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TESSA

Our Little Italian Cousin




THE

Little Cousin Series

(TRADE MARK)

    Each volume illustrated with six or more full-page plates in
    tint. Cloth, 12mo, with decorative cover,
    per volume, 60 cents


LIST OF TITLES

BY MARY HAZELTON WADE

(unless otherwise indicated)

    =Our Little African Cousin=

    =Our Little Alaskan Cousin=
    By Mary F. Nixon-Roulet

    =Our Little Arabian Cousin=
    By Blanche McManus

    =Our Little Armenian Cousin=

    =Our Little Australian Cousin=
    By Mary F. Nixon-Roulet

    =Our Little Brazilian Cousin=
    By Mary F. Nixon-Roulet

    =Our Little Brown Cousin=

    =Our Little Canadian Cousin=
    By Elizabeth R. MacDonald

    =Our Little Chinese Cousin=
    By Isaac Taylor Headland

    =Our Little Cuban Cousin=

    =Our Little Dutch Cousin=
    By Blanche McManus

    =Our Little Egyptian Cousin=
    By Blanche McManus

    =Our Little English Cousin=
    By Blanche McManus

    =Our Little Eskimo Cousin=

    =Our Little French Cousin=
    By Blanche McManus

    =Our Little German Cousin=

    =Our Little Greek Cousin=
    By Mary F. Nixon-Roulet

    =Our Little Hawaiian Cousin=

    =Our Little Hindu Cousin=
    By Blanche McManus

    =Our Little Hungarian Cousin=
    By Mary F. Nixon-Roulet

    =Our Little Indian Cousin=

    =Our Little Irish Cousin=

    =Our Little Italian Cousin=

    =Our Little Japanese Cousin=

    =Our Little Jewish Cousin=

    =Our Little Korean Cousin=
    By H. Lee M. Pike

    =Our Little Mexican Cousin=
    By Edward C. Butler

    =Our Little Norwegian Cousin=

    =Our Little Panama Cousin=
    By H. Lee M. Pike

    =Our Little Persian Cousin=
    By E. C. Shedd

    =Our Little Philippine Cousin=

    =Our Little Porto Rican Cousin=

    =Our Little Russian Cousin=

    =Our Little Scotch Cousin=
    By Blanche McManus

    =Our Little Siamese Cousin=

    =Our Little Spanish Cousin=
    By Mary F. Nixon-Roulet

    =Our Little Swedish Cousin=
    By Claire M. Coburn

    =Our Little Swiss Cousin=

    =Our Little Turkish Cousin=


    L. C. PAGE & COMPANY
    New England Building,      Boston, Mass.

[Illustration: TESSA]




TESSA

Our Little Italian Cousin

By Mary Hazelton Wade

_Illustrated by_ L. J. Bridgman

[Illustration]

    Boston
    L. C. Page & Company
    _PUBLISHERS_




    _Copyright, 1903_
    BY L. C. PAGE & COMPANY
    (INCORPORATED)

    _All rights reserved_


    THE LITTLE COUSIN SERIES
    (_Trade Mark_)


    Published, July, 1903
    Fifth Impression, June, 1908
    Sixth Impression, November, 1909
    Seventh Impression, August, 1910




Preface


MANY people from other lands have crossed the ocean to make a new home
for themselves in America. They love its freedom. They are happy here
under its kindly rule. They suffer less from want and hunger than in the
country of their birthplace.

Their children are blessed with the privilege of attending fine schools
and with the right to learn about this wonderful world, side by side
with the sons and daughters of our most successful and wisest people.

Among these newer-comers to America are the Italians, many of whom will
never again see their own country, of which they are still so justly
proud. They will tell you it is a land of wonderful beauty; that it has
sunsets so glorious that both artists and poets try to picture them for
us again and again; that its history is that of a strong and mighty
people who once held rule over all the civilized world; that thousands
of travellers visit its shores every year to look upon its paintings and
its statues, for it may truly be called the art treasure-house of the
world.

When you meet your little Italian cousins, with their big brown eyes and
olive skins, whether it be in school or on the street, perhaps you will
feel a little nearer and more friendly if you turn your attention for a
while to their home, and the home of the brave and wise Columbus who
left it that he might find for you in the far West your own loved
country, your great, grand, free America.




Contents


                                PAGE
       I. TESSA                    9
      II. ROME                    18
     III. THE STORY OF AENEAS      38
      IV. CHRISTMAS               52
       V. SAINT PETER'S           64
      VI. THE CHRISTENING         75
     VII. THE TWINS               86
    VIII. THE CARNIVAL           101
      IX. THE BURIED CITY        115




List of Illustrations


                                                  PAGE
    TESSA                                _Frontispiece_
    "BEPPO WALKED BY HER SIDE"                      19
    IN THE PALACE GARDEN                            33
    IN ST. PETER'S                                  64
    "WERE SOON IN THE MIDST OF A MERRY CROWD"      106
    "IT WAS A STRANGE PLACE"                       122




TESSA

Our Little Italian Cousin




CHAPTER I.

TESSA


"THERE comes babbo! There comes babbo!" cried Tessa, as she ran down the
narrow street to meet her father, with baby Francesca toddling after
her.

The man was not alone,--Beppo and the donkey were with him. They were
very tired, for it was a hard trip from the little village on the
hilltop to the great city, miles away, and back again. The donkey was
not of much help on the homeward journey, either. Poor little patient
beast! he was getting old now, and he felt that his day's work was done
when he had carried a load of nuts and vegetables to Rome in the
morning. But when he had to bring Beppo back again, he felt a little bit
sulky. So it was no wonder that he stood quite still every few minutes
and did not seem to hear his little master scold.

"Get up, Pietro, get up. We shall be late to supper," Beppo would say,
but the donkey would not move till Beppo's father used the whip. He did
not strike hard enough to hurt the poor creature, though. Oh no, the
kind man would not do that, he was too gentle. But he must make the
donkey know the whip was there, or they would never get home.

When they had crossed the wide plain and reached the foot of the hill,
Beppo got down and walked. It was too hard on Pietro to make him carry
even a little boy now.

They came up the narrow road slowly till they reached the village. And
just as the sunset spread over the sky, and gave a glory even to the
stones, Tessa caught sight of them.

"My darling Tessa," said her father. "My dear little Francesca." Tired
as he was, he took the two children in his arms and hugged them as
though he had been away many days. Yet he had left them at five o'clock
that very morning.

"We have good news for you, Beppo and I," he went on.

Beppo laughed till the high, pointed hat nearly fell off his head.

"Oh, yes, good news," said Beppo. "You cannot think what it is, Tessa.
May I tell her, babbo?"

"Yes, my child," his father answered.

"You are to go to Rome to-morrow with babbo and me. The great artist who
buys our fruit wants to see you. He thinks he may want you for a model.
And me, too, Tessa, he wants me! He will put us both in a picture.
Babbo said you also had long hair, and that we look much alike.

"Only think, Tessa! he will pay babbo for letting him paint us. And
mother shall have a new dress, and you shall have some red ribbons. We
will all have a feast. Say, Tessa, is there a nice chestnut cake waiting
for our supper? I am so hungry."

The boy's great black eyes sparkled as he told the story. His long hair
hung down over his shoulders, under the odd pointed hat. He was a
beautiful child. It was no wonder the American artist wished to put him
in a picture.

But Tessa was beautiful, too. The artist would not be disappointed when
he saw her. Her skin was clear, but like the colour of the olives which
grew on the old tree behind her house. And now there was a faint pink
blush in her cheeks as she listened to Beppo's story.

They were very happy children, but oh, so poor, you would think if you
should visit them in the old house where they have always lived. It is
no wonder they like best to be outdoors.

The house is all of stone, and the floor is made of bricks. It seems
dark and chilly inside after leaving the glorious sunset. The plaster is
blackened with smoke and age. In some places it is broken away from the
wall and is falling down.

But there is a picture of the Christ-child hanging over the rough table,
and the children do not think of the dingy walls. It is home, where a
loving father and mother watch over them and guard them from harm.

See! the table is spread with the simple supper. There are the cakes
made from chestnut flour mixed with olive oil, and of which Beppo is so
fond. And here is milk from Tessa's pet goat. Beppo runs over to the