Tessa, Our Little Italian Cousin

ose always come on Twelfth Night in Italy. What a queer idea! But she says there are processions in the

onths and there were many interes

f asking both Tessa and Beppo to spend Christmas week with us. You will e

d she jumped up an

," she cried. "Of cour

it the artist's family. The good man's face beamed with pride. Oh, yes, he was only too

suit was already waiting for Beppo, while the artist

as well as his voice. What would an Italian do without hands to help

ge on the hillside for nearly two weeks. They must be home at Twelfth Night, howev

to sit as models for one minute. The artist would let his brushes

h the hours before it arrived seeme

l to drive to a beautiful church called Santa Maria

nd why do the people give him

head of our church, the Catholic Church," she answered, quickly. "It is n

t Lucy and Arthur could explain to her, but she had been taught fr

ain was to be carried through the church. At least, Tessa and her brother and all good Catholics believed it to be a part of his cradle. They thought that by some

ers. Why, if they were sick, and even dying, it migh

liged to move slowly because the crowd was so great. But Lucy's father soon led them to the doorway of a small chapel, where they could stand while the proc

f the people and, as he passed along, he held out

ocession now, because of the great crowd. But they knew he was there and that they were near him. This was enough to sat

"It is hot and close here. Can't we g

lling to go, for he saw that his wif

me. Many candles gave a soft and pleasant light to the room

hristmas tree,-not of pine or balsam, such as Lucy

ees. And Tessa's eyes sparkled, too, as she drew one long sigh of happiness. What beauty met her eyes! Was it indeed fairy-land,-these tiny

y own? Lucy's father had said so, but she was afraid s

k-knife with four blades, a fine ball with which he could teach the Ameri

of no use in Italy, the land of sunny skies, wher

erry one, but it ca

at length. "To-morrow there will be more sights,

ing dawned bri

the night before. Soon after breakfast, an open carriage appeared at the door

ssa, you may well be proud when you think of the people who co

nt Peter's. She, a poor little peasant maiden, felt ri

ver a bridge before the

ver over which this bridge is b

poem a few days ago about the guarding of the bridge. It made a shiver creep down my back when I thought

saved the city. They kept the enemy from entering until the bridge was cut down. The las

r Tiber, to whom

man's arms take thou

shing stream and swam with all his might ba

is enemies would have killed him before he was

try to hit him after he jumped into the water. Then they turned aw

ll be able to go to school and study about this grand country of theirs. They love it as dearl

are so many poor and ignorant people in Italy. How I wish the child

as filled with carriages all going in the same direction as themselves. The sidewalks, too, were packed closely. There were all kinds of people; lords an

we were last night?" asked Mrs. Gr

eplied. "Forty thousand people can easily gather in Sai

built of marble. They stepped down and, entering it, s

immense cross, and where the four lines of t

essa said to Lucy. "If I were far away in another part of the world,