shirts, one with
his creaking new shoes and mittens, the other in his gay cap and fine
tippet; and Tessa put her dress straight on, feeling that her father's
'gold gown' was not all a joke. In her long stocking she found all sorts
of treasures; for Tommo had stuffed it full of queer things, and his
mother had made gingerbread into every imaginable shape, from fat pigs
to full omnibuses.

Dear me! What happy little souls they were that morning; and when they
were quiet again, how like a fairy tale did Tessa's story sound to them.
Ranza was quite ready to be an angel; and the boys promised to be
marvellously good, if they were only allowed to see the tree at the
'palace,' as they called the great house.

Little Ranza was accepted with delight by the kind lady and her
children, and Tessa learned the song quite easily. The boys _were_
asked; and, after a happy day, the young Italians all returned, to play
their parts at the fine Christmas party. Mamma and Miss Rose drilled
them all; and when the folding-doors flew open, one rapturous 'Oh!'
arose from the crowd of children gathered to the festival. I assure
you, it was splendid; the great tree glittering with lights and gifts;
and, on her invisible perch, up among the green boughs, sat the little
golden-haired angel, all in white, with downy wings, a shining crown on
her head, and the most serene satisfaction in her blue eyes, as she
stretched her chubby arms to those below, and smiled her baby smile at
them. Before any one could speak, a voice, as fresh and sweet as a
lark's, sang the Christmas Carol so blithely that every one stood still
to hear, and then clapped till the little angel shook on her perch, and
cried out, 'Be 'till, or me'll fall!' How they laughed at that; and what
fun they had talking to Ranza, while Miss Rose stripped the tree, for
the angel could not resist temptation, and amused herself by eating all
the bonbons she could reach, till she was taken down, to dance about
like a fairy in a white frock and red shoes. Tessa and her friends had
many presents; the boys were perfect lambs, Tommo played for the little
folks to dance, and every one said something friendly to the strangers,
so that they did not feel shy, in spite of shabby clothes. It was a
happy night: and all their lives they remembered it as something too
beautiful and bright to be quite true. Before they went home, the kind
mamma told Tessa she should be her friend, and gave her a motherly kis