TESSA'S HAPPY DAY.
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.