TheRose
洛根·皮尔索尔·史密斯/LoganPearsallSith
Theolddyhadalwaysbeenproudofthegreatrose-treehergarden，andwasfondoftellghowithadgrownfroacuttgshehadbroughtyearsbeforefroItaly，whenshewasfirstarried.SheandherhbandhadbeentravellgbacktheircarriagefroRo(itwasbeforethetiofrailways)，andonabadpieceofroadsouthofSienatheyhadbrokendown，andhadbeenforcedtopassthenightalittlehoebytheroadside.Theaoodationwaswretchedofurse；shehadspentasleeplessnight，andrisgearlyhadstood，edup，atherdow，withtheolairblogonherface，towatchthedawn.Sheuldstill，afteralltheseyears，reberthebeountaswiththebrightoonabovethe，andhowafar-offtownononeofthepeakshadgraduallygrownwhiterandwhiter，tilltheoonfaded，theountasweretouchedwiththepkoftherisgsun，andsuddenlythetownwaslitasbyanition，onedowafteranothercatchgandref？lectgthesun’sbeas，tillatstthewholelittlecitykledandsparkleduptheskylikeaofstars.
That，f？dgtheywouldhavetowaitwhiletheircarriagewasbegrepaired，theyhaddrivenaloveyanceuptothecityontheounta，wheretheyhadbeentoldtheywouldf？dbetterquarters；andtheretheyhadstayedoorthreedays.ItwasoneoftheiatureItaliancitieswithahighchurch，apretentiopiazza，afewnarrowstreetsandlittlepaces，perched，allpadplete，ontheofaounta，withanenclosureofwallshardlyrgerthananEnglishkitgarden.Butitwasfulloflifeandnoise，echogalldayandallnightwiththesoundsoffeetandvoices.
TheCafeofthesipleheystayedwastheetg-pceofthenotabilitiesofthelittlecity；theSda，theavvocato，thedoctor，andafewothers；andaongthetheynoticedabeautiful，sli，talkativeoldan，withbrightbckeyesandsnow-whitehair—tallandstraightandstillwiththef？igureofayouth，althoughthewaitertoldthewithpridethatthetewasoltovehio—wouldfactbeeightythefollogyear.Hewasthestofhisfaily，thewaiteradded—theyhadoncebeeandrichpeople—buthehadnodesdants；factthewaiterntionedwithpcy，asifitwereastoryonwhichthelocalityprideditself，thatthetehadbeenunfortunatelove，andhadneverarried.
Theoldgentlean，however，seedcheerfulenough；anditthathetookathestrangers，andwishedtoaketheiraend，andtheysawglipsesthroughdoorwaysanddows，beshadowsbegngtospreadoverthebrownountas，theywenttopaytheirvisit.Itwasnotuchofapce，asall，odernized，stuovil，withahotpebblygarden，anditastonebaswithtorpidgoldf？ish，andastatueofDianaandherhoundsagastthewall.Butwhatgaveaglorytoitwasagiganticrose-treewhichcberedoverthehoe，aloststhedows，andf？illgtheairwiththeperfuofitssweetness.Yet，itwasaf？erose，thetesaidproudlywhentheypraisedit，andhewouldtelltheSignoraaboutit.Andastheysatthere，drkgtheeheofferedthe，healdedwiththecheerfuldifferenceofoldagetohisloveaffair，asthoughhetookfrahattheyhadheardofitalready.