l. asT CHORD. THE The sharp, oom frosty air swept dwn from the Appennines and snap- ped like a wolf or an angry cur at the seanty covered ankles of the poor. It was vightfall-—~the coldest part of the winter day l'uscany. An hour be fore the red sunlight kept the people warm and merry, and in another hour they would have forgotten both the 1 sun'i_ht and the cold, and be merry again for their own sunshiny hearts. Florence is so old, and yet so ten- der:and so beautiful, that it is impossi- ble to be long miserable there if in one’s soul there be any of the artist or the poet. Th: following the gloaming passed swifily, the darkness came quickly on its wake—darkness, hour bug not mience., High aloft, in the dim majesty of the white the wonderous needle of the Campanile winter starlight, gleamed while below the Duomo stood in silent grandeur, with the songs and laughter of the people buffeting ringing and against the great sides, From out of growps, with all tottered old Mariuccia, mandolin, As she along the piaz that she se grown of their songs one the merry and lane! and laugh. with her ced sl ter, advan wly very bony flugers coruers of | down, and glare whicl death. Slowly and then, brightest lig about her a: cold same thing bat now with mo pavement mar ’ before, who listened | her trange motley ¥ way eoin for it. Poor Mariue gad but not anun 1 her by they watch glarlight, and flickering lam that her long ago. them that bravely. When she in one of the the g the marvell real mast and on until lover and playm Fl her. Fl rence, Car Toget ) Ny nce, F yr a fe Ww 5 L with them, ar fn a he Ipls 88 ahd | in her arms, and not 1 theatres Rome, but coin it br When tl suddenly becan too that no phy able to discos was afflicted baffled. T and shook 1 She grew thinper thr more and more b The bright, ple from which so mu her no good ; and winter, deat) see Mariuecia only hope lire to jrovide fod while its frail, | It was two ye mather had | Caroat with age, pth as den seme nie haskily for alms whe strangers, While she = among the u — bu Duomo, the little grandchild in garret near the Arno, lay watching | the gleaming stars. The marvisinits humble cage at her side had longsinee gone to sleep. Each day a kind lady who had lived near the Ponto Veechio gave old Marinccia food for the bird, out of pity for the littleone, and so sometimes the little songster fared better than the old woman or the sick child. As the strength of the child flagged go the song of the marvis every day grew softer and sweeter, until it be- came scarcely more than a gurgle in the gay little creature’s throat. That day—that sad, strange day—an hour before nightfall, the singing altogether, and ceased its INArvis sat on perch watching the sick child as if it knew that its little friend was dying. The eyes of the bird were fixed upon each other when the latter went to sleep. Old Mariuccia twanged the string® of her mandolin more and more faint ly a3 midnight drew near. The people watched her longer than | befor over and over again why, instead sick child, the frosty old watery eyes looked straight ah Her they ever hac re, and wondered Of she still Her going home to the playing in air, thine nothing they | to me, at 1) nntil to In here, paper H¢ re, hon notary and se truth, I haw ad sam back in time for it to do any good | She Viamed herself because it had | ] | to those who should have it, Quick, take me to my babe before | the light of life fades from her eyes father at whose hands she came the world. But, stay, see old Mari. uccia had arisen stature, The old woman more to her full and stood upon her One of held the other lips and a strange light withered and furrowed face, the thin, bony hands still the pointed to the eastward, mandolin, and with she “Listen,” she whispered huskily, “I mavis and And How can hear the voices of the the child. Both are singing. yet see, tht. odd that they should be singing now. it is nearly midnig Some one must have given them a candle, else they would be sleeping. | must go and darken the room poor little room—or they will sing night.” Slowly she wavered to and fro, as but no her, for And then’ and she if stepped forward to save was about falling, one no seemed able to move, sat dowr i nn. | waver one } =0e again 1 In she played i group around | hem from 1} liey d teo, until it her baby! the fever killed 1 epi baby ard Je alone with the The poor | | never once once | ; : | True, the girl with a strange smile upon her wrinkled too, and she can no longer see the |would come and help it to a better, into | | know such things {ean | with their | all | that | But | fled, only to come back after a time | with what dreadful news do you greet | with a grandchild for the old woman, | me! My wife dead—my child dying! | The grandchild ! How she had loved | the sweat little one, and how she had hoped, year after year, that its father easier life—for she, true had doubted that her daughter, Beppo's child and hers, heart, the baby, and Jawful fled with ht; honorable had but it was all rig wife for all that, Now she WaE an wife, some lover ; she was a had only the grandchild left, and even that was dying. Dying’ God ! Who ? Her was full of people said dying the generous ; cup Lia could money ; been very she hurry home and save the grandchild Just then a divided of rav light touched her dying face and the | face of the dead grandchild at Did she know and feel what it given to the | it it same instant. could she tell meant? Is i dying t t h ¢i 4 ALruch times ‘ tell ? Anyhow, found bo her o m ’ 1.1 { i tl d th hand touc ail fresh dl moon - the | HARDER T0 BEAT NOW THAN EVER BEFORE. Our constant to improve the Crop wi our $25.00 PHOSPHATE This PHOSPHATE will de- mongtrate to farmers, that its Crop value great as articles that are estimated worth thirty- five to forty-five dollars per ton. Try it and be convinced. If y aim In ue of 18 as Our deal has of hand, end none r | | | | VOill direct to ns Send ford Prices, BAUCH & SONS, Manufacturers of RAW BONE MANURES, 20 South Delaware Avenue PHILADELPHIA, taugh's Phosphate Guide, ele, | } ENT ANI PA. ISHED 1% all | ( anne d (Food: . [ A.V. SMITH, GROCER. Everthing in the line Che 8, ? Starr J. SN NE DOLL! kv Patri TI EA a1 PNT CONID IR i | RR. WANTED. FOR SALE. EERINGER, wWrrys EL NL HE (LY ST AR, Financia. and C« Pp i mmercis TERME OF THE WEERLY STAR TERME OF THE DAILY STAR 1) ao TILE STAR, William SL, New York. Great Reduction —————————————————— 1S59--1SS6 r PRICES!!! / am now Prepared to (Five "7 BIG BARGAINS. DRY GOODS, GROCERIES LowerThan theLow- est. (ive 1 Call. US « We Guarantes RR TTT Satig= Countrv Produce On hand, and Wanted at all times C. U. HOFFER ' Allegheny st., Bellefonte, Pas
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