The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1894-09-17

, il and who, if he earned n few sOldi, got rid
OF them at once before they could be scoId-
ed out of him and spent on such eXtrava-
gances as food and fire. If Piccno mad
not been a little Italian peasant he would
no doubt have starved TO death CT ul1I III
cold long before his adventure; but IN the
Riviera the sun shines and the dir IS soft,
aud people seem born with IA sort Cf gay
carelessness of most things that trouble the
serious world,
As for Piccino, he was as happy as a soft
little rabbit or young bird II baby
faWn. When ne was old enough TO run
about he had the most beautiful days They
seemed To him 10 BE- r,ade up of warm sun
shine and warm grass, flowers boxing at
him as he toddled around, light titc: ing
through vines ana the branches OF olive
trees, nice black bread ana figs. WIich he
lay on his back and munched GCliShtediy,
and days when Maria dragged him along
the road to some green place where g.and
people sat and ate good things. Cnd who
afJerWard gave him cakes ana delicious
little bones and Sold!, saying over ana over
again to eacn other that he was the pref
test little boy they had ever seen ana bad
the most beautiful eyes, and, oh, as eye
lashes!
claim; they are as mick As rusbes around
a pool, ana they must re d.eIt IA Ircn long.
Sometimes PicciuO ;,Ot ;at1@r tired Ct his
eyelaShes and wore "a resigned expression;
but lie was little Italian enough 10 feel that
they must be rather good thing, as they
brought some luck. once, indeed, man
eli his mother To make him sit on q stone
while he put him in a picture, and when it
was over he gave EiS mother several francs,
and she was delighted. but PiccinO was
not 50 pleased, because he had thought it
rather uresome to sit SO long on one stone.
This was the year before the dreadful two
days came.
When they came he had been put into
queer little trousers which were much too
big for him. one of his brothers had out
grown them and given them good wear.
= y
big and as dirty as they were ragged; but
Piccino was very proud of them. He went
and showed them to the donkey whose
tumbie-doWn sleeping apartment was next
II his cUf. and VI . was ms favorite play
mate and companion. 1t was such little
donkey but such good one. II could carry
a burden almost as big as its stable. and IL
had soft, furry ears and SOFT fairy SIDES,
and eyes and eyelashes as pretty for GCn-
key as Piccino's were for u noy. 1T was
nearly always at work, but when it was III
home Piccino was nearly always with il.
ON wet and cold days ne stayed with it in
it's tiny broken stable, playing and talking
to it, and many a day he had fallen asleep
with his curly head on its warm little fuzzy
side. When it was fine they Strolled about
together and were companions, the donkey
cropping the grass and Piccino pretending
ii was a little flock of sheep and that he
was big enough to be a shepherd. In the
middle of the night he used 20 like to waken
and hear Il move and make little sounds.
1t was SO close TO him that ne felt as if
they slept together.
30 ne went 10 snow IL MS trousers OF
course.
Now am man." he said; and he stood
close by its head, and the two pairs Of lus-
trous eyes looked afectionately into each
other.
After that they sauntered out together
into the beautiful early morning. When
Piccino was with the donkey his mother
and Maria knew he was quite safe, and so
was the donkey; so they were allowed to
ramble about They never went far, il Is
true. Piccino was too little. and. besides
near. This time was the loveliest Of all the
year The sun SWeetlY warm. hut not
hot. and there were 1ncmOneS and flaming
wild tulips in the grass.
Piccino did not know how long they were
out together before Maria came to find
them. The donkey had = beautiful break
fast, and PiccnO ate his piece of black
because his mother was AT the time in
great trouble and very DOOR, and there was
scarcely the bread itself to cat. Piccino
toddled along quite peacefully, however
and when he came upon n space where
there were red and yellow tulips Swaying
in the soft air he broke off fine handful
and when the donkey lay down he sat by il
and began TO stick the beautiful flaring
things round his hat as he had seen Maria
stick things round hers. 1t was torn soft
felt hat. with pointed crown and broad
adornnent of red and yellow flowers stick
ing up and down and falling his soft,
thick curls, he was a strangely beautiful
little thing to see and so like a picture that
he scarcely seemed like a real child at all
but Ike a lovely. fantastic little being some
artist had arranged to put on canvas.
He was sitting In this way, looking out to