lls and began to beg for one. She was such a sweet, good, gentle child
that La Mamma could not bear to refuse her, especially as she scarcely
ever asked for anything. And she seemed to have a passion for that doll,
so pretty it was, all in pink and spangles. At last, as she begged so
hard, La Mamma gave her ten centimes, and told her that if she could get
it for that she might have it; and Teresina bargained so well that she
got it for eight centimes; and then nothing would satisfy her but that
we all should have dolls. It was in vain that La Mamma said no; Teresina
would have her way. And so at last we all had dolls, and La Mamma, poor
soul! spent thirty-six centimes! It seemed a mortal sin to her; and she
has told me many a time how she lay awake that night and cried, and
prayed to God and the saints to forgive her for that wicked
extravagance. And yet she could not but feel glad to see how happy we
all were with our dolls. And she was glad afterward for another reason,
which I will explain presently. Little Teresina never went out again
after the Feast of the Assumption. She was the first to fall ill, but
before ten days were over we were all (all the girls, I mean,--Marc
Antonio was not at home) struck down with smallpox. Teresina suffered
most. I remember it well, how strange it seemed to me to hear her
calling constantly for water and other things,--strange, because she was
always the one who waited on the others, and never before thought of
herself. La Mamma did everything for her that could be done, but she
grew daily worse. Once mamma brought her doll and put it in her hands. I
can see now--my bed was opposite to hers--how mamma watched Teresina,
and how Teresina looked at the doll. In my own heart I thought, "Surely
she will get better, now that she has her pretty doll." It seemed to me
that she must do so. But in a moment she heaved a deep sigh, and said,
"Too tired! too tired!" And then she threw the doll away from her and
closed her eyes. _La povera Mamma_ picked up the doll and put it away in
a drawer, and then she sat still and looked at Teresina, with the tears
rolling down her face. Whenever I woke up in the night it was always the
same, mamma fanning Teresina or putting bits of ice in her mouth, and
never moving her eyes from her, and Teresina no longer restless, but
quite still,--so still that I had never seen anything like it. Quite
early the next day the archbishop came to confirm her, and while I was