Year: 1878

Yes, it was to be her holiday-"all for
her" Nobody else was to have any
share in it except myself--that is, if
going as her courier, paymaster, and
general factstum could be called having
share in holiday.


We had been married nearly ten years
and what with the cares of home and the
training of numerous olive. branches, she
had never had any chance of a rest. Ot
course, we bad been to the seaside fre'
quently, and all that sort of thing; but
then, surrounded by children and nurses,
these trips had only been a continuation
of the general London responsibilities,
plus the worries and Inconvenience OF
lodgings or hotels. Moreover, within
the last few years there had been some
trouble in her family, which had acted
very psejudicially upon her sedative and
high-strung nature. So now we were
going away alone going to leave all the
children at home in the charge of grand
mamma-were going abroad for six
weeks together wherever she wished.
Her will was to be paramount; was to
be her slave-to pay the bill and look
after the luggage. Her affection and un-
tiring devotion to her duties deserved no
less. She had thoroughly qualified her
self for enjoying holiday she had
earned it. "Italy," she said, "where
there was sunlight, beauty and quiet" "
Good | waved my magician's wand,
rubbed the lamp, or spread the carpet,
or did any one of those wonderful things
which necromancers of yore wont to do
when desiring to be transported to dis,
tant plsces--or, rather, I resorted to
the modern golden equivalent for such
prOceedings--and we found ourselves
certainly, as il by magic, at Lucerne.
Thence we were to take it easy, and 80
logged along over the st. Gothard Pass,
and dropped into Italy at the LocarnO
end of the Lago Maggisre.


By this time she was beginning to en-.
joy herself thoroughly; she had got over
the fatigue, and already looked much a.
she did the day | married her. Yes, it
was very delightful to see her go well
and happy.


why, it's like a honeymoon over
again." she said cor rather it is as il
there had been no break, and that it was
only the continuation of those early
days"


We spent hours and hours upon the
lake, beneath the awnings of the fat.
bo toned boats, those first inceptions Of
the gondols, or we wandered up to the
picturesque old convent or sanctuary OF
the MOndOnna del Sasso, set like jewel
amid the blue hills behind the town.
And there in the soft autumn evenings
we sat and watched the glorious sunset,
and the boundless panorama of Alp,
plain and lake, while the bell in the
campanile hard by called tie peasantry
to vespers, and the pealing of the deep
toned organ resounded through the
choir.


We selected Locaino as a hating.
place, because it was at that time, and is
80 partly still, out of the rush of the
tourist. A primitive place, with simple
civil people willing to serve and oblige
honestly, and without having for the first
question in their minds, "What shall we
get by it~ Thus we came to know
some Of them living up near the sanctu.
ary, and TO speak or nod whep we
met from time to time.


Notably among these was a mother,
and child--s sweet little churby cherub
of boy about four. The Italian olks
in the north are not as rule handsome,
but this mother was an exception, and
the child was like. Superior, too in all
respects, ahe looked better born, bred,
nutured; nay, there was even look OF
cultury and refinement about her.


Immensely attracted by this pair, my
wife particularly would lose no opportn-
nifty of giving the little one pat and a
kiss, and of exchanging pleasant word
or two in the best Italian she could mus,
ter with the mother, who by degrees on
her part began to speak little English
and to take us into her confidence. She
explained that she had married an Eug.