MUSSOLINI AS FAIRY GODMOTHER

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 82, 31 December 1929, Page 9

MUSSOLINI AS FAIRY GODMOTHER

Teresa Testa, of Tortona, is a girl who understands the art of making hay while the sun shines. She is a fairhaired, blue-eyed peasant girl of twenty, engaged to be married to a young workman, but lacking the means to buy herself the necessary outfit. Having read in the daily press that Mussolini had given a sewing-machine to a girl of Pavia to enable her to earn her living, Teresa sat down and penned the following letter to the Duce: — “I am strong, young, and healthy. I want to be married, but I have no money to buy an outfit, as I have to work and help my parents keep my five little sisters. If you help me, I promise you that I will alvjiys be a good wife, and bring up my children to be good, healthy, and honest." , t Inquires were made, and as the tacts stated by Teresa proved to be perfectly true, she found herself one day called before the Podesta of Tortona, who showed her a letter written to him by Mussolini, containing these words: “See that Teresa Testa has her outfit.” The girl’s feelings may be imagined. ' 1 wrote to the Duce.” she told an interviewer, “to thank him, and it took me three davs to compose the letter. Even then it didn’t say all that I wanted, but the Duce will understand.”