Irma in Italy

bags from them; the officers of the dogana were perfectly civil; no one tried to abstract their trunks. It is true there was a long and apparently n

nt from the American type, ran through them. The men and women on the sidewalks stepped along briskl

ed the city fathers here to do away with many old

heights above the old city. Once or twice, at a turn of the roa

saw the mountain. "Let your heart beat as rapidly as it

r to the summit of a rock whereon stood the hotel. While Uncle Jim was securing rooms, th

ar and blue. "But," she continued, "Vesuvius is certainly changed-I did not realize

a, and even Marion sm

distant shores of Sorrento and Amalfi, Irma sudde

o to look at," and then, unclasping her hands from Irma's

before, and as she had not mentioned where she should sta

had said a word or two of greeting. "The only disagreeable thing is that I am going o

of the next morning together, this was the last time

ed the others at déjeuner on the morning of her arrival in Naples. "T

an come shopping with me, Irma," said A

n the world," said Irma, after they had b

rdinia and-oh-seve

ould it all

w to cut coral and cameos bette

any shades of pink, I shall never know what is

roline, "a little souvenir of Naples;" and when Irma he

valuable," said Aunt Caroline, "

th a glass dome that gave plenty of light to the shops in the arcades on the street level. Here Ir

n a restaurant down town. Irma herself would have enjoyed the open-air restaurants which she had noted as they drov

A STRE

d read a little. There were whole families sitting in front of their dwellings. In some cases mothers were combing the hair of little chi

id, "in those queer copper kettles or pa

eplied Aunt Caroline, "o

toward them, he said some words in Italian so rapidly that Aunt Caro

caroni,' but I have no idea what he really means,

on which the houses were poor, but of a rather bette

unt Caroline, after they had met, one after th

e end of the street they came upon a larg

e emphatic than his own, she made him turn about. But he still continued his pantomime of carrying his hand to his mouth, as if in the act of eating. This he varied by occasionally pointing towa

to give these old men money that they could eat macaroni fo

roni in a large copper vessel. Two or three little boys who had been following the carriage now stepped up besi

efore." Then she threw some coppers to the little boys, who immediately handed them over to the ma

ow just what you gave them, Aunt Caroline, to see those boy

eat plates of macaroni, in return for the soldi of the stranger. Their manner of conveying the

ck many times a day, I should th

food, not only fruits, but fish and raw vegetables. But the macaroni with pomo d'oro is a rea

rough squalid narrow streets. Those in the carriage could here look through open doors i

and when you see the dark, windowless room that is the only home that many thousands can c

f these poor creatures. Fortunately, I am told, they are far less numerous than they used to be, and the only

ople," responded Irma. "There are so many of them,

the cabmen not only snap their long whips freely, but use them viciously, if so inclined. But some one

that look almost fat, and they have pompons of bright wool, and some meta

, and sometimes Christian, that the superstitious Italian wishes his animals to

reeting Irma and her aunt, as they entered their sittin

ers! Give them

iged him to honor my letter of credit, but just now I da

little news. Yet Irma found hers particularly cheering, becaus

pefully as if he expected you to-morrow. Mahala's grief is mitigated by her expectation of post cards from strange places, and Tessie is

ut taking care of herself, and ma

school news, but Irma sighed, beca

on the balcony after din

or our letters. It makes home seem so much

Marion, "I

urs, too?" continued Irma,

ion walked forward to

ches," thought Irma, conscience-stricken lest she had d

pockets. Then he stopped directly in front of Irma. "Tell m

rion's interest, that at fi

chair beside her, "I should like to h

n the letters I had to-day," she soon found herself telling Marion all about home, about her

ly making some comment that showed he w

se as abruptly as he had sat down, and

didn't say a word about his own fam

d Uncle Jim, on Sunday, "we will do as they do by driving this afternoon. I, f

Cathedral dedicated to San Gennaro (St. Januarius), the patron saint of Naples. In

th beautiful flowers. The hearse was drawn by eight horses, their heads decorated with yellow, and saddlecloths trimmed with gilt

looking men in long, loose garments, with dominoes over their f

she whispered

those men in uniform in the last ca

s did. It's one of their old customs handed down-to have

e Cathedral, the sidewalks were thronged, and

he succession of rapid sentences w

Cathedral to-day. But the music goes the o

men and women, some of whom carried a baby in arms, bent old men and women, too, and as there

Christian woman, is preserved in a vessel in his chapel here. The precious relic is locked up in boxes within boxes, but twice a year it is brought out with great ceremony. If the blo

hey saw the tabernacle with the relics, and the silver bust of the saint and of thirty other saints. Though t

, with its great bronze doors, and marble columns fr

Irma cared to linger

first of scores of churches you'll have to visit in Italy. Luckily Naples has fewer notewort

in Naples," said Irma, "is th

kly. "Is Conradin one

interested in it. Though he was only seventeen when he died, if he h

een be a real hero?" a

mean that h

aid--" beg

uarrelling," interposed Aunt Caroline. Th

said, "to drive us to

tself realized all Irma's ideals of a hero. In the Piazza del Mercato, they saw two fountains ma

children who were playing with them, Uncle Jim told amusing stories of goats he had seen going intelligently from door

," said Irma, "so if you wish to aston

y, Marion approached Irma with an exp

he asked abruptly, as he slip

nt's hesitation. "A man who does a brave thing, without fear

boy be

nd a girl also

adin, if he had lived, might have been a

nt that thus far Conradin had had no chance to show what great thi

ero must do g

Fortunately she was saved the need of replying by the appearance of Aunt Caroline, a

toward the city at their feet, with its square roofs and occasional towers, with here and there a few palm trees giving a tropical touch. The lon