her, but, between songs, chatted with
her neighbors, who presided over
stalls where shells, coral, photo
graphs, pumpkin seeds, fish. fruit and
lemonade were offered for sale.
The street singer had an enviable
reputation, even among tn, poorer
classes, and many families of good
standing in the vicinity presented her
with their cast-off clothing. An old
nobleman, Prince Dorando. as he
passed on his way to his palace each
day, bowed respectfully to Marietta,
and, at his death, left her 200 lire in
consideration of his esteem. Every
one rejoiced at her good fortune.
Sometimes liberal strangers, fasci-
mated by her beauty, attempted to
make undue advances, but she re-
PEELED them with her indifference. II
was even said that her first real ad-
mircr, who was employed at the Hotel