it, were very antique in style and character, and very quaint and queer in their forms. They were occupied chiefly as little shops, and the windows were filled with mosaics and other kinds of jewelry and works of art; for besides the mosaics there are several other artistic manufactures that are peculiar to Florence. At many of the windows there were several large trays displayed, all filled with mosaics of different forms and sizes, and of every conceivable variety of design. They were generally not set, and could be purchased in this form at very reasonable prices. They looked moreover all the more rich and beautiful from being seen in such numbers together, especially as the shop girls had the art of so arranging them as to heighten the effect of the colors and designs by the manner in which they placed the specimens in reference to each other.

The children walked slowly along, from one shop window to another, and amused themselves by choosing the mosaics as they called it. They would fix their attention for example upon some particular tray in a window, and first Florence would take her choice of all the mosaics in. it. Then Edwin would choose from those that remained, and finally John; and after that

14

they would compare the different choices together to see which was the prettiest.

Then at the next tray Edwin would have his first choice, and in the third one, John; and so on in regular rotation.

This seems to be a very simple game, but it afforded much amusement, after all, for by fixing the attention in this manner on particular specimens, the character and beauty of the designs made a more vivid impression upon the mind of the observer, and so gave more pleasure.

Then, strange as it may seem, the children found that there was a certain pleasure in even imagining, for a moment, that so many pretty mosaics were theirs.

We often observe this in amusing very young persons, when taking a walk with them. If you are at any time walking with children in a street where there are toy shops, they will be greatly entertained by your giving them such a fancied choice of the toys that please them, and will sometimes be as well contented by this imaginary possession of a great many, as they would be by the actual possession of the few that you might really purchase for them.

In due time the children arrived at the hotel Victoria, where they lodged, and there Edwin, taking a respectful leave of Florence and John,

went to his mother's room, while Florence and John proceeded to their own apartment, it being then nearly time for dinner.

Edwin found his mother in her bed-room. She was sitting upon a sofa near a window looking over a guide book. Edwin came and sat down by her side.

"Mother," said Edwin. "I have got a

plan."

"Very good," said his mother. "Let us hear what it is."

66

To-morrow we are going off toward Venice, and Florence is going into Italy, and we shall not see her any more."

"True," said Mrs. Willey, "and I am very sorry for it."

"Before she goes," continued Edwin, "I want to give her something for a souvenir-to remember us by, and I should like to buy her a mosaic. That will be a souvenir of Florence for her, and of us too. Do you think it will do ?" "That is a very serious question," said Mrs. Willey, looking somewhat grave.

"I have got money enough of my own," said Edwin," plenty of it."

Edwin had a regular monthly allowance from his father for his spending money, and he had been careful to lay up a considerable portion of

it so as to have a sum in reserve in case of any

emergency.

"It is not the money," said his mother. "There would be no difficulty about that. But there is always a difficulty and a delicacy about presents from young gentleman to young ladies. Young ladies sometimes feel quite embarrassed about receiving them."

"Isn't it proper for them to receive them ?" asked Edwin.

"That depends upon circumstances,” replied his mother.

"Upon what circumstances ?" asked Edwin.

"One circumstance is the age of the parties," said Mrs. Willey. "The younger they are the less is the objection to the present.”

"That is all in my favor," said Edwin.

"Yes," rejoined his mother. "You are both very young it is true. Another circumstance that it depends upon is the value of the present. The less the value of the gift the less is the young lady's objection to receiving it."

"Well, mother, I should not propose to get a very costly mosaic. I saw one for five dollars that would do very well. It is not very large, but it is a very fine and very beautiful one. Then the setting would not cost more than five

dollars, and that would only make ten dollars in all."

Now as there are plenty of very pretty small mosaics to be bought in Florence for a dollar, and a great many still cheaper than that, it is evident that Edwin's ideas in respect to a little souvenir for Florence were on a somewhat elevated scale.

"That's a good deal," said Mrs. Willey, shaking her head.

"Why, mother, that is not much. I can spare it just as well as not. I have got plenty of money."

"I don't mean that it is too much for you to give," said Mrs. Willey, "but too much for her to receive. If you were to offer her some little trifle, worth, perhaps, half a dollar or a dollar, she might feel at liberty to take it but I don't know what she would say to such a present as you propose."

66 But, mother, I would not give her any opportunity to say anything about it," said Edwin. "I would have the pin put in a little box, and give it to John secretly, and ask him to give it to her to-morrow, after she had commenced her journey. So she would not have any opportunity of saying anything about it.”

66 And So, if she should chance not to like it,