kids did not stray too far away. She never tired of watching these happy
little creatures with their thousand antics as thy jumped over the rocks.

In the summer, how happy she was in those vast green Alpine fields, how
magnificent that pure air, and that bluest of all blue skies! And in the
autumn!--What a beautiful season was that, with the nut-gathering and the
bringing in of the apples and the grapes. Then she told us how our Uncle
John would take the honey from the hives, that golden honey with its
heavenly taste.

As she spoke, Paula with her lovely animated face, appeared to live again
in her happy past, quite forgetful that she was now far away from her
beloved, sunny land of the Alps, where that dear father slept on the
hillside, nevermore to return.

I, of course, had been in the habit of hearing our mother speak of her home
in the Alps with nothing but sighs and tears. It astonished me now to hear
this young creature so full of life and vigor and happiness speak of her
old life in Waldensia. I had been preparing myself to console her and
endeavor to make her happy and forget her past life of poverty. But now it
was quite the contrary. Here was Paula scattering happiness and love all
around her, entertaining us and making us laugh at her wonderful stories.

Teresa came and went from one room to another opening boxes, finding here a
dress that Catalina could not wear any more, there an apron that had grown
too short for Rosa, and here again a pair of small shoes that would no
doubt fit our country cousin, with a black ribbon or two that had formerly
served us in our time of mourning when mamma died. From her bed in the
other room, Catalina listened, calling me at times to re-tell some of the
conversation which she had missed, and Rosa wrote a letter to Louis to tell