The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1908-06-23

Ii was warm night in February
and there was the scent OF narcissus
and violets already In the air. and the
Grand canal was silvered by the Hight
Of full moon. as II flowed Under the
arches or the Rialto.
A small boy was leaning over the
parapet and gazing at the water when
he ought To have been in bed. But MS
bed was only bit OF sacking. with
some dead maize leaves underneath II
and he liked better the radiant moon
light and the movements OF the fresh'
clear pungent night air.
His family name was a fine and an
cient one. but he was called only LII
limo now His parents were dead; he
had only an old greatgrandmother,
bed-ridden in the one room in Oltrarno,
where he lived with her. He kept her
and himself by selling matches. and he
was as thin as match himself, but
was pretty boy. with his great brown
eyes and his loose auburn curls, and
such a wistful. pleading smile that
hardly any girl or woman passed him
kindly dab OF the tongue.
His mother had died al his birth and
his father had shot himself after los
ing all he possessed at a gambling
club; the offspring of a secret mar
riage, the child was left TO his foster
mother, a good woman who cultivated
little farm on the hills above lmpru-
meta.
She and her spouse maintained him
for seven years: then the husband de-
serted her and emigrated and year
later she was killed by the steam-tram
near the Gelsomino. and there was
only her old mother left, the aged
creature whom he called his Norma. >
She was turned out OF their little
farm. and clinging 10 the child, and
the child 10 her, they went down into
the city TO live and she mended silken
hose and he sold matches
IL was only in this last year. his
tenth year. that the veins OF her legs
swelled so much that they kept her
bedridden, and her sight failed her
also. and the matches became their
own support One by one all the little
objects that his Norma had brought
! into the little town were sold, and
there remained nothing but the
| ragged clothes which covered then
! both and a few miserable necessary
things. They would have died OF hun
ger and cold but for the charity OF
those who were not much better on
than themselves and for the occasion
al aims which ladies, passing in the
streets. arrested by the pathetic beauty
OF Lillipo's face, put into his small
hQQQinR
every one took box of matches
knowing that II they did not they
would cause him trouble with the po
lice, for in theory begging is forbidden
Lillino's body was in the streets. but
his soul was In the country. II was
three years since he-had seen II bul
he. had never ceased to think OF II
Let US go back. Norma. Let us &c
back" he said continually. But the
poor old bedridden woman could onl,
cry feebly and answer "Oh, my
dearie, who would take us there? Who
would keep US when we got there
We are here, and here we mus
abide. Perhaps If the saints woulc
kill me outright somebody would be
kinder to you and carry you out OF this
cruel place-all stones and noise and
clatter. and full OF food and drink
for those whose bellies are full
already, and never a bit or drop fol
those who starve In II.
do not die, Norma" said Lillino
clasping his arms about her dc
not die and go away into the earth
Pray, pray do not. | have only you.
MY poor little one. and what good
am L." she murmured. laying hei
hand In blessing on his head. IAN
old log. not even good for burning
for have no sap left In me. Alas.
Alas"
But she was all he had TO care for
this bundle OF rags under her ragged
coverlet, and he had known her all
his life; she had been always exceed
ingly good TO him, and in that time
though already aged, had been a
strong and hearty woman. and his
earliest memories had been OF merrily
running beside her, with his hand on
her skirt TO cut watercresses In the
bitches, or drive the ducks TO the riv
ulet, or gather olives. chestnuts, black
berries. wood strawberries, or do any
one of those other lighter labors
which occupy the old people and the
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