Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1901-12-20
.CATARlNA
A SKETCH.

fIOm Hucn buTTOunuluESI les, per
haps because of such surroundings.
Genius will flourish anywhere, and
genius has the happy faculty of bend
ing every difficulty to its own advan-
tage. At any rate, though genius It.
self Is apt to be very dubious respect
Ing this comforting doctrine. l cannot
but think that Princes road made Cata-
rina. Yet. truly, what n setting for
such n pearl!
Her mother was an Italian. her ia
Their had died while she was still
child. and from that day Catarina was
marked by fate. The mother had
bought a greengrocer's shop In that
very unlovely Princes road have re-
ferred to. and there. ensconced In that
little fortress-it might be truly said
hardly ever quitting guard-she had
begun and carried on through long
years one of those terrible, grim. silent
struggles with poverty. disaster and
death with which London IL replete.
She had survived, she had been always
apie just ~ Aeep nei menu "oo'e w"
ter. but heaven only knows at the cost
OF what heroism. OF what intelligence
and OF what privations I'm that little sea
OF troubles In which her lot was casti
The older inhabitants of Princes road
sun reiheinoer her US u uuAoin anu
nien sp'ri'eu you"s "oni""' sp'"Ai"s
Hhsish very pnuiy' Du' Diii."u e,io"S"
"i'nh,. nu' 'nc yentS n"i s,"uuanS
roopeu her vi Every 'rhce Vi nei ioi
mer Deauty, anu rom the nrS' uny =
Ahe" her sue was p,e,l'"eure'y Viu'
quiet chre"orh uh"ie' ner ince S"ilow
"iu "nnereu' nei e'ieeAs ui""" a",
suhkeh, hcr mar u.y anu uu''y' anu
II any h'ht renihlheu W give nsSu'"".o
10 lle Ilehiory Vi ner cnnin'S u wa" III
her Itaiiah eye Shn' Dut ueep' iuS'rous,
DiaZihB up at tiihes WIN Soh,e nn"h'u
hre or occaslohhiiy revealing uhe
s'rhhge, yenrn'he' hu"'eu ,ooA Vi
poor chiid OF the sunny sou'h wearing
out her IRE III soihper ciiihe anu
among IN hiieh Peop'e'
NO; there WIS hho'her tes''nohy 10
Der FORMER beauty Ch'arihh' one was
ABOUT ID wheh l III" her nrst' anu
most children are pretty at thht age
Dut no one win the eye OF HI hrtist OF
with insight mo character couiu once
gaze upon Chtarihhs coun'eihnce
without lnwardiy resolving that mat
strange, Foreign looking creature was
predestiheu 10 career
Catarlna was orteh 10 DE iounu III tne
shop about that ume or III the MUS
'parlour" that served for everything
at the back. She was generally 10 DE
found there. In fact Tor though she
avoided school ana was not particu-
larry shining light IN the pains OF iearh-
Ing. the girl was devoured with rage
for reading. There She was 10 DC
found ns often as not with smudge
upon her short nose from having han
died dusty potatoes perched up OF
CrOuched down with a novelette,
story book. book or travel OF hd-
venture. She was extraordinarily pre-
cocious In her understanding OF the
world, just as much as she was phck-
ward In physical development. for she
was small for her age. Even then she
was ambitious--she was more than am
bilious; she was merry ana resOlute'
One saw II In the Hash OF the w0hdcr-
full eyes as she glanced up quickly
from her book. seeming In one earnest
dart to look through your own eyes III
hind!
She was delightfully."- shy, though con
fdcnt; timid, though fiery; rnp'd.
though tender. When she dropped her
eyes, there was fascination that de-
pended on no mere occurrences. that
must indeed have been something I'M
conscious. for II seemed really 10 DE
due to the lashss, with their long ana
peculiar fanllke sweep.
Catarina had resolved even TO DE an
actress. by sort Of Instinct she per
celved that that was the only avenue
by which she could escape from the
surroundings OF Princes road, when
at the same time she loathed and nc
quiesced In with natural and even
affectionate familiarity.
CatarIna would weigh out pound or
potatoes with East Lynne" In her
hand. She would Maggie over AN odd
halfpenny with the asparagus man,
dreaming she was always dream
ing-of the most brilliant conquests,
the most illustrious situations OF the
"boards."
CatarIha had been six months In 1.-THE
profession" by dlnt Of what exer-
lions. Of what energy. resolution, had
she carried her point II was heroic
49,, ~ ,hot LIND ~ heroIsn which liz