The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-05-09
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Apenn1neS; leaYe your home on tha
Corso and see il o can forget TIA
| Roman girl. 1t is better so. Low a.
| you might, that southern nature. witt
all its passion. Is not the material upon
| which to build UP domestic happiness
nor make your northern habit-what-
| ever you may think at your time -
life-the one to cherish always those
passionate sympathies which are bred
by this atmosphere and these scenes
IT will go with YOU" I said. En-.
rfca's father shrugged his shoulders
/ when I told him hat I was going 10
the mountains and wanted a guide
The mother said it would be cold upon
the hills, for the winter was not ended
Enrica said that it would be warm il,
the valleys, for the spring was coming
AS I passed out that evening on nv
way to the Piazzo near the Monte Cit
orie, where my carriage was waiting
to take me to TivOli and the beginning
of my journey, Enrica glided up to m-
and whispered: All me. return soon.
SignOr-SOOn."
Day after day we stretched over the
mountains, leaving the Champagne lar
behind us. Sometimes we liter in .
valley o which the goats ara
browsing on the cliffs and listen to the
sweet pastoral pipes OF the Apennines,
We see the shepherds in their rough
goat-skin soats high up over our
heads. At night. IN some little, mea.
gre mountain town, We stroll about the
narrow paSsage ways or wander under
the heavy arches Of the mountain
churches.
When the time passed and ouce
by the temple-tomb OF Metella. ny
friend said: "And will you go back
now to your home or will you set our
with me tomorrow for Ancona % AT
least, 1 must say adieu," I re-
piled. God speed you" said he.
and we parted. He for his last mass
in st. Peters and I for the tail old
house on the Corso.
I heard her glancing feet the minute
I tinkled the bell, and there she was
with her brown hair gathered into
bra1dS and her yes full of JOY ana
greeting. And as I walk with her
mother to the window to look at some
pageant which is passing she steals
up behind me and passes her arm
through mine with a quick, electric
motion and a gentle pressure Of wei
come that tell more han q thousand
words. 1t is q pageant Of death that
is passing below. Far down the stree,
we see heads thrust out of the win-
dows and standing in relief against tho
red torchiight of the moving train.
Below dim figures are gathered in tina
narrow sideways to look at the sol
emn spectacle. A hoarse chant rises
louder and louder and half dies in the
night air, to break out again with new
and deep bitterness. The bier comes
by, and on it the body OF a man.
Hist" says my landlady. The body
is just under us. A thousand eyes
were gazing at him, but he lay there
careless OF them all, with his faca
turned toward the stars. The process
sion passes. us it a priest? I ask.
seeing that the body was robed in
priestly garments. NO she replied.
ried. and so, by reason of his londi-
ton, they put on him the VTicsty
robes"
s l." said Enrica, of I should die
would be robed in white as 0 saw
me on Carnival highland be fol-
owed by nuns for my sisters. ~
long way off, 1 hope, Enrica, may i
be- l returned. She tool my hand in
hers and pressed it. An Italian does
not fear to talk of death, and we Were
talking Of it still as we walked back u
my little parlor, my hand in hers al
the time, and sat down by the blazing
fire. It was Holy Week. and never
had Enrica ooked more sweetly than
IN that lack ress-und that long
black veil of the days Of Lent | was
TO leave Rome after Easter. / did NOT
Ilke to speak Of it-nor to think OF II.
But Easter comes and passes with the
glory of st. Peters lighted from top
to bottom. The next day I bring home
my last bunch of flowers. and with y
a richly chased Roman ring.
L heard them stirring early on th@
morning on which I was to go away,
L do not think l slept very well my
Very late. Never did Enrica
look more beautiful-pever. She took
a single rosebud from her bosom and
handed it to me with a trembling
hand. 1 did not (for I could nOD
her. She knew it land her eyes
were full. The old man kissed my
cheek-it was the Roman custom, but
did not extend to the Roman girls. As
l passed down the Corso looked back
at the balcony. I knew she would BE-