THE CHRISTENING
TESSA and Beppo were so eager to see the precious baby, they could
hardly wait to get home. They were even a little cross with Pietro when
he stopped to nibble choice bits of grass by the roadside. But what
could a poor stupid donkey be expected to care about a baby only a day
old?
Home was reached at last, however, and the children bounded into the
dark room where their mother lay watching for them. A small basket
cradle stood beside the curtained bed; in it was the sweetest, tiniest
baby.
"He is sound asleep, mamma," said Tessa, after kissing her mother at
least a dozen times. "How I wish he would wake."
"I do believe he looks like me, the darling little boy," she exclaimed,
when the baby's eyes opened at last.
The kind neighbour who had come in to look after the family for a few
days lifted the baby tenderly and placed him in Tessa's arms. He was so
swaddled in clothes and blankets it didn't seem as though he could be
hurt, even if the little girl should drop the precious bundle. But there
was no fear of that. She was used to babies, and had taken almost all
the care of Francesca since that little girl was a month old.
But where was Francesca now? The little tot was holding fast to her
sister's dress. She wanted to be as near as possible to this wonderful
new brother. When he began to cry, she said:
"Baby wants the candle; baby wants the candle." She thought he had
already begun to notice things about the room, and was longing for the
lighted candle. Everybody laughed.
"He is hungry; that is all, you foolish Francesca. You are only a baby
yourself," said Beppo.
After the baby had been put back in the cradle, Tessa went to the
bedside of her mother and told her of her lovely visit to the grand home
of the Americans.
"To-morrow, when you are not so tired, I will tell you more about it.
But after all home is the best place in the world. Now that I can look
at you, I don't care if I can't see the procession to-morrow. Just
think! babbo says that an image of the Holy Child is carried up and down
the aisles of one of the churches. It is richly dressed in silks and
jewels. After awhile it is placed on a stage with wax figures of the
Virgin and Joseph and the Three Wise Men. There is even a manger there,
and a big cow or ox. It must be very beautiful."
"When you are older, we will go together," said the mother, softly. "I
went to Rome on Twelfth Day several times when I was younger. But many
things have happened to prevent it lately." She sighed as she thought of
the sickness and the hard work of the last few years.
All the next day Francesca was so happy with the bright red shoes that
she did not need to be watched. Every one, except the dear mother lying
quietly behind the snowy bed-curtains, was busy preparing for the
christening.
A bright fire was kept burning, and the odour of onions and garlic
filled the kitchen. There must be all sorts of nice dishes at the
morrow's feast, and the good neighbour was cooking from morning till
night.
Among other things, she prepared some wonderful cakes. Tessa thought
they were among the greatest dainties in the world. There were olives
and pistachio-nuts and garlic in them, I am sure. Tessa would have to
tell you the rest, for she helped in making them.
Every one was awake bright and early the next morning, and a crowd of
the village people went with the father and baby to the little village
church. Tessa and Beppo kept as near as possible to their new brother.
Mr. and Mrs. Gray, with Lucy and Arthur, arrived in a carriage just as
the party was entering the church door. The children had begged so hard
to come that their parents could not refuse.
Tessa and Lucy hugged and kissed each other as though they had been
apart for a long time.
When all had entered the church, the baby was carried to the font and
was baptized by the kind-faced priest.
What was his name now, you ask? It was Angelo, after his proud father,
who handed him around among his friends as soon as the baptism was over.
Every one must have a chance to kiss him. As he was passed from one to
another, a piece of money was tucked away in his clothes by each one.
No matter how poor the person was, some little bit was given with a
right good will. It was but a symbol of the love and friendship of these
simple peasants for each other.
When Mr. Gray's turn came, he hid in the baby's dress a piece of money
so big as to make his mother's eyes open with delight when it was shown
her afterward. She had never before seen a gold coin worth ten dollars
in her life.
The christening party now turned back to the house, where the mother lay
waiting for them. The feast was all spread and the visitors gathered
around the table with good appetites. Lucy and Arthur and their parents
stayed, for Tessa's father looked quite hurt when they spoke of going
home.
"Not stop to share our feast!" he cried. "Ah! that is sad! sad!"
And so they remained and took part in the merrymaking. Some of the
villagers played on their bagpipes. Tessa performed a very pretty dance,
and Beppo sang two songs with his rich, soft voice.
"We have had a lovely time," said Lucy, as the beautiful colours began
to light the sunset sky, and her father bade her get ready to leave.
"But we wish Tessa and Beppo to come home and stay with us another week.
Don't we, father?"
Mr. Gray answered, "Yes, we should like it very much. After my holiday,
I must paint quite steadily, and I wish to finish the picture of Tessa
and Beppo at once. It would not be easy for you to bring the children to
me every day now that your wife is sick. So please let them go back
with us."
This was how Tessa and Beppo came to go back to Rome with the family of
the artist. The carriage was a little crowded, but no one cared. All
were so busy laughing and talking that it seemed only a few minutes
before they drew near the city gates.
"I believe it was not far from here that Agrippa told the people the
fable so often repeated since that time."
The painter was looking out of the carriage over the Campagna.
"I wish I knew the exact spot," he said, half to himself.
"Tell us about it; do, please, father," said Lucy. "What was the fable,
and who was Agrippa, and why did he come out on this dreary place to
tell a story?"
"It was a long time ago; even long before the birth of Jesus," Mr. Gray
replied. "It was when Rome was a powerful city. There were two great
classes of the people,--the patricians, who were rich and owned most of
the land, and the plebeians, who had little power and were mostly poor.
"The patricians ruled the city to suit themselves and did not treat the
plebeians justly. At last, when they could not stand this unfair
treatment any longer, they came together and marched out of the city.
"'We will claim our rights,' they said, and made ready to attack the
patricians, who remained in Rome.
"It was a time of danger for the city, since there was a greater number
of the poor than of the rich. What should be done? A very wise man named
Agrippa was chosen to go out on the Campagna and reason with the
plebeians. When he drew near to them, he said:
"'I have a fable which I wish to tell you. It is this:
"'Once upon a time all the limbs of a man's body became provoked because
they had to work for the stomach. The legs and feet were obliged to
carry it about; the hands had to get food for it; the mouth ate for it;
the throat swallowed for it; the head thought for it; and so on. They
said it was a shame they had to work so hard for that one organ. What
use was it, indeed!
"'They agreed to do nothing more for it at all. They stopped their work,
but, strange to say, they began to grow weak and helpless. At last they
said to each other, "We shall all starve and die unless we go back to
our old work. The stomach has seemed useless to us before, but now we
see that we were mistaken."'
"After he had ended his story, Agrippa went on to say that all classes
of people depended on each other, and that all would perish unless they
worked together.
"Both the poor and the rich seemed to think that this was good advice.
The plebeians marched back into the city and took up their old work,
while the patricians promised to be fairer in their dealings.
"Thus peace was made and Rome was saved."
As Mr. Gray finished the story the carriage drew up in front of their
home.
"What a short ride it seemed," said Tessa. "It must have been because of
the story you told us, Mr. Gray. I shall never forget it."