A PRECIOUS LEGACY AND A PRECIOUS PRAYER
The pleasant summer days were at hand. The grandmother did not forget Rico's loneliness, and she helped Stineli with the work as much as possible, so that she and Rico might play together.
In the early days of September, when every one made an effort to stay out of doors for the last of the warm evenings, the teacher was forced to remain in the house, for he was growing weaker and coughed more and more. One morning, when he tried to rise as usual, he fell back upon his pillow, exhausted. This brought to his mind serious thoughts of how things would be left in case he died. He had lived among these mountain people all his life and loved both his home and his work, but he had no children, and his wife had been dead many years. The only one who lived with him was a faithful old servant. He had made no plans for disposing of his property. He loved his violin more than all his other possessions, and it grieved him to realize that the time was at hand when he must leave it. He remembered the day that Rico had been there and had held it so lovingly, and the desire came to him to leave it with the boy, so that it might always have the care it deserved. It seemed a shame that he must actually give away things for which he had worked so hard and cared so much. Many plans for disposing of them presented themselves, but each was put aside as he faced the grim messenger and realized that earthly things had served him all they could.
A fever was taking firm hold upon him. All the evening and through the long night he lay restless, thinking of his past and the little he had done for the world. He was seized by a longing to do some one a real kindness before it was too late. He reached for his cane and tapped the wall for his servant, whom he directed to summon the grandmother to him. It was not long before she stood by his bedside. Without waiting to extend his hand in greeting, he said: "Please be so kind as to take the violin from the wall and carry it to the little orphan, Rico. I want to give it to him. Tell him that I hope he will take good care of it."
The grandmother understood the restless impatience of the sick one, so she immediately lifted the violin from its place, saying: "That is truly good of you. How astonished he will be! I will come in later to see how you are feeling."
Rico was standing on the doorsteps when he saw the grandmother coming, and he ran to meet her.
"I have come with good news for you, Rico," she said. "The teacher has asked me to bring you this violin. He wishes to give it to you. Take it, Rico. It is your own now."
Rico seemed suddenly petrified. The grandmother touched his shoulder, repeating: "It is yours; take it, child, and be happy. The teacher wants you to have it."
Rico trembled as she laid the gift in his arms. "If that is true, I will take it," was all he could say.