e honestly and thoroughly taught, and if they are not directly
instructed in Protestantism, are at least instructed to associate
religion with morality, probably for the first time in their lives.
Too much credit cannot be given to the Italian government which has
acted in such good faith with the men engaged in this work, protecting
them from all interruption and persecution; but after all, the great
praise is due to their own wise, unflagging zeal. They have worked
unostentatiously, making no idle attacks on time-honored prejudices,
but still having a purpose of enlightenment which they frankly avowed.
The people whom they seek to benefit judge them by their works, and
the result is that they have quite as much before them as they can do.
Their discouragements are great. The day's teaching is often undone at
home; the boys forget as aptly as they learn; and from the fact that
only the baser feelings of fear and interest have ever been appealed
to before in the Neapolitans, they have often to build in treacherous
places without foundation of good faith or gratitude. Embarrassments
for want of adequate funds are sometimes felt also. But no one can
study their operations without feeling that success must attend their
efforts, with honor to them, and with inestimable benefits to the
generation which shall one day help to govern free Italy.

XII.

BETWEEN ROME AND NAPLES.

One day it became plain even to our reluctance that we could not stay
in Naples forever, and the next morning we took the train for Rome.
The Villa Reale put on its most alluring charm to him that ran down
before breakfast to thrid once more its pathways bordered with palms
and fountains and statues; the bay beside it purpled and twinkled in
the light that made silver of the fishermen's sails; far away rose
Vesuvius with his nightcap of mist still hanging about his shoulders;
all around rang and rattled Naples. The city was never so fair before,
nor could ever have been so hard to leave; and at the last moment
the landlord of the Hotel Washington must needs add a supreme pang by
developing into a poet, and presenting me with a copy of a comedy
he had written. The reader who has received at parting from the
gentlemanly proprietor of one of our palatial hotels his "Ode on the
Steam Elevator," will conceive of the shame and regret with which I
thought of having upbraided our landlord about our rooms, of having
stickled at small preliminaries concer