Year: 1873

A TRAGEDY OF TRAVEL.


Five and twenty years ago my wife


and I were crossing over into Italy.


After we had been slowly ascending for


some time, we got out of the carriage,


thinking we should get on quite as fast,


and perhaps more pleasantly, on foot !;


and, by taking short cuts across the


zigzags, we soon got ahead of our con-


veyance. had been over this same


pass twice before, when a happy-I


mean an unhappy, bachelor, and I re-


membered the bypaths pretty well and


we were soon in sight of the inn where


we intended to pass the night, not very


far from the summit of the pass. As


we toiled on we overlook a gentleman,


apparently and Englishman, and little


boy. I believe that, feeling pretty


sure, from the general appearance of


the man, that we were compatriots, I


sail something or other to him, re-


marked that it was a fine evening, or
that the scenery was grand, I forget


what. He, however, made some mono


syllable reply, and did not appear in
clined to fraternize, so we passed on.


Still, took hasty note of him. He


was man apparently of twenty-eight
or thirty years of age, of delicate frame
and almost feminine countenance. One
thing particularly noticed, he had
slight but peculiar mark under the left
eye, what Box or Cox might have called
a strawberry mark. The boy that was
with him, a child of not more than six
years old, was evidently his son, for
both 1 and my wife traced a very strong,
res, mbIanee between the pair; and the
little fellow lookedtvAay pale and tired
as his father dragged him up the steep
ascent. We soon left them far behind,
and my wife remarked that it was Gu
rious circumstance that these two should
be thus going over the pass, for we had
seen no other carriage on the. road
which could belong to them, and she
natur lly thought it very hard that
such young child should be forced to
make such a tedious journey on foot.
However, when we arrived at our desti-
nation, we thought no more of them
and, after a pleasant and appetizing
supp +, in which red trout, I read them
now in the bill, formed no unimportant
item, we strolled out again and watched
the white glories of the rising moon
spreading over the highland valley in
which we were. When we entered the
hotel again, and went into the 80LJe q
771GTlger for some coffe e, we discovered
the younger of our fellow-toilers sitting
meekly by himself in a corner Of the
room. A table was spread for supper
before him, and he was patiently await
ing the arrival of his father.


His large blue eyes looked tired and
sad his golden curls hung tangled over
his shoulders no tenderhand had cared
for him after his weary work, and I saw
the tears stealing in my wife's eyes as
she whispered to me, &c He has no moth
er to take care of him" This,
thought, was a hasty conclusion to ar
rive at; and I said so. My wife, wiser.
than I, I suppose, shook her head and
disagreed with me.


We fingered over our coffee for some
time longer than necessary. The pa
tient child sat silent in the dark corner;
now and then the blue eyes wandered
inquiringly towards the door, but
found no answer there. An hour passed |
away; but his father, if the man we had
seen was his father, and of this we had
no doubt, never came.


81 can't stand this, John, said Laura
to me Indignantly. eff somebody |
don't give that poor child his supper,
I'll give it him myself"


I demonstrated, mildly, 81 don't |
think we have any right to interfere, my
dear. No doubt his father is taking a
nap up stairs, and he will wake up and |
be down directly"


s. Nap, indeedr' % retorted Laura, ra-
ther savagely. Indeed, I had no idea
till then that my sweet bride could be
so savage, if she chose. ''Nap, indeed
with that darling starving In uneom-
planning silence. I've half a mind to
ask which is his room, and give him
rousing that he won't easily forget"


This, [ thought, would be a highly
improper proceeding on Laura's part,
and I ventured to say so. She con
tented herself with repeating, with
greater vehemence than before, 'Nap,
indeed %


At that moment we heard the heavy
sound of the diligence, and the gay
jingling of the -horses's bells, as it stop
ped at the door of the hotel. Cold and
mufled passengers, for we were some
seven or eight thousand feet above the
level of the sea-came into the room
and partOok of various drinks, but they
soon cleared ont again. The horses had
been changed and, with a good deal
of smacking of whips and loud pealing
of bells, the huge diligence pursued
its road to Italy.


The pale-faced, golden-haired child
still sat quietly In the corner. Once or
twice the tired head sank upon the lit
tie shoulder. and for a moment or two
he dropped asleep. Then he would