The Parent's Assistant; Or, Stories for Children

aciende si fann

ts from trivial

que ornaments in Herculaneum, was a liberal minded man, perfectly free

advantage your instruction would be to him," said Mr. Lee, as he introduced Francisco to Signor Camillo. "I am interested in this lad from what I have learned of his good conduct. I hear he is strictly honest, and one of

es, which Francisco saw now and then opened by his master, and which he had a great desire to look over; but when he was left in the room by himself he never touched them, because he had not permission. Signor Cami

which book to look for it, Francisco?" cried his master, with some impatience. "Is it possible that you have been here so long with these books, and that you

d Francisco, respectfully, "or, pe

Is a taste for the arts to be learned, think you, by looking at the cover

dden me, and however great my curiosity in your absence, I have never touched them. I hop

tegrity more. I am now sure of your having the one, and let me see whether you have, as I belie

llent prints, sufficiently convinced his judicious master that it was not from the want of curiosity or taste that he had nev

him: "Put up your pencils and follow me, I can depend upon your integrity; I have pledged myself for it. Bring your note-book with yo

unless they had been united to integrity. He was much delighted and astonished by the new scene that was now opened to his view; and as, day after day, he accompanied his master to this subterraneous city, he had leisure for observation. He was employed, as soon as he had gratified his curiosity, in drawing. There are niches in the walls in several places, from which pictures have been dug, and these niches are often adorned with elegant masques, figures and animals, which have been left by the ignorant or careless workmen, and which are

e months before this time, had taken a small dairy farm; and her son had once heard her express a wish that she

e Neapolitan merchants; "this is all yours, dearest mother, and I hope it will be enough to pay for the brindled cow. Nay, you must not refuse me-I have set my heart upon the cow being milked by you this very evening; and I'll produce my best bunches of grapes, and my father,

ssured him that neither melon nor pine-apple shoul

rthur and Carlo and Rosetta most j

d most of all, the brindled cow, were praised by Carlo and Rosetta, with all the Italian superlatives which signify, "Most beautiful! most delightful! most charming!" Whilst the English Arthur, with as warm a heart, was more temperate in his praise, declaring that this was "the most like an English summer's eve

Naples. "Yes, all the way most willingly," cried Francisco, "that I may have the pleasure of giving to you

e, then," said his father, "and a ple

rket, Francisco pointed to the spot where he found Carlo's rule. He never missed an opportunity of showing his friends that he did n

the persons whose history he was telling, according to all the changes of their fortune. This man was one of those who are called Improvisatori-persons who, in Italian towns, go about reciting verses or telling stories, which they are supposed to invent as they go on speaking. Some of these people speak with great fluency, and collect crowds round them in the public streets. When an Improvisatore sees the attention of his audience fixed, and when he comes to some very interesting part of his narrative, he dexterously drops his hat upon the ground, and

he orator himself, who exclaimed, as he took up the hat which lay at his feet, "My friends, here is some mistake! this is not my hat; it has been changed whilst I was taken up with my story. Pray, gentlemen, find my hat amongst yo

is was not amongst them. No one had left the company; the piazza was clear

much in the shade, that Carlo did not at first perceive that the statue was Piedro. Piedro, when he saw himself discovered, burst into a loud laugh, and t

n's hat, or whether he was, as he said, merely in jest, we

dro," said he. "Remember the old proverb: No fox so

to steal hats; I can afford to buy better than you'll have upon your head. Francisco, a word wi

o, following him a few steps. "Do not detain

be ashamed of being seen in my company now, I can tell you; for I

then, it was impossible you could mean t

," said he, producing an old gold coin. "This does not smell of fish, does it? My father is no longer a fisherman, nor I either. Neither do I sell sugar-plums to children: nor do I slave myself in a vineyard, like some folks; but fortune, when I least expected it, has stood my friend. I have many pieces of gold like this. Digging in my father's garden, it was my luck to come to

r prosperity, and hope you

has it enjoys it well. He always dan

d; for Piedro walked away abruptly, much mortified to perceive that his prospe

such good friends as you, Carlo and Arthur, and some more I could name, and, besides that, have a clear conscience, and work honestly for my bread, tha

er since the affair of the double measure, I suspect double-dealing always from h

ld live in p

see, and say th

nd shrugged their shoulders; then crossed themselves, and declared that they would not, for all the riches of Naples, change places with either Piedro or his father. Regardless, or pretending to be regardless, of these suspicions, Piedro an

l that he said upon the subject was, that he would not exchange Francisco the Honest for Piedro

ants of Resina were right in their suspicions. Piedro had never found any trea

poor woman, who let glasses out to hire, out of the value of the glasses which he broke, and, in short, after he had

ng, or during the night-time, the trace of carriages that are gone, or that are returning from the opera; and Piedro was one night at this work, when the horses of a nobleman's carriage took fright at the sudden blaze of some fireworks. The carriage was overturned near him; a lady was taken out of it, and was hurried by her attendants into a shop, where she stay

arried it off. Ignorant as he was of the full value of what he had stolen, he knew n

le, without making any troublesome inquiries. It was late; he waited till the streets were cleared, and then knocked softly at the back door

father, in a low voice, a voice w

y-my shortest way,

at brings you here at this ti

out what he had brought to sell, thought it most prudent to produce the diamond cross. His father could but just

into my hands. How came you by it?" Piedro answered that he had found it in the street. "Go yo

om the dress of a lady, whose carriage was overturned as she was coming home from the opera, and he concluded by saying that, if his father took his prize from him without giving him hi

tch for him in villainy. He promised him that he should have half of whatever the Jew

ived to cheat both his associates, and obtained the diamond cross for less than half its value. The matter was managed so that the transaction remained undisc

ny months. What his bad education began, bad company finished, and Piedro's mind was completely ruined by the associates with whom he became connected during what he called his prosperity. W

r by profession. How difficult it is to stop in the career of vice! Whether Piedro had power to