Heart

by Edmondo De Amicis

 

HEART

A SCHOOLBOY'S JOURNAL

BY

EDMONDO De AMICIS

TRANSLATED FROM THE ITALIAN BY

ISABEL F. HAPGOOD

COMPLETE EDITION

NEW YORK

THOMAS Y. CROWELL COMPANY

PUBLISHERS

Copyright, 1887, 1895 and 1901.
BY THOMAS Y. CROWELL & COMPANY
Copyright, 1915.
BY ISABEL, F. HAPGOOD
Copyright, 1922.
BY THOMAS Y. CROWELL COMPANY







Printed in the United States of America

PREFACE

This book is specially dedicated to the boys of the elementary schools between the ages of nine and thirteen years, and might be entitled: "The Story of a Scholastic Year written by a Pupil of the Third Class of an Italian Municipal School." In saying, written by a pupil of the third class, I do not mean to say that it was written by him exactly as it is printed. He noted day by day in a copy-book, as well as he knew how, what he had seen, felt, thought, in the school and outside the school; his father at the end of the year wrote these pages on those notes, taking care not to alter the thought, and preserving, when it was possible, the words of his son. Four years later the boy, being then in the lyceum, read over the MSS. and added something of his own, drawing on his memories, still fresh, of persons and of things. Now read this book, boys; I hope that you will be pleased with it, and that it may do you good.

Edmondo de Amicis

Contents

October
		Page
The First Day of School		1
Our Master		4
An Accident		5
The Calabrian Boy		7
My Schoolmates		9
A Generous Deed		11
My Schoolmistress of the Upper First		13
In an Attic		15
The School		17
The Little Patriot of Padua		19
The Chimney-Sweep		22
The Day of the Dead		24
November
My Friend Garrone		26
The Charcoal-Man and the Gentleman		28
My Brother's Schoolmistress		30
My Mother		32
My Friend Coretti		34
The Principal		38
The Soldiers		41
Nelli's Protector		43
The Head of the Class		45
The Little Vidette of Lombardy		47
The Poor		53
December
The Trader		56
Vanity		58
The First Snow-Storm		60
Muratorino, the Little Mason		62
A Snowball		64
The Schoolmistresses		67
The Wounded Man		69
The Little Florentine Scribe		71
Will		80
Gratitude		82
The Assistant Master		85
Stardi's Library		87
The Blacksmith's Son		89
A Fine Visit		91
The Funeral of Victor Emanuel		93
Franti Expelled From School		95
The Sardinian Drummer-Boy		98
The Love of Country		108
Envy		110
Franti's Mother		112
Hope		114
A Medal Well Bestowed		116
Good Resolutions		118
The Train of Cars		120
Pride		123
The Wounds of Labor		125
The Prisoner		127
Daddy's Nurse		131
The Workshop		142
The Little Clown		145
The Last Day of the Carnival		150
The Blind Boys		153
The Sick Teacher		160
The Street		163
The Evening School		165
The Fight		167
The Boys' Parents		170
Number 78		171
A Little Dead Boy		174
The Eve of the Fourteenth of March		176
The Distribution of Prizes		178
The Quarrel		184
My Sister		187
Blood of Romagna		188
The Little Mason on His Sick-Bed		197
Count Cavour		200
April
Spring		203
King Umberto		205
The Infant Asylum		210
Gymnastics		215
My Father's Teacher		218
Convalescence		231
Friends Among the Workingmen		233
Garrone's Mother		234
Giusepppe Mazzini
Civic Valor		239
May
Children With the Rickets		245
Sacrifice		247
The Fire		249
From the Apennines to the Andes		254
Summer		295
The Poetic Side		297
The Deaf-Mute		299
June
Garibaldi		310
The Army		311
Italy		314
Thirty-Two Degrees		315
My Father		317
In the Country		319
The Distribution of Prizes to the Working-Men		323
My Dead Schoolmistress		326
Thanks		329
The Shipwreck		331
July
The Last Page from my Mother		339
The Examinations		340
The Last Examination		343
Farewell		346

ILLUSTRATIONS

Drawings by A. Ferraguti and E. Nardi
Redrawn in color by William E. Mears

"Pointed out on the wall map of Italy the spot where lay Reggio, in Calabria" (page 8)	Frontispiece
	PAGE
A generous deed	11
A man was handing him an armful of wood at a time	34
"Fifty boys began to dance around the band, singing"	41
"Stop that, you little rascals!"	64
"Then the troop darted out of the door"	104
A medal well bestowed	106
"The boy had walked ten miles"	131
The blind boys	138
"Hurrah for the Deputy of Calabria!"	178
Searching the cupboard	194
"He stood watching the convoy until it was lost to sight"	281

Frontispiece

POINTED OUT ON THE WALL MAP OF ITALY THE SPOT WHERE LAY REGGIO, IN CALABRIA