The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1920-09-22
([n OMOLA mia," said the blind
scholar, thou wilt reach
- the needful vOlumes-th0u

([D OMOLA mia," said the blind
scholar, "thou wilt reach
the needful v0lumes-thou
knowest them-on the fifth shelf of
the cabinet
Tito rose at the same moment with
Romola, saying II will reach them, If
you will point them OUT and fol-
lowed her hastily into the adjoining
small room.
"There they are" said Romola,
pointing upward; "every book is just
where 1t was when my father ceased
to see them"
Tito stood by her without fastening
to reach the books.
II hope" she continued, turning her
eyes full on Tito, with look Of grave
CONFIDENCE hope he will not weary
you; this work makes him so happy?"
"And me too, Romela-if you only
let me say, I love you-if you will only
think me worth loving little"
His speech was the softest murmur,
and the dark beautiful face, nearer to
hers than it had ever been before,
was looking at her with beseeching
tenderness.
II do love you," murmured Romola !;
she looked at him with the same sim
pie majesty as ever, but her voice had
never in her life before sunk to that
murmur. It seemed to them both that
they were looking at each other a long
while before her lips moved again;
vet it was but moment till she said,
II know now what it is to be happy"
The faces just met, and the dark
curls mingled for an instant with the
ripping gold. Quick as lightning after
that, Tito set his foot on projecting
ledge Of the book shelves and reached
down the needful volumes. They were
both contented to be silent and sep
arate, for that first blissful experience
of mutual consciousness was all the
more exquisite for being unperturbed
by immediate sensation.
Ia had all been as rapid as the ira
reversible mingling Of waters for even
the eager and jealous Bardo had not
become impatient.
Whey they told her father, he
wanted time for reflection. BE patient
my children; you are very young"
mo more could be said, and Ro-
mola's heart was perfectly satisfied.
Not SO Tito's. If the subtle mixture
of good and evil prepares suffering for
human truth and purity, there is also
suffering prepared for the wrongdoer
by the same mingled conditions. AS
Tito kissed RomOla on their parting
that evening the very strength Of the
thrill that moved his whole being at
the sense that this woman, whose
beauty it was hardly possible to think
Of as anything but the necessary con-
sequence of her noble nature, loved
him with all the tenderness that spoke
In her clear eyes, brought strong
reaction Of regret that he had not kept
free from that first deceit
which had dragged him into the dam
ger Of being disgraced before her.
There was spring of bitterness min
gled with that fountain of sweets"
George Eliot's magnificent study Of
character concerns itself with Flor
ence' at the time when Christopher
Columbus was discovering America,
when SavOnarola was prior Of Saint |
Marks and ruled the city by his
moral energy and his fanaticism, when i
bis pi0us frenzies, his visions, and his |
predictions Of heavenly wrath seemed |
to the majority of his fellow citizens
as coming from q more than mortal |
source; when Charles the Eighth Of |
France invaded Italy; when the plague
brought dire dismay; when the city
was distraught by the struggles of the
austere dev0tees Of .Savonarola and
he gay partisans Of pleasure; when
The mighty ones Of the land We're
united against poor distracted Flor
snce; when Piero de- Medici was con-
'piring to regain the power once held |
~ Lorenzo the Magnificent; when fin
lily Florence turned against Savon-
lrola, and no met his death In
gnominy or martyrdom, as one viewed
t as foe or partisan. Across the scene
here fit the figures Of Pico della
Of Fra Bartolommeo, Of
)omenico Ghirlandajo, of Cossimo d
oiero, Of Poliziano, Of Bernardo del
Zero, Of Strozzis and TOrnabuonis, Of
Viccolo Machiavelli, Of a promising