"Oh, how warmly beamed the sun, how blue the heaven, how deliciously green the trees and the bushes, as we came forth into the free air! Poor Federigo kissed me yet again, drew his handsome silver watch out of his pocket, and said, This thou shalt have!'"

6

Thus ends this interesting story.

66

Once, when we Aunty," "Cousin M.," "Cousin Hatty," * and Nannine too, all were of the party when we went to visit the catacombs,although the guides, I suppose, knew the way per

fectly, and had torches, for greater security, we determined, the rest of us, according to Cousin Hatty's suggestion, to take a little basket filled with small pieces of white paper which we had cut for the purpose, and strew them all along the ground as we went. We found them very useful; for, in returning, if any of the party got a little behind the others, and lost sight of them, as sometimes

we did,-we could follow the little bits of paper, and thus be sure of our way.

*See "Child-life ir

Probably those who concealed themselves in the catacombs in those ancient times must have had some such mode as this, or the twine, of finding their way in and out.

After a few hundred years, the difficulties in the way of the people's embracing Christianity ceased; for an emperor himself became a convert to it,* and proclaimed that it should be the religion of the country, instead of the old one: and then it was expected, of course, that all the false gods and goddesses should be given up; and so it has been ever since. Their temples were changed into Christian churches. Jupiter, Diana, Apollo, Mercury, Venus, and so forth, began to be forgotten; and now they are no more talked of or thought of in Rome, excepting as they are viewed in pictures and statues as the representations of the olden times.

* Constantine the Great, about three hundred and twentyfive years after Christ.

CHAPTER IX.

SUMMING UP THE ACCOUNTS.

EVERY child, after it has come to a certain age, knows that fairies are only imaginary beings, just as the gods and the goddesses of old times were. Nevertheless, stories of them continue to be written, because they are entertaining; and one likes to see what one can do in the way of invention in that line, as poets and painters, sculptors and musicians, like to compose and form in their way whatever is pretty, beautiful, imaginative, funny, odd, or amusing! Such stories do no

harm in the way of amusement, when taken to pass a leisure hour; and sometimes they contain useful lessons under their fanciful form.

Whether many useful lessons might be dis

covered under the little pranks and doings of the fairy creatures we have told about, we hardly know: but there is one thing we might learn of them, — namely, that they liked to obtain real knowledge, as history and the like; and this only can make us the more intelligent, and more useful in the world.

We return now to finish the account of the fairies, after their week of story-telling had transpired.

In the first place, the secretary had to sum up the marks she had put down against each name, and present them to the queen. So strict had she been, and just and impartial, in keeping the account, that her own name was there; and even marks against the queen stood conspicuous among all the rest!

Perhaps it would be hardly fair to include the simple remarks and comments that had been made from time to time, as the queen signified especially "questions asked;" but, as the former sometimes caused interruptions in a similar man

ner, it was, perhaps, quite as proper that they should be all included. The report stood then, questions and comments together, against the names, as follows: Rosy, Dewdrop, and the secretary, each had one; Misty, three; Pebble, five: Vial, ten; (seven of these were questions!) the queen, four; and all in general,—that is, when all seemed to join in the same remark, six.

Here, then, was a sort of dilemma. Every one had been guilty more or less: even the queen

What

herself had exceeded the allowed limits! was to be done?-punish herself as well as the others? This was a singular case, when the one who was to award the penalties ought to receive one herself as well! I know not how the queen could have got over this difficulty; for to put herself on a level with her subjects, and be a culprit with them, it is presumed, would be against all rules of Fairy-land. I say, I know not how the queen could have got over this difficulty, had not a very kind and thoughtful sister-fairy whispered to her privately, that as they had all received really