|Tessa was a little Italian girl. She lived with her grandfather, who
was an organ-player. They did not have any home. They wandered about
from town to town, and Tessa danced while her grandfather played on the
organ. In this way they earned all the money they had.
One afternoon they started to go to a place where they had never been
before. They did not know the way, and they walked till it was almost
dark. They were in the country among the corn-fields and green orchards.
Tessa was so tired she could not go any farther; so they stopped, and
ate their supper of dry bread and drank some water from a running brook.
Then they went into a meadow where there were some heaps of hay, and lay
down for the night. Tessa had often stayed out of doors all night, so
she was not afraid; and she and her grandfather were soon asleep on the
sweet-smelling hay.
The next morning they woke up rested; but they were very hungry. They
saw a house near by, and went to it to get something to eat. The house
belonged to Mr. Lane. He invited the travellers in, and Mrs. Lane gave
them a good breakfast. After they had eaten, the grandfather played on
the organ, and Tessa danced.
Martha and Nannie Lane were little girls about the age of Tessa. They
were much pleased with these strange visitors. They had never heard a
hand-organ before, and they had never seen any one dance like Tessa.
They wanted her to stay all day with them, and she was very glad to do
so. She had always lived in cities, and it seemed delightful to her to
be in the country. So while her grandfather rested and slept under a
shady tree, she ran about and played with Martha and Nannie. They danced
together in the big barn, and they went into the fields and gathered
berries and flowers.
That night Mr. Lane was going to the next town, and he took Tessa and
her grandfather along with him in his wagon. Martha and Nannie were very
sorry to have them go. They gave Tessa some clothes and a bag of cakes
and apples.
[Illustration: 0134]
It was the happiest day that Tessa had ever spent in her whole life. She
wished that she might live always with these new friends. She told them
that some time she should come again.
--M. E. N. HATHEWAY.
[Illustration: 0135]