Military life in Italy : sketches - Societa italiana di storia militare

IOS
MILITARY LIFE.
" "
Nothing
!
" Listen. . . .
Suppose we should give you another mamma,
who would really love you "
?
He looked at me with wide-stretched eyes. I talked to him
for a long time in a low voice, and he listened quietly to me.
" Well ?
" I asked when I had finished. He made no reply,
but went on plucking at the grass about him.
" Well ?
"
He sprang up, ran to the bank, and hid on the other side
of
it. A moment later we heard a burst of weeping so violent,
so despairing, that it made our hearts tremble.
" "
What is the matter ? asked the others.
"
Just what was to have been expected." They were all
silent, and Carluccio's sobs were distinctly heard.
" He must cry himself out," said one ;
"it 's better for him,
poor fellow ; it will do him good."
They took up the song again :
O madre, sul tuo seno
Vorrei chinar la testa
E sciorre al pianto il freno,
E infonder nel tuo cor
Questa dolcezza mesta
Che mi sembra dolor.
Between every verse we could hear the mournful, tired sobs
of the poor child.
The spectacle of Venice at that moment was divine.
" Silence !
" said one of our number suddenly. All stopped
and strained their ears ;
the wind brought us now and then the
feeble sound of drums.
" It 's the fanfara of the Croats of Malghera," exclaimed the
Paduan.