braided hair. And Mary, giving us a pleasant smile, casts down her eyes and blushes as she passes the stolid-looking Luigi. Tuscan peasants rarely marry out of their own rank or province; this seems a lingering tradition of the old tribu, and the ancient statutes which forbade marriage with foreigners. There is a proverb which says, "Moglie e buoi de paesi tuoi:" ("Wives and oxen

from your native land").

The girls here have a stornello to much the

The word "forestiero," or "foreign," in Tuscan,

means not only strangers of another kingdom but even of another province.

CHAPTER XVI.

THE CHESTNUT EATERS.

July 8.-How much more easy life is in a state of simplicity than civilization has made it in great communities! I half envy these country people their quiet life, their simple dependence on nature, their freedom from toil, moil, and worry. They till their own ground, are their own. agriculturists, masons, and carpenters; their wives are dairywomen, spinners, weavers, cooks, etc.; and yet nobody ever seems in a hurry, and none are overworked. They have no masters to grind a certain number of hours' labour out of them in a day. They work when they like, and give the landowner half their corn and grain when harvest comes.

I often see a knot of half a dozen men sitting at our gate in the middle of the day in every attitude of repose, talking or dozing as the case may be. After a while one gets up, stretches himself, and says, "I shall go and 'saw' (segare)

a bit of corn," and off he strolls for his reaping hook. The word "saw" is very appropriate, for the hook is a blunt one, and literally saws through an armful of grain at a time. The women here do a great deal of the corn-cutting and other field work. Presently a second departs to cut some green stuff for the cows. Mountain cows and horses by no means live on grass or even hay, they eat the young leaves of maize, branches of acacia, mountain ash, poplar, and any other green leaves that come first to hand. In the winter they live on dried leaves and ferns.

Then three who are left propose to return to the threshing-floor, but wait another quarter of an hour for a fourth, after which the measured strokes of the flail resound for some time, till they all go to rest again.

Threshing has been going on now, as well as corn-cutting, for some days. All the work here. is done on a mutual assistance system which is refreshingly fraternal. When the brothers Bettoni have to thresh, the brothers Lenini and Andrucci all assist. Then when the Lenini turn comes, the Bettoni lend their threshing-floor and assistance; and so on all round. If the Bettoni house is out of repair, Annibale comes and gives a day's work; while if he is in want of a chair or table,

his friend Fiore Andrucci is perfectly willing to make it. For all their corporeal needs, surrounding nature suffices. Each family has some sheep, which supply wool for their stockings and flannels. A girl takes the flock out in the woods to feed all the day, during which time she spins a good distaff full of wool.

Some families have one or two cows, which supply milk, butter, and cheese, unless they prefer to sell those commodities in the nearest market town. The cows are useful in finding a great deal of employment for the women, and sometimes also the men. The poor animals live in stalls, but are taken out, like children by their nurses, to run in the fields twice a day; but it seems of the greatest importance that a guardian should carefully watch their steps whilst feeding. Old Lachesis generally requires the attendance of one of her sons, usually the mild Giorgio, who has to watch and follow one cow while she with a switch overrules the actions of the other; if it takes three steps at a time instead of two, or if it goes its own way instead of hers, the poor beast is soon brought to order by strange cries and switchings. The Lenini's cows are just as carefully but less sternly watched by Giuditta, who follows them as they graze, keeping a few

H

yards behind and spinning all the while. The women and children of the parish have a wholesome fear of the cows, and open their eyes in amazement at one of our party who pets them very much. All the inhabitants turned out one evening when Giuditta's cows had a fight, and no one was found brave enough to part them. They were shut up in their stalls for days after.

A goat, which the poorest woman in the parish takes care of, supplies them with a hard cheese and ricotta, a kind of curd made of goat's milk; while when their stock of corn is exhausted, the chestnut-woods which stretch out on all sides of them, covering the mountains with verdure, do all the rest. The chestnut flour is their true staff of life; and thanks to Providence there is no stint. They live nearly all the year on necci, or chestnut-flour cakes, every housewife making each morning a sufficient supply for the day. Their living is varied a little in summer, when the fresh vegetables come; but meat never enters into their bill of fare.

This morning Isa came running in exclaiming, Mamma, if you want to know how necci are made, Gigia is baking them now. Do come, it is so curious!"

We all followed the child to the house of the