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

42 MILITARY LIFE.
In the principal streets there is a regular hive. The houses
are quite empty. The large families, even the most domestic,
decide to creep out of their shell the " ; papa " goes to the
window, looks down and then up at the sky, and exclaims :
" " Fine weather ! then turning to the family, who are behind
"
him, and only waiting a sign from him, he says gaily
: Let us
go out "; so after much shouting and running about hither and
yon from room to room, clapping their hands and turning the
house upside down, in search of wraps and hats in the dark,
the boys are ready, and the troop puts itself in motion. Even
the grandmamma, poor old lady, feels several years slip off
from her shoulders, and, despite her habitual complaints, goes
out too, leaning on the arm of her best-behaved grandson. The
party stretches along the street, two by two, the boys in front,
jumping and singing among themselves, and knocking with
heads and hands into the legs of the passers-by. The old people
behind, limping and coughing, try to keep out of the way
of the carriages and not lose sight of the children. The newly
married pairs and the betrothed couples wander about the
quietest streets and garden paths arm in arm, their heads nearly
touching, their fingers giving a furtive squeeze now and then,
close together, and talking, talking, talking, and exchanging fond
glances and long pressures of the hand, as they exclaim from time
to time, their eyes turned heavenward " How beautiful the
:
"
moon is to-night The little dressmaker is
!
returning home
from the shop, swinging her small self along, close by the walls,
and pretending not to see the high hat which is keeping pace
with her behind, and will appear at the turning of a certain
dark corner in such a pleasant way. The poorest girls,
who
have worked at home from sunrise to sunset, come dashing