tents of my larder, which there was always | had been executed, all the male portion a difficulty in replenishing, as no eatable of the family (eleven) confronted him in food could be found within ten miles. a menacing attitude, each armed with a No one in the villages round indulged in pitchfork. A. was alone and unarmed, meat unless some ox or sheep had come but going up to the foremost he snatched to an untimely end. The old grandfather the pitchfork from his hand; the rest was in our eyes the flower of the flock. then dropped their weapons, and fled. He worked as hard as his failing strength After this, the family was of course given would allow; and one day my husband, notice to quit. They were rich, and had struck with compassion at his famished land of their own, therefore their ejectappearance, and touched by a way the ment caused them no pecuniary embarold man had of saluting him respectfully, rassment; but many generations had desired the servants to ask him in to lived and died in that house, and it was breakfast. "Nonno," quite overwhelmed not without a certain feeling of commisby the honor, got himself into a clean eration that I saw the long procession of smock and a pair of boots, and, seated at men, women, and children, with all their our kitchen table, relieved his overbur- flocks and their herds, their wagons and dened heart. His grandchildren, he said, their asses, laden with goods and chattels, treated him in a most unfeeling manner; wend their way slowly towards another not only was he made to work hard and home, reminding me vaguely of a Scrip not given enough to eat, but when he tural exodus. We did not replace the alluded to his savings, he was reminded peasants who left, but hired laborers and that they would come in handy for his cultivated these farms ourselves. This funeral expenses. It was long since he system was troublesome, but so much had had such a good meal, and he was more remunerative than the former that much obliged to the padrone. Our rela- we have no reason to regret having been tions with this interesting family ended forced into it; and it is a significant fact by mutual consent, and never do I re- that we obtained the next year, not double, member experiencing a greater sense of but four times the produce that had come relief than on their departure. This was to our share the year before. Something, not the only class of peasants with whom of course, may have been due to better we could not manage to get on. We cultivation; but an improved system could found our coloni apparently humble even scarcely, in one year, have effected such to servility, but in reality unmanageable. extraordinary results. Labor is cheap; It was in vain that my husband endeav- for seventy-five centesimi a man, and for ored to introduce improved methods of forty-five a woman, will work from sunrise farming; they were strenuously resisted. to sunset through a long summer day, and The oxen had always trodden out the many will come from villages several corn, and it got done in the course of the miles off, and return when their work is summer; so why use the threshing-ma- done. One hour for repose and food was chine? Vines had always been trained demanded, and humanity induced us to up trees grown in the midst of corn-fields; prolong it during the extreme heat to two. and although the corn round the tree did The dinner of our laborers consisted of not ripen, and the tree itself sucked up a loaf of Indian-corn bread, and any fruit the moisture necessary to the free growth which might happen to be in season—an of the vine, it was still maintained that apple, a pear, or a bunch of grapes; this such vineyards were the most economical. was all. Wine is a rare luxury with the The grapes had always been gathered poorer class of peasants, and meat or before they were ripe, and the wine had eggs rarer still. Between these wretched always been sour; but they liked it so. day laborers, who live from hand to mouth, The cattle could work even when half and those prosperous peasants who have starved; therefore why waste your sub- land of their own, there is a great disstance in giving them enough to eat? tinction, and a contadino grasso who The principal farmer on the property was marries one of the indigent of his own the most obstinate, and his resistance class is held to have made a mésalliance. was at last carried to a pitch which made I was walking once with a contadina a termination of his tenancy indispensa- whose husband was part proprietor with ourselves, and who enjoyed the proud title of vergara. We passed a woman who claimed acquaintance with her. This contadina wore a magnificent coral necklace and massive gold earrings, but her

ble.

One day when my husband went down to the farm of this troublesome tenant, to assure himself that some orders he had given respecting the feeding of cattle

chemise was patched and her petticoat in | off the stage; for the exhibition of feeling rags. Annunziata was moved to tears at is thought so proper and becoming that the sight of her old friend so come down they feign it where they have it not. To in the world. This unfortunate person weep at every parting, even with the most was the daughter of a contadino grasso, casual acquaintance, is thought a point of and had married beneath her a poor etiquette, and the art of pumping up tears fellow who kept one pig, and inhabited a at will is one of the first to be acquired. mud cottage! Many of the poorest of Knowing the amount of labor and rethe peasantry eke out their living by tak- hearsing necessary to getting up private ing care of foundlings, for whom a char- theatricals in England with any success, itable institution provides. These bas- I was surprised at the facility with which tardi abound, and the mystery of their the dullest and most uneducated Italian origin forms the basis of many a romantic would learn and recite his part, and with story. They are kept out at nurse until what grace and effect each point would be the age of twelve, when the institution given. He never mumbles or gabbles, or occupies itself with their education and looks as if he didn't know what to do with settlement in the world; sometimes they his arms and legs, or appears to be wonare adopted by their foster parents for dering why he is making such a ridiculous good and all. I have not described the fool of himself, as is the way of the Enlooks of our peasants. They are seldom glish amateur. The balls are not select; well made; the bodies being long, and even the peasants are included; and the the legs short and often bandy, in conse- price of admission is but one sou. There quence, I believe, of the fascia. But is every variety of class and costume. some very pleasant, pretty faces may be Some of the ladies will appear masked: seen among them. Blue eyes and flaxen others in what they fondly imagine to be hair are not at all uncommon traces, I the height of the fashion; some in evensuppose, of their northern conquerors- ing and some in morning dress, and some but the occhi branchi, as all light-colored in a happy mixture of both. One will eyes are called, are not prized as in most wear a low gown and her best bonnet; southern climes; they are lamented as an another will carry, in addition to fan and imperfection. The prevalence of such smelling-bottle, her muff. The band plays names as Ermenegilda," "Elminia," on a raised scaffolding. Musicians and Geltrude," seem also to tell of mixture dancers cannot always agree. " Do you with a Teutonic race. know what it is you are playing?" is occasionally shouted from below. "Do you know what it is you are dancing?" is the ALTHOUGH there is no attempt at any- tu quoque from above. More lively banthing which we should call society, no ter follows, ending, perhaps, in a quarrel. dinner or tea parties, no archery, no pic- The musicians strike work; the dancers nics-none, in fact, of our ways for reply that it does not matter; but it ends "bringing people together"-yet our in a reconciliation, and all goes on as beneighbors manage to meet and amuse fore. The peasants prefer dancing in the themselves after their own fashion. It is open air. The only dance known to them a more hearty fashion than ours, and far in these parts is the salterello. The man more economical; for eating and drinking and woman dance opposite one another, is not that necessary element in amuse- she looking as if she must fall forwards, ment with Italians that it is with us. and he backwards. Hands are sometimes There is always a band, often very good; joined; but this is thought bad form by and there is generally a theatre where, the peasant aristocracy. Two or three during the Carnival, some sort of dramatic fiddlers play a monotonous, bagpipe-like representation takes place, and this the- tune, which is occasionally enlivened by a atre serves also for a ball-room; then shout and a gust of song. Then an imthere are the fairs, which make a rendez- provisatore will be inspired by his muse, vous for all classes; and, at the risk of and, like some clergymen who preach exappearing irreverent, I must include pro- tempore, has a difficulty in leaving off. cessions amongst the entertainments. The energy which the peasants display Italian amateur actors are infinitely bet- after a hard day's reaping under a burnter than English. To simulate emotion, ing sun, seems amazing; but Italians, to speak distinctly, to suit the action to though sometimes averse to work, never the word all this comes naturally to tire of their amusements. The band plays them. A great many are born actors and an important part in all festivities. Dur. actresses, and display their talents freelying a wedding it will play operatic music

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inside the church; it brings up the rear | stern business. I was once taken to a in all processions; it celebrates the Be- fair where an enterprising attempt at fana (Epiphany) by going about, much as horce-racing had been made. There had our "waits" do, from house to house, and, like the "waits," it is apt to become a nuisance. On occasions such as a birth, or a christening, or an electoral triumph, or the return from a journey, we have suffered much from the midnight serenade of a particularly zealous band belonging to a neighboring village.

plot was invented by a priest, for what effect. After having paraded three times end I do not know. The priest escaped; round the town, the procession enters the the woman was put in prison, where she church, where the crucifix is now brilshortly died. She had not borne a bad liantly illuminated. They range themcharacter, and the dreadful guilt she med- selves around it, and another dramatic itated appears to have been the result of sermon takes place. On leaving the a sort of madness which the fascination church the population proceeds to view of the lottery is said to bring upon its various little shows representing phases victims. Perhaps it is fair to add that of Christ's passion and crucifixion this happened many years ago. Christ in the garden, a pasteboard figure kneeling, and surrounded by plants, well lighted up; Christ scourged, etc. The next morning, early, men go about hammering bits of wood, and crying out, "Come to mass, in memory of Christ's death." This is called the tric-a-trac.

From The Gentleman's Magazine. MADEMOISELLE ANGELE.

BY ALICE CORKRAN.

CHAPTER 1.

CHATEAU JOUY, on the confines of Nor

will then have his effusions printed on ornamental paper, and on the weddingday the tables are strewn with original. poems, some sentimental, others facetious, and many what we English are supposed to think shoking (always without the c), and which are indeed calcu- mandy and Brittany, stood amidst its lated to startle one brought up accord-woods, some way out of the village that ing to our ideas of decorum. These bore its name. improprieties are especially observable in It was July, and it had rained incesthe odes written by priests. It is thought santly, not for a day or two, not with correct to endow the bride in these com- cheery intervals between the showers, not positions with every virtue and grace, but with an occasional streak of sunshine jomore emphatically that particular virtue vially pushing aside heaven's door, just to or grace in which she is most deficient. assure the world that all was right, and Thus an ugly girl will be extolled for her dry weather would come yet, but disamazing beauty, a stupid one for her ex- mally, doggedly, sullenly for a whole week traordinary talents, and an ill-tempered together. It was still raining. Outside one for her angelic meekness of disposi- the château a trackless, uncharted sea of tion. The mother and sisters of the mud spread, in which stood crest-fallen bridegroom do not go to the wedding trees, spiritless hedges, and pallid flowers. they sit at home to receive the pair, who Over it the birds flew dejectedly, lowdo not immediately start on their honey-spirited horses ploughed through it, and moon, but betake themselves first to the bride's new home, where some relations of her own will perhaps accompany her, and stay until the next morning.

A young man is but little consulted about the choice of his partner in life, and a girl is seldom allowed any voice at all in the matter. A father who said that he would not marry his daughter without her own consent, created quite a sensation by the declaration. The daughter in question exclaimed: "Now, isn't that good of papa? Perhaps it is because mama poveretta had never seen him till she married, and at first she didn't like him at all."

The peasants have a freer choice in marriage; a pretty peasant girl will change her betrothal a good many times before she finds one to her mind. "Well, and when are you going to marry Pasquale?" one inquires of Assunta, who replies: Oh, I have got tired of Pasquale; he beat me the other day, so I have broken with him, and now I am going to see how Giacomo will suit me." By the time she does marry, neither Pasquale nor Giacomo, but Arigo, she will be very proud of the number of pairs of earrings of which she has despoiled her discarded suitors. She, too, has been working at her corredo from an early age, and will have an oaken chest full of linen for the house and for herself. She returns home after the marriage ceremony and remains with her parents for two or three days; the bridegroom then comes to fetch her home, and it is at his house that the festa takes place.

some cows stood mid-leg deep in it, regardless of consequences. It was a limp world, that had lost all pluck and show of bravery under the drip-drip scolding of the rain.

Inside the château, the company was assembled in the hall round the log fire that burned in the deep hearth. It was a handsome apartment, hung with sober tapestries and furnished with splendid old oak. Mademoiselle Angèle de Say, the young châtelaine, was wont to draw a vivid and gloomy picture of the château to her friends in Paris, painting it as a sombre abode, buried in the woods, with a sinister northern tower haunted by a ghost; but it was, in truth, a fine mansion of no great antiquity. It was roomy, commodious, and bore in its exterior and interior arrangements the stamp of a certain stateliness and fine taste.

Whatever may have been the sombre colors in which it was the young lady's fancy to paint Château Jouy to her friends, certain it is, that when she came to it, the place was transformed into an enchanted residence, a summer palace, a centre of movement and gaiety. She filled it with her Parisian friends. She always carried a bit of Paris with her wherever she went. Walks in the morning; rides on horseback through the woods in the afternoon; music, dancing, charades in the evening, were the order of the day, and had continued till this spell of wet weather had set in.

Mademoiselle Angèle's spirit had manfully borne up against it. She had kept her guests alive by her gaiety, but now