BORROWING TROUBLE

A rew hundred years ago, there lived near Florence a
handsome little prince and a beautiful little princess.
These two children had everything that a good human
heart of that day could have, excepting trouble. It seemed
that this could not come to them. From the day that a
careless lady of the court had remarked in Francesca’s
presence, “Ah, Leonardo! thou well -mayst say this world
has trouble enough for all,” the little princess had won-
dered what trouble was, and why, if there was enough for
all, she and her brother had none of it. Often the princess
would say :

“Ferdinand, what is trouble?” And Ferdinand would
reply: “Alas! Francesca, I do not know.”

“Let us ask our parents to give us some,” pursued Fran-
cesea; “they never refuse us anything.”

But the king and queen shuddered at their request :

“No, no, dear children,” they cried; “you do not know

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