Tessa, Our Little Italian Cousin

r. Gray. "They were perfectly quiet and did just what I wished.

Tessa's baby brother. Lucy and Arthur were in the drawing-room w

stairs as the two children tried to

cy, who was the winner of the race. Sh

on the back of a donkey that certainly looked much like Pietro. The girl's bare f

uld sell in the city to-day. A boy who was the

ers really are. Look at the feather in Beppo's pointed hat, Arthur, and the gaiters buttoned up

n to the figures of her brother and herself. "They are going back to the hillside for the night. What a lovely soft gray they are pai

Beppo. "More than once my father and I have stayed all night in jus

ft light," said Mrs. Gray. "They make a beaut

ter take a half-holiday and see some of the sights," proposed Mr.

always delighted to have her father's company. He was

. Get your hats, children; we can come he

alk, that the children migh

of the street. A man could be seen partly hidden behind the curtain. He was making some pu

and. I am going to buy a bunch of pansies for mother. I think that is the girl's grandfather standing by her si

y came to a shrine set up against the wall. It was a picture

fore it and were very qu

y on. "When we rode back from Tessa's home the other night, I noticed she suddenly sto

good littl

ng but his legs and his nose. He is carrying such a big

ld you like to take a carriage now and visit the Coliseum? We s

!" cried th

ght some of the big Italian chestnuts at a stand

fore they came upon a crow

hey doing?"

ating pine-cones so as to get the seeds. Did y

s are different from any I have seen growing

one of the grandest ruins in the world. It was built when Rome w

t as a 'sacred ruin,'

hey believed," Mr. Gray answered. "The Coliseum was finished about seventy years after the birth of Jes

condition. It was made in the shape of an oval, as you also see. Now, imagine an open space,

that were once kept in vaults beneath the building? When they

were flung open. The furious beasts would rush out and frightful scenes would follow. The c

things for their own pleasure?" asked Te

when the Romans could take delight in seeing other creatur

se sad times they were cruelly put to death here. One good bishop, I remember, was killed by lion

adful things ever took place here. See the pretty vines growing out between the stones i

y should visit the Capitol, where they could see many beautiful statu

on one arm of her father's chair

and perhaps father won't be too tired to tell us

d not been enough, there were Tessa's great soft eyes looking at him. They seemed to say

e, you say

me there were t

" interrupted Arthur. "You began the s

n times great, I believe. Their mother was a vestal virgin,-that is, she was a maiden who tended the sacred fire i

band, and that the two baby boys were his and her children. So the poor girl was buried

gs! Were they dro

there would be no more st

wed its banks, just as it sometimes does nowadays. The water settled d

suppose came along

men," answ

had escaped from her

ied them home to her lair and fondl

s a good man, with a kind heart, and took them home to his wife. She gave them t

ppose all this was rea

e people for thousands of years. But listen, for I have not finished, and

k place between the shepherds of the boys' grandfather, who ought

andfather. After many questions, he discovered who they really were. They gathered an ar

he city must be on one of these hills, but which hill should it be? Romulus chose one, and Remus another. They could not agree.

ing. But Romulus soon saw twelve of these birds, and so the right was giv

have been given the right to found the ci

ed over them in scorn. His brother looked upon this as an insult, and killed him on the

his city in the shape of a square. It is said that he di

hut made of mud, w

f this wonderful city, so

eppo had heard the story before,

say all this happene

re the birth of Christ. If it is now 1,903 yea

,656 years ago. Whew! what a long time," said