city nestling into the hollow of the hill-top, and watch its changing
lights and shadows, and say "good morning" and "good night" to it.

Barbara and Bettina had often tried to fancy what life there was like so
many centuries ago, when the city was rich and powerful; and afterward,
when the old Romans had taken possession of it, and the ruined
amphitheatre was whole and noisy with games; or in later times, when the
venerable Cathedral was fresh and new. They felt a kind of pity for the
forlorn old place, peopled with so much wrinkled age, and forever
looking down upon all the loveliness and treasures of the fair Florence
which had grown out from her own decay.

As the party left the house, and, before disappearing from the view of
Mrs. Douglas, who stood watching them, turned and waved their hands, she
thought that she had not seen her brother looking so young, care-free,
and happy for many years.

"This is doing Robert a world of good," said she to herself. "Those who
have heretofore been only children to him are now companions, and he is
becoming a boy again with them. Oh! if he could only throw off the
morbid feeling he has had about going back to America to live, and
return with us, and be happy and useful there, how delightful it would
be!"

Second only in the life of Mrs. Douglas to the great loss of her husband
had been the separation from this dearly loved brother, and it was one
of the strongest wishes of her heart that he should come back to his
native land. To have him living near her and experiencing the delights
of home life had been a long dream of whose realization she had wellnigh
despaired, as year after year had passed and he had still lingered in