Page:De Amicis - Heart, translation Hapgood, 1922.djvu/331

Rh canes, darts to fire at birds, herbs, and maybugs which creep out of his pockets and crawl slowly over the jackets.

Many of the little fellows carry bunches of flowers to the mistresses. The mistresses are dressed in summer garments also, of cheerful tints all except the "little nun," who is always in black; and the mistress with the red feather still has her red feather, and a knot of red ribbon at her neck, all tumbled with the little hands of her scholars, who always make her laugh and then run.

It is the season, too, of cherry-trees, of butterflies, of music in the streets, and of rambles in the country; many of the fourth grade run away to bathe in the Po; all have their hearts already set on the vacation; each day they issue forth from school more gay and impatient than the day before. Only it pains me to see Garrone in mourning, and my poor mistress of the primary, who is thinner and whiter than ever, and who coughs with an ever-increasing violence. She walks all bent over now, and greets me so sadly!

Friday, 26th.

You are now beginning to understand the poetry of school, Enrico; but at present you only survey the school from within. It will seem much more beautiful and more poetic to you twenty years from now, when you go there to escort your own boys; and you will then survey it from the outside, as I do. While waiting for school to close, I wander about the silent street, near by, and