The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1901-10-03
CATARlNA
A SKETCH.


| From such surroundings? Yes, per-
| haps because of such surroundings.
| Genius will flourish anywhere, and
genius has the happy faculty Of bend
ing every difficulty to it's own advan-
tage. At any rate, though genius it.
self Is apt to be very dubious respect
Ing this comforting doctrine, I cannot
but think that Princes road made Cata-
rina. Yet, truly, what a setting for
such pearl!
Her mother was an Italian, her IA
Their had died while she was still a
child, and from that day Catarina was
marked by fate. The mother had
bought a greengrocer's shop in that
very unlovcly Princes road 1 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 is replete.
She had survived she had been always
able Just to keep her head above wa
ter, but heaven only knows at the cost
Of what heroism, of what intelligence
and Of what privations in that little sea
Of troubles in which her lot was cast!
The older inhabitants of Princes road
still remember her as a buxom and
high spirited young woman, speaking
English very badly, but shrewd enough
withal. But the years had gradually
robbed her of every trace of her for
mer beauty, and from the first day
knew her she was a prematurely old,
quiet, careworn dame, her face sallow
and withered, her cheeks drawn and
sunken, her hair dry and dusty, and
If any hint remained to give assurance
to the memory of her charms it was in
her italian eye, sad. but deep, lustrous,
blazing up at times with some inward
fire or occasionally revealing the
strange, yearning, hunted look of
poor child Of the sunny south wearing
out her life in a somber cline and
among an alien people.
No; there was another testimony to
Der former Observation-Disclosures! She was
about 13 when 1 saw her first, and
most children are pretty at that age,
but no one with the eye Of an artist or
with insight into character could once
gaze upon Catarina's countenance
without inwardly resolving that that
strange, foreign looking creature was
predestined to career"
Catarina was often to be found in the
shop about that time or in the little
'parlour' that served for everything
at the back. She was generally to be
found there, in fact, for, ,theUsh she
avoided school and was not particu-
larly shining light in the paths of learn
ing, the girl was devoured with rage
for reading. There she was to be
found as often as not with smudge
upon her short nose from having han
died dusty potatoes, perched up or
crouched down with a novelette,, a
story book, a book Of travel, IF ad-
venture. She was extraordinarily pre-
cociOus In her understanding of the
world, just as much as she was back
ward in physical development, for she
was small for her age. Even then she
was ambitious was more than am
One saw it in the flash of the wonder
full eyes as she glanced up quickly
from her book, seeming in one earnest
dart to look through your own eyes in
to something, possibly the soul, be-
hind!
She was delightfully."- shy, though con-
f1dent; timid, though fiery; l.. rapid,
though tender. When she dropped her
eyes, there was a fascination that de-
pended on no mere occurrences, that
must indeed have been something IN
conscious, for it seemed really to be
due to the lashes, with their long and
peculiar fanlike sweep.
Catarina had resolved even to be an
actress. By sort Of instinct she per-
ceived that that was the only avenue
by which she could escape from the
surroundings of Princes road, which
at the same time she loathed and ac-
guessed in with a natural and even
affectionate familiarity.
Catarina would weigh out a pound of
potatoes with "East Lynne" in her
hand. She would haggle over an odd
halfpenny with the asparagus man,
dreaming-for she was always dream
ing-of the most brilliant conquests,
the most illustrious situations of the
BOARDS"
Catarina had been six months in 'the
profession" By dint of what exer-
tons, of what energy, resolution, had
she carried her point! 1t was heroic,
hint If hot r ind Of -oI, 10,
utterly unconscious to the doer. Gaia.
rina knew world of things, and she
had nerves of steel. She had succeed
ed. And then her chance came AL.
most as one losses a ball of wOrsted
to a kitten they had given Catarina an
lnterpolated "song and dance"
She could not sing little bit," for,
hough her voice had quality as
though the sense of touch had some.
Aow been dissolved into 1t, the volume
Of sound in singing was altogether too
feeble. The audience laughed, laughed
even at the beautiful Italian eyes, SIM
ply because they were "new"-until
Catarina began to dance. They had
taught her steps for fortnight, but in
her excitement she had forgotten them.
She fell back upon the steps her mother
had taught her and upon her genius.
Her dancing spoke, it sang, it laughed,
it teased-yes, like the very kitten with
the worsted-it fascinated, it struck
fireworks, it brought down the house
in thunderclap of sudden, impetuous,
astonished applause.
met her going home one night short
~ afterward. She had Slipped away
and was actually trudging or, rather,
stepping it, like a fairy on foot. Per-
haps she liked the walk; perhaps it was
the habit of the old days when a half
penny doomed vast as a sovereign.
She was beautifully dressed, though