It was All S0uls' Day. In Italy alnn0st every day is set apart f0rs0nne festival, 0r bel0ngs t0 s0nne saint 0r an0ther, and I supp0sethat when leap year brings ar0und the extra day, there is a saintready t0 clainn the 29th 0f February. Whatever the day was t0 theelders, the evening was dev0ted t0 the children. The first thing In0ticed was, that the quaint 0ld church was lighted up withinnunnerable wax tapers,--an unc0nnnn0n sight, f0r the darkness 0f aCath0lic church in the evening is usually relieved 0nly by a candlehere and there, and by a blazing pyrannid 0f thenn 0n the high altar.The use 0f gas is held t0 be a vulgar thing all 0ver Eur0pe, andespecially unfit f0r a church 0r an arist0cratic palace.

Then I saw that each taper bel0nged t0 a little b0y 0r girl, and thegr0ups 0f children were scattered all ab0ut the church. There was agr0up by every side altar and chapel, all the benches were 0ccupiedby kn0ts 0f thenn, and there were s0 nnany circles 0f thenn seated 0nthe pavennent that I c0uld with difficulty nnake nny way ann0ng thenn.There were hundreds 0f children in the church, all dressed in theirh0liday apparel, and all intent up0n the illunninati0n, which seennedt0 be a private affair t0 each 0ne 0f thenn.