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diff --git a/28802-h/28802-h.htm b/28802-h/28802-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..0f3d548 --- /dev/null +++ b/28802-h/28802-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,3599 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> + +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> + <head> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1" /> + <title> + The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Fairy Nightcaps by Fanny Barrow + </title> + <style type="text/css"> + + body{margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%;} + + p { margin-top: .75em; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: .75em; text-indent: 1.25em;} + + h1,h3,h4,h5,h6 {text-align: center; + clear: both; } + +h2 {text-align: center; + clear: both; margin-top: 3em; margin-bottom: 2em;} + + hr { width: 65%; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; + clear: both; } + + ul.none {list-style-type: none; + margin-left: 15%; + margin-right: 15%; + text-indent: -2em;} + + .noin {text-indent: 0em;} + +li {margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em;} + + .pagenum { position: absolute; + left: 92%; + font-size: smaller; + text-align: right; color: #989898; } + + .blockquot{margin-left: 5%; margin-right: 10%;} + + + .center {text-align: center;} +span.right {float:right; text-align: right;} + .smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} + + .figcenter {display: block; + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; margin-top: 2em; margin-bottom: 2em;} + .figleft {float: left; + clear: left; + margin-left: 0; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 1em; + padding: 0; width: auto; + text-align: center;} + .figright {float: right; + clear: right; + margin-left: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0; + padding: 0; + text-align: center; + width: auto;} +.caption {text-align: center;} +img {border: 0;} + + .hang {margin-left: 2em; text-indent: -2em;} + + .tnote { border: dashed 1px; + padding: 1em; + margin-top: 3em; + margin-right: 5%; + margin-bottom: 3em; + margin-left: 5%; + page-break-after: always; } + + .tnote p { text-indent: 0em; margin-left: 2em; margin-top: .5em; font-size: 90%; } + + .tnote h3 { text-indent: 0em; margin-left: 0em; text-align: left; font-size: 100%; + font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; } + + + </style> + </head> +<body> + + +<pre> + +Project Gutenberg's The Fairy Nightcaps, by Frances Elizabeth Barrow + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Fairy Nightcaps + +Author: Frances Elizabeth Barrow + +Release Date: May 14, 2009 [EBook #28802] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE FAIRY NIGHTCAPS *** + + + + +Produced by David Edwards and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was +produced from images generously made available by The +Internet Archive.) + + + + + + +</pre> + + + + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 355px;"> +<img src="images/cover.jpg" width="355" height="500" alt="Fairy Nightcaps Cover" /> +</div> + +<hr /> + + +<h1>THE <br />FAIRY NIGHTCAPS.</h1> + +<h3>BY THE AUTHOR OF<br /> +THE FIVE NIGHTCAP BOOKS, "AUNT FANNY'S STORIES,"<br /> +ETC., ETC.</h3> + +<p class="center">NEW YORK:<br /> +D. APPLETON & COMPANY,<br /> +443 & 445 BROADWAY.<br /> +LONDON: 16 LITTLE BRITAIN.<br /> +1861.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<p class="center"><span class="smcap">Entered</span>, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1860, by<br /> +FANNY BARROW,<br /> +In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the<br /> +Southern District of New York.</p> + + +<hr /> +<p class="center">TO MASSA CHARLES,<br /> +WHOSE MOST LOVABLE QUALITIES WERE BUT FAINTLY<br /> +PORTRAYED IN THE<br /> +FIRST NIGHTCAP BOOK,<br /> +THIS<br /> +THE SIXTH AND LAST OF THE SERIES,<br /> +IS AFFECTIONATELY<br /> +Dedicated.</p> + + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 625px;"> +<img src="images/i002.jpg" width="625" height="620" alt="GOING TO THE MIDSUMMER BALL." /> +<p class="caption">GOING TO THE MIDSUMMER BALL.</p> +</div> + +<hr /> +<h2>PREFACE TO THE CHILDREN.</h2> + + +<p><span class="smcap">Dear Children,</span></p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[Pg 7]</a></span> +Here is the last Nightcap book, making six in all. The story of "The +Three Little Fishes" was taken (but very much altered) from a clever +book for grown folks, written, I believe, nearly two hundred years +ago; but all the rest is true, "real true."</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[Pg 8]</a></span></p><p>I have written them out with my heart full of love and good wishes +for you, and <i>you</i>, and <span class="smcap">YOU</span>; and my only desire in return is, +that down in a cosy corner of your dear little hearts, you will keep warm, +one kind thought of your loving</p> + +<p class="blockquot">AUNT FANNY.</p> + + + + +<hr /> +<h2>CONTENTS.</h2> + +<ul class="none"> +<li><a href="#THE_FAIRIES_LIFE">THE FAIRIES' LIFE; WITH AN ACCOUNT OF WHAT THEY DID IN THE +BEAUTIFUL HOLLOW,</a><span class="right"> 9</span></li> + +<li><a href="#THE_CHILDRENS_LIFE">THE CHILDREN'S LIFE; WITH THEIR JOURNEY TO WEST POINT,</a><span class="right"> 37</span></li> + +<li><a href="#THE_FAIRIES_LIFE2">THE FAIRIES' LIFE; WITH AN ACCOUNT OF THE MIDSUMMER BALL,</a> <span class="right"> 77</span></li> + +<li><a href="#THE_CHILDRENS_LIFE2">THE CHILDREN'S LIFE; WITH AN ACCOUNT OF IDLEWILD, THE STAG DANCE, +THE BATTLE OF THE FAIRIES, &c.,</a> <span class="right"> 145</span></li> + +<li><a href="#THE_DEATH_OF_CHARLEY">THE DEATH OF CHARLEY,</a> <span class="right">209</span></li></ul> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="FAIRY_NIGHTCAPS" id="FAIRY_NIGHTCAPS"></a>FAIRY NIGHTCAPS.</h2> + + +<h2><a name="THE_FAIRIES_LIFE" id="THE_FAIRIES_LIFE"></a>THE FAIRIES' LIFE.</h2> + + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</a></span>In the deep shadow of the Highlands, at the foot of the old Crow Nest +Mountain, is a wild and beautiful hollow, closed around on every side +by tall trees, interlaced together by the clasping tendrils of the +honeysuckle, and the giant arms of luxuriant wild grape-vines.</p> + +<p>The mossy edge of this magic circle is<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</a></span> thickly embroidered with +violets, harebells, perfumed clover-blossoms, and delicate, feathery +ferns. A little brook, overhung with grasses and whispering leaves, +dances and dimples in the bright sunlight and soft moonbeams, and then +trips away, to offer the wild-rose leaves that have fallen upon his +bosom to his beloved tributary lord, the great Hudson River.</p> + +<p>Not a bat dare spread his unclean leathern wings across this charmed +place, and the very owls that wink and blink in the hollow trees near +by keep their unmusical "hoot toot" to themselves.</p> + +<p>In the short young velvety grass, a starry daisy, or a sly little +cowslip, peeps up here and there, but nothing else disturbs the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</a></span> +lawn-like smoothness, save a tiny mound of green moss near the centre +of the hollow, shaped marvellously like a throne.</p> + +<p>It was the night of the eighteenth of June; and evidently there was +something of importance about to happen in the beautiful hollow, for +presently a train of glow-worms came marching gravely in, and arranged +themselves in a circle around the mossy throne; while thousands of +fire-flies flashed and twinkled through the trees. The soft, +coquetting wind wandered caressingly among the flowers, and the +moonbeams rested with a sweeter, tenderer light, upon the little brook +which murmured and rippled, and gave back many a glancing, loving +beam.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</a></span></p> + +<p>Suddenly a silvery tinkling bell was heard, like music at a distance. +Twelve times it sounded; and immediately after an invisible chorus of +sweet tiny voices were heard singing:</p> + +<p class="blockquot noin">"Hasten, Elfin! hasten, Fay!<br /> +From old Crow Nest wing your way;<br /> +Through the bush and dewy brake,<br /> +Fairies, hasten, for the sake<br /> +Of a mortal, whose pure breath<br /> +Soon will fade, and sink in death:<br /> +We for him sweet dreams will find,<br /> +We will fill with balm the wind;<br /> +Watch his young life glide away,<br /> +Deck with beauty its decay—<br /> +Till the closing earthly strife,<br /> +Opens into heavenly life."</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</a></span> +Instantly the air seemed filled with streams of light like falling +stars; the booming sound of humble-bees was heard, as fairy knights +and ladies came hastening to the call through the moon-lit air; the +knights pricking their chargers with their wasp-sting spurs, and the +ladies urging theirs quite as fast with their sweet, coaxing voices.</p> + +<p>The grave, elderly fairies, came more soberly. They crept out from +under the velvet mullen leaves, and gravely mounted their palfreys, +which were small field mice, and held them well in, with corn-silk +bridles; for elderly fairies are inclined to be gouty, and don't like +to do any thing in a hurry; like other people, they are apt to go too +fast when they are young—and to +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</a></span> balance the matter, are very slow +coaches when they are old.</p> + +<p>Several ancient ladies, who had been napping in a secluded nook at the +root of an old tree, waited for their nutshells and four to be brought +up; and as the coach-horses were represented by hairy, white +caterpillars—who were so short-legged, that they took the longest +possible time to get over the ground—and as the ancient fairies had +much ado to fold their wings, and arrange their crinoline in their +carriages, you may be sure they were very fashionably late.</p> + +<p>And now a strain of delicious music filled the air, the glow-worms +lighted up brilliantly, and the dew grew heavy with +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</a></span> fragrance, as the +Fairy Queen, with a bright train of attendants, floated past in dark +green phaetons, made of the leaves of the camelia, and drawn by +magnificently painted butterflies, harnessed and caparisoned with +gold.</p> + +<p>The dignity and queenly presence of her Majesty would have rendered +her conspicuous above the rest, even if her tiny golden crown and +sceptre, tipped with a diamond that blazed like a meteor, had not +indicated that she was a monarch; and the acclamations that rose on +all sides attested the attachment her subjects felt for her person.</p> + +<p>She was indeed most lovely; and kind and generous beyond words to +describe; and she had called her court together +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</a></span>this very night to do +that which makes both fairies and mortals lovelier and better, with +every new effort. Do you know what it is? It is, <i>trying to add to the +happiness of another</i>.</p> + +<p>And now the Queen and her maids of honor gracefully alighted with the +eagerly proffered assistance of the fashionable young fairy dandies; +and the court gathered respectfully around, as the beautiful Queen +seated herself on her throne, and gently waved her sceptre to command +attention.</p> + +<p>"My lords, ladies, and gentlemen," said her Majesty, in a voice of +perfect music, "I have called you together three nights before our +opening midsummer festival, because I know by my fairy power, that a +mortal—a gentle, lovely boy—will arrive +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span> here to-morrow, across +whose young life the harsh wings of pain and affliction have passed. +For a month or more he has so drooped and faded, that I fear, before +long, his pure life will be ended. His mother watches over him with +the undying, untiring love, which only a mother knows. We can help +her, my beloved subjects, and we will; we can steal the venom from his +painful sleep, by giving him fairy dreams; and on our gala nights we +will gently lift him from his couch, and bring him here. His sweet +presence will cast no shadow on our festivities, so pure and lovely +have been all the thoughts, words, and actions of his short life."</p> + +<p>A murmur of pleasure rose from the as +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</a></span>sembled court, and the good and +beautiful Queen saw with delight, that her proposal had given pleasure +to all her subjects, with one exception; and he was her very honest, +but still more disagreeable prime minister, who, being a sour, +meddlesome old bachelor, hated children. His temper was not +particularly sweet just then, because he was making wry faces over an +attack of the gout in his great toe, from indulging too freely in +May-dew wine, and eating too often of roasted tiger-lily, which is a +very highly seasoned dish, and difficult to digest, unless you take +immediately after eating, half a dozen lady-slipper pills, which my +lord the prime minister never would take, on account of the name—for +of course, if he hated chil +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span>dren he hated the ladies also—and as I +was saying, he felt very cross, and inclined to find fault with any +thing anybody else proposed; so making as low a bow as his stiff back +would permit, he began, with an abominable nasal twang: "May it please +your Majesty, who is this child you deign to favor so highly?"</p> + +<p>"He is called Lame Charley!" graciously answered the Queen. "He is the +darling of all who know him."</p> + +<p>"Are there any other children in the family, my liege?" snarled the +prime minister.</p> + +<p>"About three dozen, more or less," answered the Queen, frowning +slightly, for she was not quite certain as to the number, and did not +like to be questioned. +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</a></span>"Humph!" grumbled the prime minister. Then +muttering to himself, "Three dozen children! all eating dreadful +pumpkin-pie—with cheeks like saddle-bags, and voices loud enough to +make a mummy jump out of his skin in an ecstasy of astonishment at the +noise! was there ever such a foolish freak?" whereupon, taking out his +beetle-back snuff-box, and giving it the traditional taps, he helped +himself to such a prodigious pinch, by way of consolation, that he was +obliged to retire precipitately behind the honeysuckles, and nearly +cracked his left wing by a tremendous fit of sneezing. For let me tell +you that the pollen, or dust of the snap-dragon, properly dried, +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</a></span> +makes very powerful fairy snuff, and I advise you not to try it.</p> + +<p>The maids of honor had great difficulty to keep from bursting out +laughing at the flight of the cross old prime minister; and the Queen +pretended to arrange her bodice, made of the gossamer wing of the +katydid, to hide a smile; but now, reclining on her throne, and +gracefully fanning herself with her right wing, she indulged in a +pleasant chat with her favorites, about Charley.</p> + +<p>"Dear Cowslip!" she began, "I am so interested in this lovely boy. +Will you assist me to watch over him, and keep away all harm from his +loving brothers and sisters? Particularly we will protect them from +the Kelpies, those hateful water-sprites, +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</a></span> who would drag them down to +their dark caves beneath the wave, if once the children ventured upon +their realm. We will bid their little mother to warn them from getting +into row-boats, or wading out into the river; the Kelpies shall +content themselves with water-rats and tadpoles for this time, for too +many lovely children have already been sacrificed to their cruel +spite."</p> + +<p>"Ah, beloved Queen!" answered Cowslip, "I, for one, will help you with +heart and will; those damp, wretched little goblins shall not hurt a +hair of their heads."</p> + +<p>"And I, with might and main, will do your behest!" said the handsome +young Ripple, twisting his mustache. +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</a></span></p> + +<p>"And I, gracious Queen!" cried the pretty Lota, "for I dearly love +children."</p> + +<p>"And I, your Majesty," said Beeswing with Ripple and Firefly, "will +order our regiment—the seventh—to encamp under the sedges on the +shore, half to keep watch, while the other half sleep in the swaying +branches of the water-willows."</p> + +<p>"Give us something to do for the dear children, dearest Queen!" cried +Dewdrop and Lilliebelle, two of the most famous beauties of the court, +and, what is far better, as good as they were beautiful; "let us also +help to make them happy."</p> + +<p>"Well said, fair ladies and brave knights!" exclaimed the Queen; "with +such true and loyal assistance, my labor of +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</a></span> love will be most +delightful. Come now—to the dance—while they are preparing supper."</p> + +<p>She clapped her tiny hands thrice, and immediately the fairy band +commenced playing the most enchanting dances; and the beautiful hollow +was speedily filled with couples, whisking away in such rapid +evolutions, that you would have thought they would soon tumble head +over heels, from sheer dizziness; but as the dances were, after all, +not very different from ours, I suppose the fairies were quite as well +used to the rushing style; and, in good truth, as they were <i>fairies</i>, +it seemed more in keeping, for these rapid, gracefully undulating +movements, were the very poetry of motion. +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</a></span></p> + +<p>Of course the elderly gentlemen fairies lounged among the +honeysuckles, and talked politics, and quarrelled dreadfully about who +should be the next President; for they took an immense interest in the +affairs of us mortals; and the elderly lady fairies just as much, of +course, pulled the characters of their best friends to pieces, without +so much as a single regret; while the lovely young Queen, with +half-a-dozen of her favorites, after dancing once, to set the fashion, +ordered her pages to shake down a perfect shower of wild-rose leaves, +on the edge of the hollow, of which they made soft and freshly +perfumed couches; and there they listened to the exquisite music, and +watched the dancers, and gaily devised plans for the +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</a></span> comfort of our +dear little friend, Lame Charley.</p> + +<p>While they were thus conversing, a queer little elfin sped down one of +the moonbeams, like a flash of summer lightning, and in an instant was +on his knee before the Queen.</p> + +<p>It was the fairy, Slyboots, the Queen's favorite messenger, and the +most mischievous sprite in her dominions.</p> + +<p>"Welcome, good Slyboots," cried the Queen; "by your bright eyes and +unsoiled wings, methinks you must have fulfilled our commands +faithfully. How fared you? and how did you find our dear 'Nightcap' +family?"</p> + +<p>"Most gracious Majesty! I hurried to +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</a></span> the great city, without folding +wing; merely stopping a moment to torment a miserly old landlord, who, +the day before, had turned a poor widow, with two little children, out +of his tenement house, because she was not quite ready with the rent. +I put a great fly on his nose, and a great flea in his ear, and +ordered them to stay there, and buzz, and bite him, till he went +nearly into fits."</p> + +<p>A chorus of sweet fairy laughter greeted this mad-cap caper, and +Slyboots embraced the opportunity to whisper something to a small +brown spider, who had been listening with all his ears, and staring at +Slyboots with all his eyes, of which he had more than his share, and +who immediately scampered off with all his legs. +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Then, your Majesty," continued the elfin, "I hastened on, and flew +through the window into the room where Charley slept. All was sweet, +still, and hushed; and oh! how pure and lovely the pale boy looked, as +he lay there, his hands folded across his breast. As I gazed, a +radiant smile parted his lips, and a faint color came into his white +cheek. He was dreaming—his soul was full of holy thoughts—and the +smile had come, as he saw in his dream the Beautiful Home above, for +which he was preparing.</p> + +<p>"The little mother, looking wearied with watching, lay upon a couch +near him. As I hovered over her, a large tear crept from under her +closed eyelid, and a quick convulsive sob broke from her breast. She +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</a></span> +too was dreaming, dreaming of the sorrowful time when her darling +would be taken from her.</p> + +<p>"I swept my wings lightly across her brow, and bade her waken. She +opened her eyes, looked upon Charley, and rising, with a sigh of +relief, she murmured: 'I have thee yet, oh my child! my darling!' and +hastening to him, she softly drew back the golden curls from his +forehead, sprinkled a few drops of grateful, refreshing perfume upon +his pillow, and then, tenderly touching his cheek with her loving +lips, went comforted back to her couch.</p> + +<p>"The rest of the children were in the other rooms, fast asleep in +two-story cribs, and various dear little beds; and I left +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</a></span> some of +them laughing merrily in their sleep, by telling them one or two +ridiculous anecdotes about your Majesty's stuffy old prime min——"</p> + +<p>"Silence, Slyboots!" cried the Queen, trying not to laugh. "You shall +not make fun of our minister to our face. Go and order the supper."</p> + +<p>Slyboots grinned sideways at the maids of honor, but bowed, with a +great show of penitence, to his Queen. Retiring from the presence, he +placed a tiny bugle, fashioned out of a small honeysuckle, to his +lips, and blew a shrill, peculiar blast.</p> + +<p>It was perfectly well understood, for in an instant, a hundred small +pink and white mushrooms sprang out of the earth, making +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[Pg 31]</a></span> the most +delightful little tables imaginable, quite equal to the finest +satin-wood, upon which the fairy servants and pages hastened to place +dishes of rose-leaves filled with honey-dust, and golden buttercups of +sparkling May-dew, which, having been bottled up for six weeks, foamed +and effervesced, and gave out a most exquisite aroma.</p> + +<p>This was for the young fairies, who cared only for sweets. The elderly +fays were to be feasted upon broiled fly's legs, brought up hot, and +each one was rolled up in a leaf of pepper-grass, which gave them a +very piquant seasoning. These were garnished with small pearls, +steeped and softened in crab-apple vinegar, sharp enough and sour +enough to draw squeals from a Ja +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[Pg 32]</a></span>panese ambassador, who never smiles +or squeals at any thing.</p> + +<p>When all was ready, the fairies sat down at the tables, in pleasant +little parties of four and six, while the band played the most admired +fairy opera airs. But before the banquet was through, I am sadly +afraid some of the gay young fellows forgot they were in the presence +of ladies, they laughed so loud, and talked so much nonsense, and one +of them came very near upsetting the table at which he sat, spilling +his buttercup of dew all over the new gossamer dress of Lilliebelle, +who was next to him.</p> + +<p>But this was nothing to the uproar which arose when the old prime +minister, who had been eating flies' legs, and little +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[Pg 33]</a></span> pearl pickles, +till he could scarcely breathe, attempted to leave his seat. The +little brown spider, sent by that mischievous Slyboots, had been hard +at work fastening his wings together in a net, and then tying them in +a most complicated cobweb knot to the honeysuckle vine just behind +him. The old prime minister fairly howled with rage; he turned and +twisted from side to side; he kicked and made awful faces at Slyboots, +who was giggling and laughing, and shaking his wings with glee at a +safe distance. An impudent mosquito came past, and sneered out in his +abominable nasal drone, "You don't seem to like a net any better than +I do;" while myriads of midges up in the air danced around him, +singing, Why-don't-you-get-out? Why- +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[Pg 34]</a></span>don't-you-get-out? Why-don't-you- +get-out? to which myriads of others answered, He-would-if-he-could-but- +he-couldn't! He-would-if-he-could-but-he-couldn't! He-would-if-he- +could-but-he-couldn't!</p> + +<p>At last the Queen, who had been giving some private orders, inquired +what all the noise and laughter meant; and, in great anger with +Slyboots for thus turning her old prime minister into ridicule, +ordered the saucy goblin to draw his sword and release the old +minister. The young fairy knights hastened to help, for they all liked +Slyboots, and a tremendous slashing and cutting at the cobweb net +ensued, which speedily released the poor old prime minister, who went +off breathing fury and vengeance. +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[Pg 35]</a></span></p> + +<p>But hark! What is that? A faint, far-off tramp is heard; the galloping +hoofs of the steeds of the morning were sounding in the eastern sky, +and the stir of their coming rustled the leaves that crowned the tops +of the grand old trees. The first cock-crow was heard in the distance, +and the fairy sentinels sounded the coming of the dawn loud and clear +on their great morning-glory trumpets, from the top of old Crow Nest. +The sky became dappled, and a rosy streak marched up to the zenith +like the banner of a herald.</p> + +<p>Up sprang the knights and ladies and mounted their chargers; the Queen +and her maids entered their phaetons; the elderly fairies made what +haste their dignity per +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[Pg 36]</a></span>mitted to their nutshells and four, and +field-mice palfreys, and away they all sped; some through the air, +some through the velvety grass; banners flying, and music playing, +until naught was left but a shining trail that melted into the first +bright golden beam of the morning.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="THE_CHILDRENS_LIFE" id="THE_CHILDRENS_LIFE"></a>THE CHILDREN'S LIFE.</h2> + + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[Pg 37]</a></span> +It was early in the sweet summer time. The young green leaves were +bending over, and tenderly caressing the budding fruit and flowers, +and the air was balmy with orchard blooms.</p> + +<p>Your old friends, the Nightcap children, were as merry and happy and +well as ever, except Charley—poor lame Charley. He was much worse; +his sufferings had greatly increased with the dreadful hip disease, +and a terrible cough racked his delicate and +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[Pg 38]</a></span> wasted frame. Death had +been coming slowly on for a long time; but now he hastened his +footsteps, and Charley knew that he should never see another summer in +this world. He was not <i>afraid</i> to die—oh, no! the guileless, holy +life of the gentle boy had robbed death of its sting. He well knew +that <i>this</i> life was but a small part of our career, and the +separation from those he loved so well, would be short. His faith in +his Saviour was perfect and entire. <i>He</i> would soften the pang of +parting to those left behind, and <i>He</i> would guide them with unchanged +love to their darling in heaven.</p> + +<p>The good little mother was advised by the doctor to take Charley into +the country, somewhere up the beautiful Hudson +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[Pg 39]</a></span> River, among those +grand old hills where the air is so bracing and pure.</p> + +<p>It happened, fortunately, that one of her oldest friends, who was an +officer at West Point, was obliged to leave there upon some government +expedition for about three months; and he offered his pretty cottage +to his friend for that time. This was most delightful, as Charley +could have far more comfort living in this way than in a +boarding-house; and the rest of the children would not have to be tied +up by the leg to the bedposts, because their noise disturbed other +people.</p> + +<p>So the little mother gladly and gratefully accepted the offer, and was +now very busy making up dozens of petticoats and panta +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[Pg 40]</a></span>loons, and +coarse brown aprons, and great sun-bonnets, buying copper-toed shoes, +so that the children might go where they pleased, and do any thing +they liked, except tumble into the river, or fall down a well to live +with the bull-frogs.</p> + +<p>A few days before they left, the grand Japanese procession took place +in New York; and Minnie said, "Oh, mamma, please take us to see the +<i>Jackanapes</i>," which made the rest laugh. So down Broadway they all +went, looking like a boarding-school that took boys as well as girls, +with the little mother marching like a captain at their head, and +turned into a fine store, opposite the City Hall Park, that belonged +to their uncle, where they had such an excellent view, that +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[Pg 41]</a></span> their +faces were a perfect picture of wonder and delight while the +procession was passing.</p> + +<p>"Dear me!" exclaimed George, "I am nearly crazy with joy; I wish the +Japanese would come every day. How funny! they all look like old women +in black nightgowns!"</p> + +<p>"And their heads have little top-knots, like Poland hens," said Henry; +"and see that fellow sticking his foot on the edge of the +carriage—look! his great toe is put in a thumb!"</p> + +<p>At this they all laughed, and Harry, laughing too, cried out: "I don't +mean that; I mean that they knit thumbs in their stockings, and stick +their great toes in;—dear! how it must tickle!" +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[Pg 42]</a></span></p> + +<p>It was a grand sight. Many of the stores were decorated with numerous +little Japanese flags, which consist of a large red ball in the centre +of a plain white surface, and many Japanese lanterns were hung around. +The soldiers looked and marched splendidly; and the fine music was +enchanting. Guns were firing in the Park, and smoking and flaming like +steamboat funnels: little boys were popping off squibs and crackers, +and everybody seemed perfectly happy.</p> + +<p>"Dear me!" cried Arthur, "I wish I could hear the speeches they intend +to make. I suppose they will be stuck full of compliments, not a word +of which the Mayor will understand; but, of course, he will bow a +great many times to show that he agrees +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[Pg 43]</a></span> with it all: and then he, in +return, will make a speech to the ambassadors, all flaming over with +fine words and flummery, and the Japanese will bow all in a row like +four-and-twenty fiddlers—and oh! how nice it will all be!"</p> + +<p>When the children got home, they told Charley about the grand +procession, all speaking at once; and one of them put on an old black +gown of his mother's, and half shut his eyes, and would have shaved +his head, if his mother had let him, to show Charley just how they +looked; because he, poor little fellow, had to stay behind—he could +not have endured the fatigue of that long day away from home. But his +kind little mother never forgot him; she was de +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[Pg 44]</a></span>termined he should see +something; so about eight o'clock that evening, two horses, with a +nice comfortable barouche, were driven up to the door, and Charley was +tenderly lifted in, and two large pillows were placed behind and at +his side, and his mother and two of the oldest children were driven +slowly down Broadway to see the illumination.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 625px;"> +<img src="images/i003.jpg" width="625" height="410" alt="THE JAPANESE RECEPTION." /> +<p class="caption">THE JAPANESE RECEPTION.</p> +</div> + +<p>The street was crowded. Beautiful colored lanterns were hung here and +there, and little Japanese flags fluttered in every direction. As they +came near the great Metropolitan Hotel, where the Japanese were +staying, the crowd increased, and a burst of delightful surprise broke +from Charley and the rest, as the beautiful blazing windows came in +view. In each of the several hundred win +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[Pg 45]</a></span>dows were fine Japanese +lanterns of different colors and two little flags. Such a glittering +and a fluttering as they made! and over the door was the word +"Welcome," in blazing gas-burners, with the splendid flag of the +United States on one side, and a great Japanese banner on the other. +Everybody was shouting and hurrahing, and every up-turned face looked +happy, but none so merry and joyous as the children in the carriage; +their eyes fairly danced with delight, and their faces looked as if +they had been illuminated too. All they wanted was to have two little +Japanese flags fastened to their ears, and to be placed in the +windows, to have beaten the lanterns and gas-burners all to pieces.</p> + +<p>After they had looked just as long as they<span class='pagenum'> +<a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[Pg 46]</a></span> liked, and shouted and +waved their hats, when they saw any of the Japanese at the windows +shaking out their queer-looking black pocket-handkerchiefs with round +white spots, the carriage turned round, and the children had a fine +drive home, perfectly delighted with the unusual grandeur of a ride in +a carriage at night; <i>that</i> was almost the best of all, to be out +after bed-time. They thought they could never admire the bright stars +enough, which, with their sleepless eyes, watched the world below—fit +emblems of the difference between the things made by man, and the +enduring works of God. Before long those glittering lights below would +fade and die; while these heavenly luminaries would shine on forever. +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[Pg 47]</a></span></p> + +<p>The next evening the little mother thought she would call upon Captain +Porter, who had the Japanese in charge. He was a brave, noble-hearted +officer, and an old friend, and accordingly she went with some other +friends. Captain Porter received them very kindly, and amused them +very much with funny accounts of how the Japanese were stared at, and +sometimes annoyed by people who ought to know better. While she sat +there, there came a knock at the door, and a morocco case was handed +in: it was opened; and what do you think appeared? You will hardly +believe it: some sets <i>of false teeth</i>; one set of them <i>jet black</i>, +as a present! The little mother laughed, and wondered if the dentist +who sent them, thought the Japanese +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[Pg 48]</a></span> would want to have their own +teeth pulled right out, and these put right in. Then two gentlemen +came in, and wanted Captain Porter to persuade the Japanese to buy a +lot of guns from them, very cheap, indeed. Then, who do you think came +in? Why, "Little Tommy," the young Japanese that everybody was talking +about.</p> + +<p>He looked so very smiling, that the two comical little triangular +slits in his head which served for eyes nearly disappeared, when +Captain Porter took him by the hand and introduced him to the little +mother.</p> + +<p>"How do?" said he, and shook hands with her; then he took up Captain +Porter's sword and belt and buckled it round his waist, and said, "Ver +good sword, indeed;" then he tried on the Captain's naval uniform +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[Pg 49]</a></span> +cap, with the gold band round it, and ran and looked in the glass. It +would not go on very well, on account of Tommy's pig-tail, which was +fastened in a knot on the very top of his half-shaven pate, and which +stuck up rather inconveniently: then the Captain said, "Tommy, this +lady wants to see the portrait of your little Washington sweetheart; +come, show it to her."</p> + +<p>"No show," said Tommy; which answer made the little mother esteem him +very much, because it was plain that he had too much self-respect, and +<i>too much respect</i> for the young lady, if she <i>was</i> a little girl only +twelve years old, to show her likeness to every stranger. He was not +going to be made fun of. Not he!<span class='pagenum'> +<a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[Pg 50]</a></span></p> + +<p>Presently the little mother got up to go; and, shaking hands with +Tommy, said, "Good-bye Tommy; I mean to send you a 'Nightcap' book. It +is written by 'Aunt Fanny.' Say, Aunt Fanny."</p> + +<p>"Arnta Farnny. Yes! I like it," answered Tommy, holding the little +mother's hand; "but you," he continued, "I like you; are you Spaniss?"</p> + +<p>"No," said she.</p> + +<p>"You Frence?"</p> + +<p>"No," said she, smiling.</p> + +<p>"You Angliss?"</p> + +<p>"No," said she.</p> + +<p>"Why, Tommy, she is an American," said Captain Porter.</p> + +<p>"Ah," cried Tommy; "she so leetle—she +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[Pg 51]</a></span> ver good—good-bye:" then he +wrote his name on a card for her, and she went home very much pleased. +But just before she went, Captain Porter told her that the great +phrenologist, Mr. Fowler, who knows all about you by merely looking at +the outside of your head, had been to see Tommy, and had told him that +he had the most tremendous bumps for reading, writing, and arithmetic, +that ever were seen; a great bump of trying on American clothes; +making love to little girls; eating sugar-candy, and having a good +time generally; and scarcely any bump at all for getting up early in +the morning, working hard, or taking medicine; in fact, that his +cranium was as full as the Metropolitan Hotel, of all sorts of good +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[Pg 52]</a></span> +things; which flattering description delighted Tommy so much, that he +wrote Mr. Fowler of his own accord, and without any assistance from +Captain Porter or any other dictionary, the following note of thanks:</p> + +<div class="blockquot"> +<span style="margin-left: 11.5em;"><span class="smcap">Metropolitan Hotel, New York</span>,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 17.5em;">June 22, 1860.</span><br /> + +<p>"<span class="smcap">Dear Sir</span>:—I am much oblige to you the history and head some paper +and the letter with it whole my head examination. I shall take it to +Japan, and esteemed much doctor Kawasake is also much please have been +receive it.</p> + +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">"I am very true your friend,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 4em;">"<span class="smcap">Tateish Onajeiro</span> (<span class="smcap">Tommy</span>)."</span><br /> +</div> + +<p>And now every thing was made in the +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[Pg 53]</a></span> way of "anti-tear-clothes," as +the children called them, and the express wagon was sent for on the +afternoon of the 19th of June to carry the baggage down to the +steamboat.</p> + +<p>The express man stared with amazement at the quantity of children +whisking and frisking, and rushing and brushing about in the hall; +and, still more, at the trunks, boxes, and bundles, that were brought +clattering and tumbling down the stairs for him to take away.</p> + +<p>Just before he was leaving with the last bundle, little Johnny rushed +breathless down the stairs with what looked like a horse's tail, only +shorter and smaller, in one hand, and an old tin-box that had once +contained preserved tomatoes in the other, and screamed +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[Pg 54]</a></span> out, +"Here!—say! man, man! take this! here, take it! It's mamma's hair! +she's forgotten to sew it on her head! here, pack it up in this +tin-box, and tie it with a rope, and put it on board the +steamboat—will you?"</p> + +<p>Dear me! how the poor express man did bite his lips and swell his +cheeks, and turn very red, and try not to laugh: but it <i>would</i> come +out, and he laughed himself nearly into fits, while the little mother +felt for a moment as if she could have shaken <i>Johnny</i> into fits, but +only for a moment; for, after all, what was the use of being angry: he +<i>meant</i> to be so useful and thoughtful, and if her hair was so thin, +she had to buy some to put with it—why, it was nothing to be ashamed +of; so she laughed, too, at last, and all the children joined +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[Pg 55]</a></span> in with +such good-will, that the canary bird over the way hearing such a +pleasant noise, set up his pipes and twittered in company, and sang so +shrill and loud, that all his feathers stood out on end; and, on the +whole, it was thought a very good joke.</p> + +<p>And now a great hotel carriage, which is about three times as large as +any other, drove up, and the children were packed in it, till it was +as full as an egg; and they gave three cheers, as it started, to the +astonishment of all the neighbors, and sang "John Brown had a little +Indian" all the way down to the boat.</p> + +<p>There had been so many berths engaged for one name, that the Captain +thought there must be a colony going out west to set up a +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[Pg 56]</a></span> town for +themselves. But when he saw the family marching down the gang-plank +two-and-two, like the animals that went into the ark, from the biggest +to the smallest, he lifted up his hands and exclaimed, "Dew tell! what +an orful lot of children! I shud think that old lady'd want the +patience of Job, any how!"</p> + +<p>Ah! the Yankee-talking Captain didn't know what you and I know—that +these children all "<i>loved one another</i>" and <i>that</i> made every thing +easy to the little mother.</p> + +<p>There was no wrangling in that family. They left all that to "dogs and +cats," and "bears and lions," as I am sure all good children do. There +was plenty of noise, to be sure; but this the great power of love +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[Pg 57]</a></span> +changed into sweet melody, so that, instead of irritating you, as a +rude blustering wind would do, it charmed and delighted, because it +was first passed over the Æolian harp-strings of <i>love</i>.</p> + +<p>And now, before I forget it, let's have a little laugh you and I, over +that ridiculous picture of our "Nightcap children" in "Baby +Nightcaps." I intended to have had a picture of the little mother +surrounded by lots of pretty children playing about her; but, instead +of that, I was presented with a family that made my sides ache with +laughter. Such noses and such hats! I want to tip that +tall-spook-of-a-boy's hat off his head every time I look at it; And +<i>such</i> a baby! Apple-dumpling face and squint eyes! Never +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[Pg 58]</a></span> mind! The +funny printer wanted to make us laugh, and I am sure he did—<i>one</i> of +us, any way; but don't <i>you</i> believe, for a moment, that <i>our</i> +Nightcap children looked the least like his. Not a bit of it!</p> + +<p>When the family were all comfortably settled, the splendid palace-like +steamboat—the Alida—started from the pier, and was soon gliding so +swiftly over the water, that the magnificent Palisades rose in the +blue evening air, while the golden glory of sunset was still lingering +upon them. Charley sat by his mother, with his curly head pressed +close against her breast; his pure and simple thoughts mirrored in his +sweet face. He was silently thanking God for the beautiful changing +picture before his eyes. All +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[Pg 59]</a></span> the children were enjoying the trip; for +their mother had taught them to feel and appreciate the beauty, +goodness, and grandeur of all God's works; and, save an exclamation of +delight now and then, they sat quite still.</p> + +<p>But the silence did not last long. Of course not. If children are +quite still for more than five minutes at a time, you may be sure they +are either sick or in mischief; so presently George exclaimed,—</p> + +<p>"Just see that sea-gull dipping his wings in the river!"</p> + +<p>"That's the way he does his washing," said Annie.</p> + +<p>"Oh! look at that row-boat," cried Harry; "four gentlemen and three +ladies rowing with parasols." +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[Pg 60]</a></span></p> + +<p>How the children laughed, and pretended to see the parasols rowing, +till Harry explained that he meant that the ladies had the parasols, +and the gentlemen were rowing. His mother said she would have to give +him a dish of boiled grammar for his breakfast, if he did not mind his +antecedents better.</p> + +<p>"Grammar!" cried George; "dreadful! Aren't you all glad school-days +are over for the summer?"</p> + +<p>At this blissful recollection all the children clapped their hands at +such a rate, that a fat old lady jumped up in a hurry and gave a queer +little squeak, because she thought the boiler was bursting; and +although they were now in the very middle of the broad Tappaan Sea, +she waddled off to order the captain +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[Pg 61]</a></span> to set her immediately on shore; +and a select company of blue jays, who had just started from the +Palisades to take tea with some brown sparrows on the other side, +turned somersets and flew back again, almost tripping each other up in +their hurry.</p> + +<p>"Yes, indeed," answered Annie, "glad enough. Just think; no more hard +sums either. I do believe arithmetic is meant on purpose to torment +us, and that's the reason Willie made that mistake with such a grave +face, when the lady asked him how far he had gotten in his sums."</p> + +<p>"So it is," cried Clara; "Willie said he had got to <i>dis</i>traction; I, +for one, wish that all the people that make the arithmetic books had +to eat them with pepper-sauce +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[Pg 62]</a></span> the moment they were printed—and that +would be the end of them."</p> + +<p>"But compositions! Just think of compositions!" cried Harry; "they are +the most hateful things. Just because I wrote in my last one, that 'a +mule is a beast of burden which draws a rail-car shaped like a zebra, +and is sometimes used for carts with two long ears and a miserable +tail,' they all burst out laughing at me, and I very nearly cried—I +<i>did</i> cry."</p> + +<p>"Well, never mind, Harry," cried George; "it is all over now, and we +are going to that delightful West Point: I wonder if those soldiers we +saw parading with the Japanese last Saturday came from West Point? +they were such splendid fellows." +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[Pg 63]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Yes, indeed," cried Harry; "I dare say they did; they looked as if +they were afraid of nothing, but would be really glad to have an arm +or a leg shot off in every battle, and are so brave, that they would +keep on fighting the enemies of America, if they had only an ear and +one great-toe left."</p> + +<p>Charley lifted his head and laughed at this, for he could hear all the +children were saying; and he whispered to his mother, "Isn't Harry a +funny fellow? The idea of one ear, and a great-toe firing a gun!" and +he laughed again a sweet, low laugh; and Clara, who was sitting +nearest, took his small thin white hand and kissed it, and patted it, +and murmured, "Oh, Charley, I'm so glad you +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[Pg 64]</a></span> are happy; I'm so glad +that cruel pain has gone away."</p> + +<p>All this time they had been passing many beautiful villages and +elegant country mansions, half buried in luxuriant foliage. They were +now leaving the Tappaan Sea; and soon after the little mother showed +the children Sunnyside, the lovely home of the great Washington +Irving.</p> + +<p>"He does not live there any more," said she; "his home is now 'Eternal +in the Heavens;' but his fame, and goodness, and renown will live in +every land for many, many years; and I hope the beautiful Sunnyside +will never fall into neglect or decay as long as his memory lasts."</p> + +<p>The children looked with mournful in +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[Pg 65]</a></span>terest at the beautiful place; +but when their mother pointed out the spot where Major Andre was +captured, there was quite a difference of opinion; the boys were glad +that he, the spy, was taken and hung by the great Washington, while +the more tender-hearted girls wished he could have escaped: and +Minnie said, "General <i>Wassingter</i> ought to have forgiven him, because +he would not like to be hung himself—would he?" which, <i>I</i> think, was +<i>the golden-rule way</i> of putting the case.</p> + +<p>And now the banks seemed to close in, and great dark mountains rose on +either side.</p> + +<p>"There's Anthony's nose," said the little mother.</p> + +<p>"Where? where?" cried the children, +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[Pg 66]</a></span> and looked with eager interest, +as the profile of a great Roman nose was pointed out on the edge of a +mountain. They were also delighted with Sugar-loaf Mountain, and +wished it had really been made of sugar, for they thought they would +like to eat a hole through it. As they were eagerly gazing at the +splendid view which had now darkened and deepened with twilight +shadows, a saucy puff of wind came round a jutting point, and in an +instant blew off Minnie's round hat.</p> + +<p>"Oh! my hat! my hat!" she screamed; "get it! get it! quick! before it +goes across the Atlantic Ocean, and runs up the big mountains. Oh! get +it! get it!"</p> + +<p>How everybody around did laugh, as George jumped after the hat, which +Minnie<span class='pagenum'> +<a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[Pg 67]</a></span> thought would walk on the Atlantic Ocean; and how Minnie +jumped and laughed when he caught it just as it was flying off on its +travels. I have no words to tell, but everybody after that listened to +the comical talk of the Nightcap children, who caused so much +merriment, that they arrived at West Point before they knew it; but +had to burst out with laughter again as Minnie, gravely looking up, +said, "Is this West Point? Well, I don't think it looks so very, +<i>very</i> Pointy."</p> + +<p>The first stars were peeping out, and the little birds had sung their +evening hymns and were hushed into stillness, as the children got into +the stage, the strong horses of which toiled up the short but steep +ascent, and they soon arrived at their summer home. +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[Pg 68]</a></span> "Oh, what a +beautiful cottage!" exclaimed Harry, and George, and Clara; "it seems +covered with roses; it must be the Castle of Perfect Happiness."</p> + +<p>They all hurried in, in the most delightful bustle; and the children +had a grand time assisting the little mother to unpack every thing. +You would have imagined, to look in at the windows, that the house was +full of fishes out of water; they kept up such a continual bouncing +and fluttering about, but they were not fishes, nor pollywogs, nor +tadpoles, nor any thing like them; they were a company of capering +children, taking all sorts of little boxes and bundles out of trunks, +and putting them in the wrong places, and then +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[Pg 69]</a></span> running to get some +more, because they liked the fun of <i>helping</i>.</p> + +<p>The good-natured little mother did not think them at all in the way: +she only laughed softly to herself, and would not for forty new +bandboxes have given them any <i>ear</i>-boxes for what they were doing. +No, indeed! she just let them trot about as much as they liked with +the pillows, boxes, bags, and bundles, of which there seemed to be +about a hundred and fifty; and when they were tired of <i>helping</i>, she +quietly arranged the things in their proper places.</p> + +<p>Oh! how soundly the children slept that night with the "fragrant +stillness" all around them, far away from the roar and whirl of the +great city. The moonlight, sweet and +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[Pg 70]</a></span> mournful, flooded the earth, and +a white ray stole into the room where Charley lay and rested lovingly +above his head.</p> + +<p>The next day Charley was very ill indeed. Even the short journey from +the city had overtasked his strength. He lay in a darkened chamber, +for his mother had to shut out the sweet sunshine, his head and side +were so racked with pain.</p> + +<p>The children crept lovingly up to the door of the room they were not +permitted to enter many times during the day; to hope in a whisper +that he felt better, and went about the pretty cottage on tip-toe—all +their merriment gone. You would hardly believe they were the same +children that yesterday had kept half the people in the steamboat +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[Pg 71]</a></span> +laughing; so changed and still were they become, through their love +for their sick brother.</p> + +<p>The little mother sent for the doctor. He belonged to the army, and, +of course dressed like the officers in military uniform.</p> + +<p>When he entered, the children gazed with wonder and delight upon his +bright buttons, each of which had an astonishing spread-eagle +engraved upon it, and thought they could never admire enough the +beautiful gold lace upon his coat-sleeves. Really, he was quite a +shining doctor.</p> + +<p>He became interested with Charley at once: the sweet, patient smile of +the suffering boy won his heart.</p> + +<p>"My dear madam," said he to the little +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[Pg 72]</a></span> mother, "this is nothing but +temporary exhaustion; with some strengthening medicine which I shall +leave, and a good night's rest, our dear little friend will be as well +as he was before he came up; and I am in great hopes that this bracing +mountain air will soon make him much better than he was before he +came."</p> + +<p>The children now approached the door and begged leave to enter, for +they wanted to hear about Charley, and have a "<i>good look</i>" at the +"soldier doctor."</p> + +<p>"Well, my little friends," said he, in a hearty, cheery voice, "so +you've come up, I suppose, to help the fairies amuse Charley this +summer."</p> + +<p>"<span class="smcap">Fairies!</span>" exclaimed the children; "<span class="smcap">DELIGHTFUL!</span> Are there <i>fairies</i> +here?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[Pg 73]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Lots of them," answered the doctor, laughing—"<i>that is</i>, if I may +believe my man, Patrick O'Neal. He declares he has seen the fairy +rings in the beautiful hollow at the foot of Crow Nest mountain many +and many a time."</p> + +<p>"Oh dear! how perfect!" cried the children; "only fancy the dear +little fairies dancing on the parade-ground in the moonlight."</p> + +<p>"Not exactly," said the doctor, laughing again; "fairies don't come so +near the haunts of mortals; besides, the cadets want the parade-ground +for their own dances and rings—not fairy rings—for those are made +with sparkling dew-drops, while the cadets have to content themselves +with tallow can +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[Pg 74]</a></span>dles stuck into scooped-out turnips and placed in a +circle, and the lights throwing the shadows up, make the long legs of +the cadets look like ever so many great goblin black spiders, hopping +harem-scarem over each other; but the cadets call them +'Stag-dances.'"</p> + +<p>"<i>Stag dances</i>," cried the children, "who ever heard of such a thing? +Why! do they nail antlers on their foreheads and go on all-fours? Dear +doctor! how <i>do</i> they go?"</p> + +<p>"Some on their heels, and some on their toes; but <i>I</i> never saw one +dance on all-fours; and, as to the antlers, <i>without</i> them they +prance: 'tis because they're all <i>boys</i>, that it's called a 'stag +dance.'"</p> + +<p>"Why, only listen," whispered George +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[Pg 75]</a></span> to Annie, "he is talking +poetry—how queer!"</p> + +<p>"Isn't he a nice bright doctor?" said Minnie; "he shines so shiny, and +he's so very <i>buttony</i>; I think his buttons are splendid."</p> + +<p>The doctor heard this speech and burst out laughing, and then seeing +that Minnie looked abashed, he took out his penknife, and in a moment +had snipt off one of the spread-eagle buttons, and said,—"Here, +little lady-bird—here is a bright button, which you can fasten up +your cloak with to-night when you go to the fairies' midsummer ball; +for, I suppose, you will all have an invitation, and when I come +to-morrow, I expect to hear all about it. Good-bye, Charley; old +fellows like you and I don't care to go to balls, but we won't +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[Pg 76]</a></span> object +to hearing about the fairy festival, because that you know will be +something particularly superfine;" and he went away smiling, leaving +the delighted children chattering like a perfect army of magpies about +the fairies, and pretending to think that the good-natured doctor was +really in earnest.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="THE_FAIRIES_LIFE2" id="THE_FAIRIES_LIFE2"></a>THE FAIRIES' LIFE.</h2> + + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[Pg 77]</a></span> +It was Midsummer eve; the moon in regal splendor proudly sailed above; +the fair, lovely June flowers were sleeping, fanned by the wings of +the tiny zephyrs floating past. A spell of enchantment was upon every +thing, for a deep stillness reigned around; the little brown cricket +had ceased to chirp; the katydid no longer quarrelled in shrill tones +with her neighbor; the wail of the sad whippoorwill was hushed; the +rugged sides +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[Pg 78]</a></span> of old Crow Nest were rounded and softened in the +silvery moonbeams, adown which the little brooklet sprang this night +with a more lightsome leap and a sweeter song.</p> + +<p>Charley lay sleeping in his room, his cheek resting on his hand, and +his golden curls lightly stirred by the soft west wind, were floating +upon the pillow: a faint flush rested upon his sweet face, giving it a +lovely, but, alas! deceptive hue of health; his lips were slightly +apart, and now they were moving as if he was softly and slowly +answering some question.</p> + +<p>The window was wide open, and the room was bright with moonbeams; but +now a softer, tenderer light, shone through the apartments; the air +was filled with delicious +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[Pg 79]</a></span> fragrance, and low sweet music was heard: +afar off, a halo in the moonlight was seen; it came near and nearer; +now it was close to the window, and one could plainly perceive that it +was a shining band of fairies, floating on the moonbeams with their +beautiful Queen at their head.</p> + +<p>They stopped at the window, for the Queen, with a wave of her sceptre, +gave them to understand that she would enter alone.</p> + +<p>She was radiant to-night; a magnificent necklace of many-colored +stones cut from a rainbow, sparkled like a wreath of prismatic fire +around her white and slender throat; her wings were fringed with small +diamond dew-drops; her robe was fashioned of the royal purple velvet +of the pansy; and her +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[Pg 80]</a></span> crown and sceptre flashed with precious gems.</p> + +<p class="blockquot noin"> +"But, oh! her beauty was far beyond<br /> +Her sparkling jewels:"</p> + +<p>for the sweet loving expression that beamed from her eyes, and the +smile that played about the corners of her beautiful mouth, mirrored +the pure, unselfish, spotless nature of the Queen.</p> + +<p>Softly she floated towards the couch, and gently touched the boy with +her sceptre.</p> + +<p>Charley opened his blue eyes. In a sweet amaze he slowly raised +himself and leaned upon his arm, gazing in bewildered delight upon the +radiant stranger. The little mother still slept on; but in the room +was a young +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[Pg 81]</a></span> kitten—a daughter of Crocus, of whom you read in "New +Nightcaps," and whom Charley so loved, that he brought her away with +him. She was lying at the foot of his bed; in a moment she bristled up +her coat and tail, and darted out her sharp claws in terror at the +sight; but at a touch of the Queen's sceptre she drew them into their +velvety sheath again, and laid quietly down.</p> + +<p>"Dear Charley," said the Queen in a low, sweet voice, "we do so love +your innocent and guileless nature, that while the pulses beat, and +the blood flows in your frail and fading form, we will do our utmost +to drive the demon of pain far away; tender and beautiful influences +shall surround you; you shall be a most favored mortal, for you shall +be +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[Pg 82]</a></span>hold the happiest scenes in fairy life; you shall dream the +sweetest dreams of fairy-land; this night is our great midsummer +festival; even now our subjects are hastening to the beautiful hollow, +where the fairy revels are kept. Hark to the fairy call! they are +inviting the fays from the beautiful green island that is sleeping in +the moonlight opposite to us."</p> + +<p>Charley with all his senses quickened, his lips slightly apart, his +eyes dilated, one hand raised in an attitude of intense listening, +caught the delicious harmony of fairy voices singing these words:</p> + +<p class="blockquot noin">"Hasten fairies—haste away;<br /> +Hasten through the golden spray;<br /> +Hasten to the frolic play.</p> + +<p class="blockquot noin">"Fly o'er water—fly o'er vale;<br /> +Ply the oar, and spread the sail;<br /> +Hie ye to the moon-lit dale.</p> + +<p class="blockquot noin">"Silver sweet the music swells<br /> +Of the snow-white lily-bells,<br /> +And the sounding pink sea-shells.</p> + +<p class="blockquot noin">"Hither—hither, haste away<br /> +To the fairies' frolic play;<br /> +'Tis the festive fairy-day."</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[Pg 83]</a></span> +Brighter grew the eyes of the sick boy, and his cheek flushed with +excitement as he listened.</p> + +<p>"Oh, how beautiful!" he murmured; "what dainty little rippling notes!"</p> + +<p>"Listen again," said the Queen, with a gratified smile, for she liked +to hear her peo +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[Pg 84]</a></span>ple praised; "listen! the island fairies are +answering."</p> + +<p>Was it magic that brought those tiny voices so far over the water? +Surely it was, for there rose on the air a clear tinkling sound like +the ringing of little glass bells; and Charley heard these words:</p> + +<p class="blockquot noin">"Beaming moon—shimmering fountain—<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 3em;">Light, and deck the fairy dell;</span><br /> +We are coming to the mountain,<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 3em;">From the isle we love so well:</span><br /> +To the fairy ball we hie;<br /> +Thought-swift through the purple sky<br /> +We are hastening at the call;<br /> +'Tis the great midsummer ball.</p> + +<p class="blockquot noin">"Open lily—blossom rose,<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 3em;">Shed around thy perfume light;</span><br /> +Heliotrope—thy sweets disclose<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 3em;">To the fragrant dews of night.</span><br /> +Dogwood grim we fairies banish;<br /> +Purple nightshade! fly! evanish!<br /> +We are hastening at the call;<br /> +'Tis the great midsummer ball.</p> + +<p class="blockquot noin">"Chime hare-bells! clearly, sweetly,<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 3em;">Joy our hearts with blithe accord,</span><br /> +As we fairies neatly, featly,<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 3em;">Trip it o'er the dainty sward.</span><br /> +Velvet sod thy carpet spread,<br /> +With small buds enamellèd,<br /> +We are hastening at the call;<br /> +'Tis the great midsummer ball.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[Pg 85]</a></span> +"Oh!" exclaimed the entranced boy, "how I should like to see the +beautiful fairies dancing in the moonlight. May I, sweet lady?"</p> + +<p>With a loving smile the Queen bent +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[Pg 86]</a></span>over and lightly tapped him thrice +upon each shoulder-blade with her jewelled sceptre. Immediately a pair +of gauzy wings started from his back. With an involuntary motion he +gently waved them back and forth, and felt himself +rising—<i>rising</i>—<span class="smcap">RISING</span>—till he had floated out of the window into +the moonbeams. The poor little kitten set up a piteous cry, but a +fairy spell was upon the mother, for she slept quietly on.</p> + +<p>Oh! with what delight was the enchanted boy now welcomed by the +waiting train outside! They pressed lovingly around him; they played +with his golden curls; they fanned him with their delicate wings; they +looked down into the lambent depths of his clear blue eyes, and saw +his pure spirit within +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[Pg 87]</a></span> so free from guile; they touched with their +tender fingers his poor little thin white neck and breast, and felt +his heart beating fast and faster with delight.</p> + +<p>Up, up they mounted, and a joyous thrill, like a sweet and sudden +wind, shook the leaves of the trees as they passed swiftly by them.</p> + +<p>And now they approached the beautiful hollow; they heard the stirring +sound of the fairy kettle-drums (which you know are chestnut shells, +divided in half, with mouse-skin drawn tightly over). Quickly they +floated over the last tree-tops; the frisky young fairies folding +their wings and sliding down the moonbeams for fun, just as you slide +down the bannisters.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[Pg 88]</a></span></p> + +<p>They are there, directly over the beautiful hollow, floating slowly +downward with a graceful waving motion; and Charley looked on a most +enchanting sight. Crowds of fairies were assembled within an immense +circle of sparkling dew-drops, tricked out in all their holiday +attire. More were coming in on every side; some in their nut-shells +and four—others flying through the soft air. In the centre of the +hollow the mossy throne was this night surmounted by a magnificent +canopy of scarlet geraniums, looped up at the sides by splendid +clasps, formed of the backs of the scarlet lady-bug, dotted with spots +of jet. The canopy was heavily fringed with small scarlet fuchsias, or +lady's ear-drops. At the foot of the throne there appeared to +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[Pg 89]</a></span> be a +low seat of heaped-up rose-leaves, and in a circle round it a double +row of glow-worms shed a soft clear light. Small mushroom tables, +filled with plates of dew-drop ices, were already laid out; and the +fairies only waited for the presence of their beloved Queen to open +the ball.</p> + +<p>Suddenly the music quickened; the fire-flies sparkled and danced, and +all rose respectfully as the Queen touched the green velvety floor. +Bowing and smiling, she gracefully seated herself upon the throne, and +tenderly placed the spell-bound Charley upon the rose-leaf couch at +her feet. The rich color of the beautiful canopy threw a rosy blush +over the boy's sweet face; and the glancing fairies thought they had +never +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[Pg 90]</a></span> seen a lovelier mortal. Although the soft rose-leaves pressed +caressingly around him and hid his poor deformed limbs, it would have +made no difference if they had been plainly seen, for the fairies only +looked in his <i>face</i>, where so much purity and goodness shone; and, +seeing this, they loved him, and were glad he had come.</p> + +<p>"Where is Slyboots?" said the Queen.</p> + +<p>"At your feet, most gracious Majesty," answered the sprite, dropping +down all at once from somewhere.</p> + +<p>"And what is the last piece of mischief, you comical imp?"</p> + +<p>"Your Majesty! Mischief! I disapprove of it! but I have just been +tying Peas-cod and Bean-pod together by their long green +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[Pg 91]</a></span> coat-tails, +because they are such grumbling, discontented chaps."</p> + +<p>"How do you know?" asked the Queen.</p> + +<p>"Please your Majesty," answered Slyboots, "I heard Peas-cod say that +he hated the sight of every thing and everybody; that all other +fairies could wear different colors, while he had to be green all his +days; then he opened his mouth so wide, and gave such a fearful yawn, +I thought all his round bones would roll out; <i>I</i> think, your Majesty, +he is not only green—he is '<i>jolly</i>' green."</p> + +<p>"Don't talk slang to me," said the Queen, though she laughed a little; +"but go on and tell me about Bean-pod."</p> + +<p>"Oh! Bean-pod is miserable because of his shape; he says he is bigger +round his +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[Pg 92]</a></span> waist than anywhere else, and that is <i>so</i> ungenteel; all +your Majesty's maids of honor laugh and make faces at him."</p> + +<p>"Ah! I cannot have that," said the Queen; "all must be happy here, +especially on midsummer night. Go, Slyboots, and command them to come +into my presence."</p> + +<p>Off started the sprite, and presently returned with the naughty +fairies looking very much ashamed of themselves, with their +coat-tails all curled round from having been tied in a hard knot. +Lilliebelle and Dewdrop laughed behind their butterfly wing-fans, +while Ripple and Firefly curled their mustaches, and looked on with +dandified airs.</p> + +<p>The Queen began with a severe aspect: "I regret to learn, Peas-cod and +Bean-pod, +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[Pg 93]</a></span> that you are indulging in discontent; it is very wicked in +any one to murmur or repine at his lot in this world. Learn from this +mortal," she continued, placing her hand tenderly on Charley's head; +"almost since his birth he has led a life of suffering, yet no +repining falls from his patient lips; he is willing to live, and he +will be resigned to die. I think my story-teller, Charm-ear, has +written down something that happened to some neighbors of ours in the +little brook near by, which will serve as a warning to you. Would you +like to hear this story, Charley?"</p> + +<p>"Oh, beautiful lady!" cried Charley; for, being an American boy, he +did not know he must say 'your Majesty.' "Oh, beautiful +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[Pg 94]</a></span> lady! a story +would be so—so <i>fairy</i> nice!"</p> + +<p>The Queen smiled, and, waving her hand to Charm-ear, the court +story-teller, he began as follows:</p> + +<div class="blockquot"> +<h4>THE THREE LITTLE FISH.</h4> + +<p>"Not very long ago, in our beautiful brook, there lived +three little silver trouts, who were very great friends. For some time +they were happier than the day was long, playing together, eating +together, and sleeping cosily together in the same little cave scooped +out of a stone under the water, and wanted for nothing that good +little fishes ought to have.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[Pg 95]</a></span> +"But after this I am sorry to have to tell that two of the little +trout became very sad and discontented: one wished for this, the other +for that, and neither cared a shrimp for any thing he had, because +they were always foolishly sighing for something else.</p> + +<p>"At last Neptune, the King of the Sea, heard of these naughty little +fish, and he resolved to punish them, by granting them all their +desires.</p> + +<p>"Accordingly he called them before him, and told them they should have +whatever they wanted.</p> + +<p>"Now, the oldest was a very proud little fish, and wanted to be able +to snub up all the other fishes, by being set above them--so he said,</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[Pg 96]</a></span> +"'Please your gracious goodness Majesty, I do not like the place where +you have put me. Here I am poked into a mean, narrow river, where I +can neither get down into the ground, or up into the air, and yet I +can see well enough what fine times others have; there are the little +birds that fly about over my head, and sing all day, because they have +wings. Give me wings, gracious goodness Majesty--only give me wings, +and then I shall have something for which to be thankful; in fact, it +will make me perfectly happy.'</p> + +<p>"No sooner asked for than granted. In a moment the little fish felt +the wings fluttering, and in another moment he had spread them wide, +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[Pg 97]</a></span> +and rose joyfully out of the water.</p> + +<p>"Ah! what a delicious sensation. He resolved to travel; then a thought +struck him.</p> + +<p>"'One favor more, your gracious Majesty.'</p> + +<p>"'Well, speak,' answered Neptune.</p> + +<p>"'Give me a wife, so that I may not fly alone in the world.'</p> + +<p>"'Granted,' said the Sea King; and immediately a beautiful little +silver trout swam the surface, and then flew to his side.</p> + +<p>"With joy the silver fish greeted his mate, and forthwith they +fluttered into a tree on the banks of the Hudson River, and commenced +building a nest.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[Pg 98]</a></span> +"In the due course of time a brood of little flying fish were peeping +up in the nest, and the papa and mamma had their hands full (so to +speak) in finding food for their young; they were very happy, and +thought this was the perfection of living, and heartily despised their +old companions in the beautiful brook.</p> + +<p>"But, alas! in this world it is very often the case that just as we +have attained our wishes, and are perfectly happy--bang! it is all +over. This was literally the case with our poor little trout, for a +party of sportsmen crossing the river in a row-boat seeing such a +queer bird, one of them deliberately took aim and shot the mother +trout, just as she was returning with food for her children; +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[Pg 99]</a></span> +and the +poor papa, who had been keeping watch on the nest, in the extremity of +his terror, opened his mouth, and popped out his eyes, and took to +flight, and left his family to be captured by the wicked sportsmen.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 625px;"> +<img src="images/i004.jpg" width="625" height="450" alt="DEATH OF THE SILVER TROUT." /> +<p class="caption">DEATH OF THE SILVER TROUT.</p> +</div> + +<p>"But our little flying fish happened to alight among desert-like sands +and rocks--far, far away from the least thing to eat or drink. Faint, +weary, and unable to rise again, he lay fluttering, panting, and +beating himself against the flinty stones. Oh! how he longed for one +drop of crystal water out of his own little brook--only one drop.</p> + +<p>"Gasping, wounded, and sore, he lay there, wretched and all alone, +till at length, with a sob and a sigh, he breathed his last. He was +dead.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[Pg 100]</a></span> +"The second little silver trout was not so high-minded as the first; +still he was dreadfully conceited, and moreover, he was a +narrow-hearted, selfish little fish; for, provided _he_ was safe and +happy, he did not care the flap of a fin, what became of all the rest +of the fishes in the whole universe, or anywhere else.</p> + +<p>"'So,' said he to Neptune, 'may it please your worshipful honor; I do +not wish for wings to fly, for I do not care to poke my nose into +strange places; I might get lost or hurt, you know; I was contented +enough until the other day, when I saw a great rope come down into the +water, and fasten itself in some mysterious way about the gills of a +sweet little cousin of mine, and she was +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[Pg 101]</a></span> +hauled and dragged out of the +water before my eyes, wriggling and struggling with fright and pain. +It scared me terribly, your worshipful honor; for I thought this +dreadful rope might some time fasten upon me. Now, all I desire, is to +know the meaning of this rope, and of every single one of the dangers +to which you have subjected us poor little fishes.'</p> + +<p>"No sooner said than done. Neptune opened the eyes of the little trout +in such a marvellous manner, that he understood in a moment all about +snares, nets, hooks, and the lines, which he called a rope, artificial +flies, and every other danger to which little fishes are exposed.</p> + +<p>"At first he was perfectly delighted with +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[Pg 102]</a></span> +his newly-acquired +knowledge, and he took precious good care from this time forth, not to +go into deep water, for fear a great greedy pike or some other great +fish might be there and swallow him up at a mouthful. He kept away +from the shallow places in hot weather, lest the sun should dry them +up. When he saw a shadow on the water, he said to himself, 'Halloo! +here are the good-for-nothing fishermen with their nets!' and +immediately he sculled away and got under the banks, where he sat +trembling in all his scales; and when he saw a tempting fly skimming +on the water, or a nice fat worm, he did not dare to bite, although he +was half-starved. 'No, no,' said the little trout, 'I am not such a +fool as all that comes to; go and +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[Pg 103]</a></span> +tempt those _flats_, the flounders; +_I_ know better.'</p> + +<p>"In this way the poor little silver trout kept himself in a continual +fright and flurry; and, of course, could neither eat, drink, nor +sleep, for fear some mischief might be at hand.</p> + +<p>"He grew poorer and poorer, and sighed and frightened himself to skin +and bone, until at last--ah me!--dear me!--alas! he died, for fear of +dying.</p> + +<p>"Now when Neptune came to the youngest trout, and asked him what he +wished for, he said: 'Oh, your great big Highness, you know I am but a +very foolish and good-for-nothing little fish; I don't know what is +good for me and what is bad for me; and I +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[Pg 104]</a></span> +wonder how I came to be +thought worth bringing into the world at all. But if I must wish for +any thing, it is that you will please to do whatever you think best; I +shall be happy to live or die, just as you would have me.'</p> + +<p>"When the precious little silver trout had said all this so sweetly +and modestly, Neptune immediately felt an immense liking for him, and +determined to take great care of this sweet little fish who had such +entire trust in his goodness; so he watched tenderly over him, and was +a father and a friend to him. He put a perfect fountain of contentment +into his gills, and, consequently, happiness into his heart.</p> + +<p>"Thus, this dear little trout slept always in peace, and wakened in +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[Pg 105]</a></span> +gladness; and whether he was full or hungry, or whatever happened to +him, he was still pleased and thankful; and he is now the happiest of +all the little fishes that swim in our beautiful brook."</p></div> + +<p>A delighted murmur of applause rose on every side as Charm-ear +finished this excellent story; and Charley was, if possible, still +more enchanted to find such a capital moral in a story told by a +fairy. Peas-cod and Bean-pod looked very uncomfortable as the Queen +said, "Thank you, Charm-ear; you have related the story well; and I +hope," she continued, looking kindly at the discontented fays, "it +will have a profitable effect. It +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[Pg 106]</a></span> is no doubt a great blessing to +possess what one wishes; but it is a greater blessing still, not to +desire that which we can never possess."</p> + +<p>Then the Queen, who ruled altogether by <span class="smcap">LOVE</span>, said: "Go, dear +Peas-cod and Bean-pod—go join the dances; I give you Lilliebelle and +Dewdrop for partners, and let me hear no more of discontent."</p> + +<p>The two green fairies brightened up amazingly when they heard their +Queen speaking so kindly; really, their green coats became quite +fashionable-looking—and not such a bad color either; and though +Lilliebelle and Dewdrop pouted a little at their humble partners, +they dared not disobey the Queen; but soon the inspiring music and +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[Pg 107]</a></span> +the pleasure of dancing, of which, like all fairies and most young +ladies, they were immoderately fond, caused them to forget their +annoyance, especially as Peas-cod and Bean-pod were accomplished +dancers, and hopped about in the most surprising manner.</p> + +<p>And Charley looked on in an ecstasy of delight, and the flush deepened +and brightened in his cheek. It seemed as if a million of tiny flowers +of every color had been taken from their stems and had gone on a +pic-nic, and were now at the very height of their fun. Such laughing! +such dancing! such eager rushing for the ices and other goodies, just +as you do at your parties. In one corner a small party of extremely +fashionable belles were promenading, each holding a parasol +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[Pg 108]</a></span> over her +head made of a small green leaf, to preserve her complexion; for you +must know that moonbeams are very tanning. Among the honeysuckles, the +elderly fairies were playing backgammon, talking, and pretending to +admire each others' dresses, thinking their own handsomer all the +time; while the bachelor fairies were smoking poppy leaf cigars, and +ordering any quantity of buttercups of Maydew.</p> + +<p>All at once a tremendous shout of laughter was heard, and Charley and +the Queen looking eagerly in the direction whence it came, saw, to +their unspeakable astonishment, the old prime minister turning a +somerset in the air. He got up, walked a few steps, and went +head-over-heels again; +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[Pg 109]</a></span> while the fairies, ready for any fun, thought +he had become crack-brained and was doing it on purpose, and screamed +with laughter.</p> + +<p>But, bless your little heart! what a mistake they made! Rising from +his last leap in the air, with a scowl on his face, breathing forth +fire and fury like a hippogriff or a fiery dragon, he pushed his way +through the crowd and marched straight to the throne, where, kneeling +as well as he could for his bumps and bruises, he demanded of the +Queen in a shrill, gasping, wheezing voice, like the wind whistling +through a broken bellows:</p> + +<p>"Your Majesty!! your Majesty!!! that wretch! that Slyboots! confine +him in a nut-shell for a thousand years! tie him fast to +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[Pg 110]</a></span> a hornet! +cut off his wings! oh! oh! oh! the impertinent little scamp!"</p> + +<p>"Why, my lord, calm yourself," said the Queen; while Charley looked on +in bewildered astonishment at the enraged prime minister, and a great +crowd of fairies gathered around.</p> + +<p>"Tell me what has happened."</p> + +<p>"I need not remind your Majesty that our state affairs are very much +behindhand, and not feeling inclined to mix with coxcombs like Ripple, +(here the Queen frowned, and Ripple, who was just behind him, made a +grimace,) I went to one of the mushroom tables, and sat down to finish +my memorial regarding the loan for the hospital for sick bumble-bees, +when this torment of a Sly +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[Pg 111]</a></span>boots comes up, and looking over my +shoulder, exclaims, 'What! my lord; surely you are not going to +stupefy the Queen with the odious sick bumble-bee memorial <i>to-night</i>, +are you? Say?'"</p> + +<p>"'Certainly I am,' I said; 'what would become of all the business in +the Queen's dominions if it were not for me? Go away, you ugly Ouphe!' +At this, Slyboots rushed off in such a haste, and with such a wicked +gleam in his eye, that I smelt mischief immediately. 'After finishing +my memorial on eleven bees-wings closely written, I was hastening with +it to your Majesty, when I fell, with great violence, over three +successive ropes that were stretched across the section of the hollow +where I had been writing, +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[Pg 112]</a></span> crumpling and soiling my memorial, and +breaking off a corner of my right wing. I know it is Slyboots that has +committed this outrage. Drive him out of your kingdom, your Majesty! +give him up to the water fairies! tell the snails to poke him well +with their horns!' and in a very torrent of passion and anger, the +prime minister was going on, when the Queen interrupted him +with—'Softly, softly, my lord; we will call Slyboots and hear what he +says.'"</p> + +<p>And now there was a great call for the culprit; and presently he came +in the ring, riding on a comical-looking bull-frog, and making +tremendous leaps, apparently in great haste, as if he had been on a +long journey, and had just that moment arrived. With +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[Pg 113]</a></span> an inconceivably +roguish air, he alighted, and hastening up, bent his knee before the +Queen. The foolish young fairies came very near bursting out laughing +when they saw him put on a demure, innocent look of surprise, as he +caught sight of the scowling face of the prime minister; but at that +moment her Majesty said in an angry tone:</p> + +<p>"What shocking mischief have you been doing?"</p> + +<p>"<i>I</i> have been doing nothing, your Majesty."</p> + +<p>"And who helped you to do it, you saucy goblin?"</p> + +<p>"Only a little brown spider," said Slyboots, "and he didn't mean to."</p> + +<p>"But between you two, the prime minis +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[Pg 114]</a></span>ter has had three heavy falls; +and I am afraid not without intention on <i>your</i> part."</p> + +<p>"Please your Majesty, if my lord, the prime minister, loads himself +with such a heavy article as that sick humble-cum-tumble-bee +memorial, and then puts his eyes in his pockets, no wonder he can't +see straight before him, and falls down and cracks his crown. Why +don't he be jolly, like the rest of us? Your Majesty had better order +an unlimited quantity of dandelion feather-beds to be put around in +spots for my lord, the prime minister, to turn head over heels in."</p> + +<p>"Hush! sauce-box," cried the Queen; while the prime minister gave him +a furious look. "Here, Trip (turning to a page), go +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[Pg 115]</a></span> bring me the +little brown spider; I must get at the bottom of this business."</p> + +<p>The little brown spider came and made her obeisance, all in a fuzz of +fear, for she could not imagine why she was called into the presence +of the Queen. She shook so violently, that her Majesty said, kindly:</p> + +<p>"Don't be afraid, Brownie; but tell me, with perfect truth, what did +Slyboots employ you about this evening?"</p> + +<p>"Please your beautiful Majesty," began the spider, "Slyboots is my +friend, and I would not like to get him into trouble."</p> + +<p>"That is neither here nor there," said the Queen; "I command you to +tell me what you did for him."</p> + +<p>"Well," said the spider, almost crying, +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[Pg 116]</a></span> "Slyboots came to my house in +the grape-vine in the greatest hurry, and begged me to scrabble and +scratch with all my might and main to a certain part of the hollow, +and spin three ropes, knee high, just as quickly as possible across +it, as some of the court had taken a prodigious fancy to tight-rope +dancing, and meant to give an exhibition before the evening was over; +and he was to give me, for doing it, just the fattest little fly I +ever beheld, which he had fast by the legs; it made my mouth water +only to look at it; so, your Majesty may believe, I rushed down and +worked at the ropes for dear life, and finished them to Slyboots' +satisfaction, for he gave me the delicious fly, and I've just +finish +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[Pg 117]</a></span>ed eating it up; and that is all I know about it, please your +beautiful Majesty."</p> + +<p>It was all as plain as moonlight; and after one moment passed in +vainly endeavoring to suppress their merriment, the whole court burst +into such a scream of laughter, that the very leaves rustled, as if +some musical wind had stirred them. Of course not a fairy had ever +heard that anybody had taken up the profession of tight-rope dancing, +and Slyboots was at once convicted of having told a dreadful fib, and +had the ropes erected for the express purpose of tripping up the prime +minister, to prevent his boring the Queen on the great gala night with +his sick bumble-bee memorial.</p> + +<p>There the naughty sprite stood with a +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[Pg 118]</a></span> penitent look out of one eye, +and winking ridiculously with the other; and the fairies having +laughed till they were tired, now waited in breathless silence to hear +his sentence pronounced.</p> + +<p>Charley was really sorry for Slyboots; he was distressed that the +fairy had told a falsehood; but, as to the mischief, it was so like +the capers his own brothers and sisters were always cutting, that he +felt very certain the comical little imp had not one grain of malice +in his heart, so he softly touched the Queen's knee, and as she kindly +bent down to him, whispered—"Oh, beautiful lady! he has a good heart, +and he is very sorry; please to forgive him."</p> + +<p>"Slyboots," began the Queen, in a tone +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[Pg 119]</a></span> which she tried to make very +severe, "you have passed all reasonable bounds in this last prank; you +have outraged and insulted my faithful servant—and, worse than all, +you have told an untruth. If it had not been for this last, I might +have forgiven you after you had made fitting apologies to the prime +minister; even now I shall lighten your punishment, because this pure +and lovely mortal has interceded for you. Listen to your sentence. My +power tells me that the great wasp, Spiteful, has just entered the +chamber where little Minnie, Charley's sister, is lying peacefully +asleep, and within the hour he will thrust his poisonous cruel sting +into the tender arm of the little child. With your wings to dart here +and there, you might +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[Pg 120]</a></span> easily conquer him; but these must be fastened +together by your friend Brownie, and within the hour you must bring me +the dead body of the wasp. You have heard; Brownie, to your work!"</p> + +<p>In the midst of a deep silence, the poor little trembling spider began +to spin thread after thread round and round the beautiful gauzy wings +of the disgraced and now sorrowful fay; one after the other the +beautiful tints of blue, and gold, and purple, first faded, then were +hidden under the misty cloud-color of network.</p> + +<p>The court looked on in sorrow, for the elfin was beloved by many, but +not a fay dared murmur or question the justice of the sentence. +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[Pg 121]</a></span> At +last his wings, of a dead dull gray, were prisoned fast; and the +Queen, waving her sceptre, said—"Go, Slyboots; if you carry a right +spirit to your work, you will win the fight."</p> + +<p>The fairy said not a word, but bowed him low, and turned sadly away. +The time was short, and he must hasten and don his stoutest armor, for +the foe was deadly. A friendly grasshopper offered to take him to the +foot of the window where he must enter. With a gleeful spring he +mounted, and away with great leaps they went through the ferns and +over the grass, scrambling painfully in and out of bramble bushes, and +pricking themselves with the sharp nettles that lay in their path. But +the grasshopper (that +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[Pg 122]</a></span> friend in need) carried him bravely through +them all, and came at last to a little house under a great mushroom, +where Slyboots kept bachelor's hall.</p> + +<p>Here he alighted, and hastily fastened on his acorn helmet, with its +beautiful plume from the humming bird's breast; then he donned his +close-fitting vest, made of the skin of the prickly-pear—the sharp +points bristling terror to invaders. On his left arm he carried his +trusty shield, made of the back of the golden beetle, and his right +hand grasped his sharp blade, fashioned out of the blue sword-grass.</p> + +<p>Swiftly he bestrode his grasshopper steed again, and in a few moments +they were be +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[Pg 123]</a></span>neath the open window of the room where lay the sleeping +child.</p> + +<p>Alighting, and thanking his friendly courser, Slyboots clambered up by +the luxuriant rose-vine fastened against the cottage wall, and in a +moment had dropped noiselessly into the room.</p> + +<p>It was flooded with sweet clear moonlight. Clusters of roses were +peeping in at the window, but none were half so lovely as the little +human rose-bud lying so quietly in her tiny white bed. She might have +come out of Elfin land—she was so fair and sweet; her merry blue eyes +closed, her little song-voice stilled, and a lovely flush on her soft +cheek from the kissing of the warm and +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[Pg 124]</a></span> balmy wind, which danced in +and out of its own sweet will.</p> + +<p>Hovering over her—a malignant gleam in his eyes—was the wasp. +Already was his body curved to inflict the mean and cruel sting upon +the defenceless child, when, with a bound, Slyboots was upon him, cut +him sharply with his sword, and then scampered out of the window and +took refuge in a great rose, apologizing to the little fairy whose +home it was. With his back against the rose-leaves, and his shield on +guard, Slyboots waited for the fray.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> +<img src="images/i005.jpg" width="600" height="445" alt="SLYBOOTS FIGHTING THE WASP." /> +<p class="caption">SLYBOOTS FIGHTING THE WASP.</p> +</div> + +<p>Out came the wasp, breathing fire and fury; his usual snarling hum +changed into a fiendish roar of rage. Then did begin a most tremendous +battle!! The fairy's blows +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[Pg 125]</a></span> +fell thick and fast upon the horny head +of his enemy, who vainly sought to sting him; but the trusty shield +was never off duty. The wasp kept up a horrid din, as with maddening +ferocity and desperation, he tried to find his foe, for he was now +blinded with the blows. Panting with pain, and roaring with rage, he +flew wildly round and round, returning each time with fourfold fury to +the charge, till at last a well-directed stroke of the elfin's sword +cleft his head asunder, and he fell prone to the earth, with one +prodigious kick of all his feet in the air together.</p> + +<p>Down jumped Slyboots from the friendly rose, and making sure of the +death of his enemy by sundry bangs and whacks with the flat of his +sword, quickly made a stout rope +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[Pg 126]</a></span> of corn silk, and fastening it round +the head of the wasp, began his joyful journey back to the fairy +hollow.</p> + +<p>The good grasshopper had been a deeply interested spectator of the +battle; his eyes hanging out like a lobster's with anxiety, and +chirping a perfectly continuous rattle of encouragement to Slyboots, +so that really he was as hoarse as a bull-frog when it was all over. +With cheerful alacrity he helped the breathless fairy tie up the dead +body of the wasp, and willingly allowed the other end of the corn silk +rope to be fastened to one of his long hind legs; and then Slyboots +mounting him once more, he tugged and scrambled along with his double +burthen with so much hearty <i>will</i>, that they arrived at the fairy +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[Pg 127]</a></span> +ground at least one minute and a quarter within the hour.</p> + +<p>Meanwhile harmony and order had been restored in the beautiful hollow. +The old prime minister was fast asleep under a fern leaf, with his +precious bumble-bee memorial under his head, and Charley was watching +with delighted interest the many happy groups upon which the moonbeams +lovingly rested. Some were dancing the Fairy Lancers, some eating and +laughing at the little tables, some having a childish game of +cats-cradle with the tendrils of the grape-vine, and all were full of +mirth and gaiety, as noisy and happy as it was possible to be; in +fact, the fairies were marvellously like you, little reader; you are +both full of fun and noise, +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[Pg 128]</a></span> and have no idea of going through the +world slowly and carefully, as if you were stepping on one +feather-bed, and had your head tied up in another. Not at all! they +and you just jump and tumble about with prodigious talents for frolic, +wearing out your shoes, and tearing your clothes—that is, <i>you</i>, for +the fairies' shoes and clothes have a patent trick of always looking +fresh and new. Charley thought his dear brothers and sisters were very +like these little creatures in their fondness for fun, and he did wish +that they were here this Midsummer night to have "a real good time."</p> + +<p>Presently the Queen said to him, "Charley, did you ever blow bubbles?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, often, beautiful lady." +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[Pg 129]</a></span></p> + +<p>"And what have you seen in them?" asked the Queen.</p> + +<p>"Oh! the most lovely colors! and sometimes a charming tiny picture of +the room where we were."</p> + +<p>"Would you like to see some <i>fairy</i> bubbles?"</p> + +<p>"Ah, yes! I should like it of all things."</p> + +<p>The Queen gently clapped her hands, and instantly a page was kneeling +at her feet.</p> + +<p>"Go, Light-wing," said the Queen, "and tell Fancy to come here with +her basin of foam and magic pipe."</p> + +<p>The fairy rose from his knee, bowed low, and sped away. In an instant +he returned in company with the daintiest, most ethereal +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[Pg 130]</a></span> little elf +in fairy-land. Her wings were of air—her golden ringlets danced in +the "tremulous, singing wind," giving out the perfume of the +blossoming lily; her tiny rose-bud of a mouth opened, disclosing the +whitest and smallest seed-pearl teeth, as with a smile beaming with +love and sweetness, she said:</p> + +<p>"Beloved Queen, most gladly have I come at your bidding. Deign but to +command, and I will hasten to obey."</p> + +<p>"Dear Fancy," said the Queen, placing her hand tenderly upon Charley's +shoulder, "here is a lovely mortal who has suffered from his infancy; +but all his pain has not been sufficient to sour his temper, or +conquer his gratitude and love for the blessings and mercies which +remain to him. As flowers +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[Pg 131]</a></span> spring from the dust, so have love, and +truth, and every noble quality, sprung from the dark and bitter +suffering of his life. For this I love him, and will strive to make +the few days left to him on earth less sad, less painful; and I will +do this by showing him all our fairy life. I have sent for you to ask +you to exhibit, for his amusement, some magic bubbles; I would like +him to look at them now."</p> + +<p>For answer, the little elf bowed gracefully, dipped her pipe in the +foaming dew, and began to breathe softly through the stem.</p> + +<p>Soon the thin bubble rose in the twinkling fire-fly light. At first it +was all of a gray-dark color; but out of this dark, like +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[Pg 132]</a></span> the sun +breaking through the mist, bright golden and ruby tints began to +appear.</p> + +<p>It grew in size and splendor, till at last the fairy gently waving the +pipe, the bubble slowly and gracefully floated away, and up a little, +and then poised itself, and rested just before Charley.</p> + +<p>It was like a moving picture in an oval frame. Within appeared a large +and handsome parlor; a number of beautiful little children were +grouped about the room, evidently waiting for some event to happen. +Presently a baby-boy entered—a perfect bud of beauty. His fine and +snowy-white garment was daintily embroidered and trimmed after a most +royal fashion, with ivy leaves. Upon his beautiful head, crowned with +light and lovely +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[Pg 133]</a></span> pale golden curls, was a wreath also of ivy.</p> + +<p>With his luminous starry eyes uplifted, and the dimples peeping in and +out of his rose-pink cheeks, he went around and offered a welcoming +kiss to every one in the room. It was his birthday. Two sweet, happy +years, had been unfurled in his little life, and the children were now +gathered together in honor of the event.</p> + +<p>Charley gazed with lips apart, intent and eager.</p> + +<p>All at once he exclaimed,—</p> + +<p>"Why! it is Howard! little Howard! Why, yes! and there is sweet little +Carrie, his sister, with the beautiful wreath of roses, +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[Pg 134]</a></span> and the roses +on her dress! Oh! what wonders I am seeing!"</p> + +<p>As he spoke, a lady entered, Howard's loving and lovely mother, with +an immense paper bag, and proceeded to fasten it to the chandelier in +the centre of the ceiling; then some one else came in, and spread a +large white sheet upon the carpet immediately underneath.</p> + +<p>Then one of the little ones was blindfolded, and a cane was put into +his hands. He was to try to strike the bag, but instead, he made a +tremendous whack at nothing half a yard one side of the bag, which +made the children laugh merrily.</p> + +<p>Charley laughed, too; you could <i>hear</i> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[Pg 135]</a></span> him, but he could only <i>see</i> +that the children in the magic bubble were laughing.</p> + +<p>"I know them almost all!" he cried, in a voice of delight; "there are +Eva, and Robbie, and Alice, and Hattie, and Minnie, and Eddie, and +sweet little Kitty and Mortie; and oh! how happy they all look! how +perfect! and what a nice time they must be having!"</p> + +<p>After two or three had tried to strike the bag, little baby Howard had +the handkerchief tied <i>above</i> his eyes, just for fun, because he was +too little to be <i>really</i> blindfolded; and, armed with the cane, he +grasped it with both tiny hands, his eyes dancing with glee, and a +gladsome smile parting his sweet little mouth, showing the pearly +teeth within. +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[Pg 136]</a></span> He gave the bag a sounding thump, and instantly it +burst asunder, and a perfect cataract of candies and sugar-plums +poured down upon the carpet. Quick as a flash every child in the room +was clustered together upon the sheet helter-skelter, head-over-heels, +laughing, screaming, dashing after the candies; and then—the bubble +burst, and Charley saw no more.</p> + +<p>"Oh! oh! how beautiful! how wonderful!" said the lame boy; "dear, dear +little fairy! I thank you; but I should so like to know what the +children did after that."</p> + +<p>Again the pipe was dipped in the foam-dew, and the fairy blew out +another bubble, that floated away and rested as before.</p> + +<p>This time a wide hall, with a table in +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[Pg 137]</a></span> the centre, appeared. Upon the +table the colored waiters were quickly placing large dishes of cakes, +oranges, mottoes, and pyramids of cream. A door, within which shone a +bright light, opened into this hall, and a little dancing form +flitting past now and then, showed that the children were frolicking +inside.</p> + +<p>When the table was so perfectly covered, that it very nearly broke +down under the weight of goodies, there was seen issuing from the +parlor-door, first, the beautiful little king of the feast, carried in +his father's arms, his eyes sparkling, and his whole face radiant with +smiles. After him came, two and two, all the lovely little band; they +marched entirely round the table, and you may be sure +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[Pg 138]</a></span> they all looked +one way—and that way was the table-way, of course, where such a grand +feast was spread out. <i>That</i> was the party, as I once heard a little +girl say, and who added, "Oh! I'm so glad! the party has come—look +what a lot of it!"</p> + +<p>And now what a tremendous time the boys had helping the little girls, +and filling their laps with every thing they could lay their hands on, +and then cramming their own pockets till they stuck out all over like +balloons.</p> + +<p>Just as they were in the height of eating, and laughing, and +presenting each other with mottoes, on which were printed the most +beautiful poetry, declaring that they would love each other as long as +they lived, +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[Pg 139]</a></span> and nobody knows how much longer; and Charley was looking +on wild with delight—presto! the bubble suddenly burst, and the +picture was gone.</p> + +<p>"Oh! can any thing be more perfect!" cried Charley. "I am so happy! +Dear little fairy! do let me kiss you for making me so happy."</p> + +<p>With a loving smile the beautiful elfin fluttered her wings and flew +into his breast, where she lay nestling like a little white dove. +Charley tenderly lifted her up, kissed her soft tiny cheek, touched +her golden ringlets, and felt her breath, fragrant as the perfume of +violets, fanning his face. He was silent with happiness, painting over +in his mind Fancy's magic pictures. The beautiful +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[Pg 140]</a></span> Queen sat watching +him, and enjoying his delight, when a far-off sound startled them +both—a sound of acclamation. Nearer and nearer it came, till the air +rang with tiny shouts and joyful clapping of hands. The voices were +respectfully hushed as a crowd of fairies advanced into the Queen's +presence; and Charley saw that Slyboots was in their midst, weary and +breathless, his wings still hidden in the spider-net, but exultantly +dragging the dead wasp by the corn-silk cord. His wee face looked +pale; but his eyes shone with the old brightness, as the Queen's +glance fell kindly and approvingly upon him.</p> + +<p>"Did you arrive in time to save Minnie from the cruel sting?" she +said.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[Pg 141]</a></span></p> + +<p>"I did, please your gracious Majesty," answered Slyboots.</p> + +<p>"And did you waken her?"</p> + +<p>"No, my Queen; I struck the wasp, and drew him outside of the window, +where I took refuge in a rose, and from thence, with my good sword, I +gave him battle. Long and fiercely we fought in the moonlight. The +little yellow butterflies crept under the leaves affrighted; the +midges in the air trembled, and whispered to each other that an +earthquake was surely at hand; but at last my enemy bit the dust, and +I pounded him till he was as dead as the prime minister's abominable +bumble-bee's mem—"</p> + +<p>"Silence!" interrupted the Queen; but she really had to laugh, for +Slyboots looked +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[Pg 142]</a></span> at her with such a comical twist of his eye, which +changed to a beam of happiness as her Majesty said to him:</p> + +<p>"You have done your task aright, and gladly we forgive you; but +remember, Slyboots, never let your love of fun carry you so far again; +and put this piece of advice in your pocket—keep out of the way of +the prime minister the next time you have tight ropes erected for your +friends to dance on."</p> + +<p>Slyboots' face grew as red as a scarlet poppy at this allusion, and +the laugh that followed; and the Queen, seeing his confusion, said: +"Quick, Ripple—quick, Firefly—release his wings."</p> + +<p>In a moment the fairy knights had cut away the gray network, and +Slyboots joy +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[Pg 143]</a></span>fully shook his wings, now brighter than ever.</p> + +<p>Just at that moment a bugle-call sounded from the sentry at the top of +Crow Nest, and a faint twittering of a little bird was heard in a tree +skirting the hollow. The dawn was coming, lifting the dew-mist from +the lap of the earth; a faint light was streaking the east, as the +Queen, gathering her shining band, with Charley in the midst, rose in +the air, and flitted away to the cottage window. Softly they laid him +down, and the Queen touched his eyes. The white lids drooped heavily, +then closed, as a grateful balmy sleep wrapped his senses like a +mantle.</p> + +<p>Then the Queen softly detached the gauzy wings, and handed them to her +page, +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[Pg 144]</a></span> Lightwing, charging him to guard them carefully. The little +mother lay with her cheek in her hand, never stirring, and the kitten +looked on this time with a friendly purr; and just as the first day +glimpse had gilded the hill-tops, the fairy train had vanished into +the sweet hazy mist of the <span class="smcap">Midsummer Morn</span>.</p> + + + +<hr /> +<h2><a name="THE_CHILDRENS_LIFE2" id="THE_CHILDRENS_LIFE2"></a>THE CHILDREN'S LIFE.</h2> + + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[Pg 145]</a></span> +Midsummer morning broke in gorgeous, glorious brightness. Light fleecy +clouds floated swiftly over the blue heaven; a crisp fresh wind curled +the waters of the Hudson; and the beautiful little island opposite +West Point lay on its bosom like an emerald; its green banks clasped +by the loving tide.</p> + +<p>With the first drum-beat, the happy Nightcap children were up and +dressed; and having, with more gratitude than usual, +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[Pg 146]</a></span> thanked their +Heavenly Father for so many blessings, they went first to inquire how +their dear brother Charley had passed the night.</p> + +<p>"Hush!" said the little mother, as they came to the door, "don't +chatter now; Charley is still sleeping; do not make any noise; see how +lovely he looks."</p> + +<p>The children crept in on tiptoe, and gazed lovingly at the sleeping +boy. At that moment a warm glow flashed suddenly into his cheek, and +his lips parted in a glad smile.</p> + +<p>"Oh! see, see!" whispered the children, "Charley is dreaming; perhaps +he is talking to the fairies the doctor told us about; when he awakes +we will ask him."</p> + +<p>Then they went softly down stairs and +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[Pg 147]</a></span> out into the fresh delicious +air. The birds were chanting their morning hymns; the lawn was golden +green with the sun's rays, and spangled with dew. Bees were dreamily +humming over the wealth of honeysuckles and roses that covered the +cottage-wall, gathering their sweet and fragrant food at their +leisure.</p> + +<p>The children felt the blessed influences of all these lovely works of +the great Creator in an increase (if such a thing were possible) of +their happiness and joy.</p> + +<p>You would have thought they were made of corks, so lightly did they +skip here and there, running round the trees after each other, the +boys turning somersets on the grass, and the girls declaring that they +could +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[Pg 148]</a></span> get to the top of Crow Nest with only a hop, skip, and jump.</p> + +<p>"Oh, delightful!" cried George, "to get up a mountain with three +steps! you'll have to borrow Jack's seven-leagued boots. I wonder who +lives on the top?"</p> + +<p>"Why, the crows, to be sure," said Harry, "and they keep up <i>such</i> a +talking; it is like a hail-storm all the time; you never heard any +thing like the way crows can scold. If one crow is caught stealing, +all the rest caw and croak at him, till he very nearly goes into fits, +and then they all fly at him till he hasn't a feather left; I read all +about it in my Natural History."</p> + +<p>"Oh!" cried little Minnie, "how I like to hear stories about fishes! +tell another crow story." +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[Pg 149]</a></span></p> + +<p>While the children were good-naturedly laughing and explaining to +Minnie that a crow was a bird, their mother appeared at the +cottage-door and said, "Breakfast, children."</p> + +<p>In they all rushed, quite ready for the nice corn-bread, boiled eggs, +and <i>real milk</i>—not <i>milkman's</i> milk—but they looked round in some +surprise for Charley.</p> + +<p>"He is still sleeping," said the little mother, "and smiling in his +sleep; this quiet rest will do him so much good, I hope. Oh, my +precious Charley!" she exclaimed, "if I could only keep you a little +longer;" and her eyes filled with tears.</p> + +<p>The children looked sad and grave, and two or three went round and +kissed their +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[Pg 150]</a></span> mother, and patted her kind cheek, and said they were +sure Charley was better. After breakfast they stole softly up stairs +to look again at their darling brother.</p> + +<p>Charley was sitting up in bed as they entered: a strange bewildered +expression was upon his face, and he had his hands behind him, trying +to feel his shoulders.</p> + +<p>"Do come here, George," said he, "and see if there are wings upon my +back."</p> + +<p>"<span class="smcap">Wings!!!</span>" shouted the children in amazement, "what <i>can</i> Charley +mean?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, <i>wings</i>," replied Charley; "the fairy Queen fastened them upon +my back last night, and I went with her and her beautiful maids of +honor to the Midsummer ball. Oh! how delightful it was, and how I +longed for you!"</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[Pg 151]</a></span>"Goodness!" exclaimed the children, "did you really +go? How perfect! Did you ever? Why didn't they take us, too? Oh, +Charley! do begin at the very beginning, and tell us all about it. +Won't you? Say! do, come!"</p> + +<p>Clustering around the bed, their eyes fastened upon his face, +breathless with wonder and delight, and with no end of exclamations, +they listened to the enchanting account of Charley's adventures. The +little mother came in the room just at the end; upon which they all +rushed at her in a body, and told the amazing story over again, all +talking at the same time; and the little mother said quite as many +"Ahs" and "Ohs" and "did you evers" as they did. +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[Pg 152]</a></span> But she smiled +lovingly at her lame boy, and parting the golden curls on his white +forehead, and kissing him tenderly, whispered, "My darling knows that +he has been <span class="smcap">Dreaming</span>."</p> + +<p>Was it a dream?</p> + +<p>Charley was so much better that day, that the good doctor, when he +came, was astonished; and when he heard that the fairies had done him +the honor to take him to their Midsummer festival, he was delighted, +as well as astonished, and laughingly declared that the elves had +robbed him of his patient. "Why, Charley," he continued, "if the fairy +Queen can put such a rosy color in your cheeks, and such a sparkle in +your eyes in one night, she beats me all to pieces at doctor +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[Pg 153]</a></span>ing. I +shall have to give you up to her, and only come here every day to make +a social call, so that you and I, two old fellows, can have a talk +about the state of the country. But I may as well put my pills and +powders into one of the cannons, and fire them off at some of the fine +ladies who go about, sweeping the parade-ground with their furbelowed +dresses, and think they are dying of dyspepsia, when all they want is +some useful occupation. I have lots of them to make bread pills for, +and I may as well let the fairies have my dear little friend here."</p> + +<p>Just at that instant the drums made a prodigious clatter, and the +children started up to see what it meant.</p> + +<p>"It is the call for the cavalry drill," said the doctor; "you had +better run." +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[Pg 154]</a></span></p> + +<p>Off scampered the children to the edge of the parade-ground, their +eyes dancing with expectation and eagerness.</p> + +<p>On their way they passed the encampment; they gazed at the snow-white +tents of the cadets with the utmost interest, and indeed would rather +have lived in these delightful canvas houses, than in a king's palace.</p> + +<p>"Oh! Harry!" exclaimed Anna, "I wonder if we mightn't just peep into +one of them."</p> + +<p>"Certainly," answered Harry, who was always ready for adventures, and +he lifted up the opening of the tent nearest.</p> + +<p>"Oh! what a perfect place!" he cried; "come! look!" and he disappeared +within.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 425px;"> +<img src="images/i006.jpg" width="425" height="525" alt="NAPOLEON BONAPARTE." /> +<p class="caption">NAPOLEON BONAPARTE.</p> +</div> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[Pg 155]</a></span> +The children all peeped in, their heads looking like a bunch of +grapes, all piled one on top of the other; while Harry, inside, +pretended he was a showman, and made them a speech.</p> + +<p>"Walk in, ladies and gentlemen," he said, "and see the show—all for +sixpence; children half price. Here you have one small bed, or humble +cot, one camp stool, one very small looking-glass, on the back of +which," he continued, turning it suddenly over, "is a picture of the +great Napoleon Bonaparte, running away, with his drawn sword in one +hand, and a leg of mutton in the other; while just below is another of +an old cadet, poking a young one with his bayonet." +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">[Pg 156]</a></span></p> + +<p>The children were laughing heartily over these specimens of the fine +arts, drawn by one of the cadets, when</p> + +<p>Bang! tr-tr-tr-tr-tr-tr. Bang! tr-tr-tr-tr-tr-tr went the drums again. +Off they hurried to the parade-ground, and there, out in the bright +morning sunlight, which came down like "flickering gold" through the +glowing air, galloped that fierce and brave Colonel Hardie, who looked +as if he should consider it the merest trifle to fight a dozen enemies +at once, and kill them all, as a matter of course.</p> + +<p>And out galloped a regiment of cadets, while Colonel Hardie, wheeling +round, awaited their coming.</p> + +<p>With their drawn swords flashing in the +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[Pg 157]</a></span> glorious brightness, and the +gallant Colonel now at their head; they wheeled about, and turned +about, dashed here and there, suddenly advancing, then as suddenly +retreating, with their horses rearing and prancing, and snorting and +dancing, till you would have been sure they were in the greatest +possible hurry to rush full tilt at somebody, no matter who, and +instantly run them through with their sharp naked swords, without +giving them a ghost of a chance to cry "Quarter."</p> + +<p>The children looked on with great eyes and a kind of delicious fear, +and were almost crazy after the drill was over, to run and beg the +cadets to lend them their horses and swords, so as to practise the +cavalry drill themselves. +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[Pg 158]</a></span></p> + +<p>They walked on the edge of the parade-ground, looking all around them +with the most amused and delighted interest; at times fairly singing +and skipping for joy, and eagerly planning long walks and voyages of +discovery.</p> + +<p>Minnie thought there must be a "day party" somewhere, the people were +dressed so fine, and everybody seemed so very happy.</p> + +<p>Numbers of elegantly dressed ladies were walking about, and some +fine-looking officers were paying them all the compliments they could +think of. In the midst of a group of gentlemen, high above them all, +towered the majestic form of the brave General Scott, who has won so +many battles for us in Mexico, and who is Commander- +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[Pg 159]</a></span>in-Chief of all +the soldiers in our country. The children looked at him with the +greatest admiration; and the boys made up their minds that it was +absolutely necessary they should be soldiers when they grew up; and +they would have given all they possessed to sleep now in the canvas +tents like the brave cadets.</p> + +<p>And now the children began to descend a winding path, and wandered +down a beautiful road where the trees met overhead. The air was +fragrant with the woodbine which curled round the trunks of the trees, +while, at their feet, tiny harebells and the purple violet modestly +peeped up.</p> + +<p>Jumping, skipping, and gathering wild flowers, they came at length to +a lovely open +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[Pg 160]</a></span> space scooped out of the rock, as it seemed, in the +centre of which is a crystal spring, which comes up sweet and clear +into a stone basin.</p> + +<p>Upon this basin they read the name of the great "Kosciusko;" and this +was his garden, where he used to sit for many hours in the day reading +his book, or admiring the glorious works of God spread before him. The +children looked with love and admiration upon the name and place where +the good and brave Pole had been; and the boys audibly hoped that they +would do something very noble and brave when they grew up, so that +everybody might speak well of them.</p> + +<p>As they drew near the house, they saw a +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[Pg 161]</a></span> lady sitting in the bowery +porch with their mother.</p> + +<p>"Goodness!" cried half a dozen of them, "it's Aunt Fanny! Did you +ever?" And thereupon they charged like a company of cadets going to +fire on the run, and shot Aunt Fanny with a whole volley of kisses.</p> + +<p>It was really a wonder she looked so well after it; fifty kisses in a +minute is pretty severe loving; but Aunt Fanny only laughed when she +could catch her breath, and, taking Minnie on her lap, asked what +particular fun and mischief they had been about lately.</p> + +<p>Then didn't they have a grand time, telling about their journey? and +the wonderful fairy adventures of Charley? And Charley, who was +sitting leaning against his mother, +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">[Pg 162]</a></span> declared that he could not have +dreamt them, because he remembered them all so well, and he had felt +so much better ever since the beautiful fairy Queen had taken him in +charge.</p> + +<p>"Why," cried Aunt Fanny, "I shall have to go back to Idlewild, where I +passed two delightful hours this morning, right away, and tell all +this to the lovely children I saw there. I am sure Edith, and Daisy, +and sweet little Bailey, would go straightway down to their beautiful +Glen, to hunt up the fairies that no doubt live there hidden under the +ferns and mosses, so fairily fine and delicate.</p> + +<p>"O Aunt Fanny!" cried the children, "do tell us about Idlewild and +dear little Edith, and Daisy, and Bailey Idlewild." +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">[Pg 163]</a></span></p> + +<p>"That is not the name of the children, you monkeys," said Aunt Fanny, +laughing, "any more than you are Harry and Minnie Nightcap. It is the +fanciful, dreamily sweet name of the place; and the pure life and +neighborly love ever adorning and brightening that graceful and kindly +house-roof, make June sunshine all over the lovely place the year +round."</p> + +<p>"Ah! how delightful it must be," cried the children; "do tell us, Aunt +Fanny, all about your visit."</p> + +<p>"Well, to begin at the beginning, I went up to Cornwall upon some +business, and I staid all night at a house just this side of the +beautiful Idlewild Glen. In the evening I was invited to go to a +Sunday-school cele +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">[Pg 164]</a></span>bration; I was very glad to get this invitation, +because I love children so much. The services were all very +interesting, but the best thing of all was a most beautiful story +which was told, to prove the blessed effect of love upon the heart, +and how much better it was to govern by <i>love</i>, than by fear and +continual punishment."</p> + +<p>"<i>We</i> know that!" exclaimed the children, "that's the very way mother +governs us—don't you, mamma?" and they all had to give her a kiss +before they said, "Please go on, Aunt Fanny; do tell us the story."</p> + +<p>"The teacher said it was true, every word of it, but I do not know +whether he got it out of a book, or whether it happened to some +children he knew; perhaps you have read it already." +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[Pg 165]</a></span></p> + +<p>"O dear! no, we haven't, I'm sure," said the children, "and if we +have, your way of telling it will make it new again. Come, Aunt Fanny, +tell the story."</p> + +<p>"Well, then, here it is—Once on a time a good old farmer said to his +wife, 'Wife, you know poor neighbor Jones died a little while ago, and +his little son Johnny is left alone in the world. Suppose we take him? +One more will make very little difference. Shall we?'</p> + +<p>"'O deary me! no,' said the wife, 'I wouldn't have him among our +children for any thing! Why, he's worse than a little heathen!'</p> + +<p>"'So he is,' said the farmer, 'I'm a little afraid to try it +myself—that's a fact!' +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[Pg 166]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Now while the old farmer was talking, he was also busily engaged in +eating his dinner of pork and greens, and his children had kept their +ears open, and had heard all that was said.</p> + +<p>"Presently one of the boys, whose name was Luke, looked up and said, +'Father, you know we send <i>one good missionary</i> among a <i>great many +heathen</i>. Now, why can't we bring this <i>one little heathen</i> among a +great many good people? I'll lend Johnny my kite and ball, and we'll +be so kind to him he will never <i>want</i> to be bad. Father, <span class="smcap">WE'LL LOVE +HIM GOOD</span>.'</p> + +<p>"The good old farmer, who tried his best to keep God's holy +commandments, and especially to 'love his neighbor,' thought this an +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">[Pg 167]</a></span> +excellent plan; so he brought Johnny home with him the very next day.</p> + +<p>"Sure enough, Johnny was worse than any heathen. He broke the good +little boy's ball, tore his kite all to pieces, pulled little Susie's +hair, pinched the baby, kicked the small children, and butted the +large boys with his head, and, in short, behaved so badly, that they +were all nearly crying: still they would not give up Luke's plan, but +kept on trying to be kind to him.</p> + +<p>"But it was all of no use; Johnny was really a dreadful boy. At last +the old farmer said, 'Well, we can't go on so with Johnny; he must +have obedience knocked into him like a nail in a plank of wood. I must +try if I can't whip him into better behavior:' so +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">[Pg 168]</a></span> he beat the bad +boy, and whipped him, and shook him till his teeth rattled in his +head, and his hair was all in a friz about his eyes. But, alas! it did +no good; Johnny was as bad as ever.</p> + +<p>"Then the farmer said, 'Wife, this is a very bad business; whipping +does not make Johnny any better; we must try if we can't <span class="smcap">STARVE</span> the +obstinacy out of him.'</p> + +<p>"'I don't like to do that,' said the wife.</p> + +<p>"'But it must be done,' answered the old farmer; 'it is our duty to +try to make him a good boy.'</p> + +<p>"So they shut him up in the great garret, where paper bags of dried +herbs, and strings of red peppers, and great cobwebs, kept him +company. They gave him nothing to eat +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">[Pg 169]</a></span> and drink but dry bread and a +cup of water.</p> + +<p>"Every now and then the farmer's wife would come, tap at the door, and +say, 'Johnny, will you be good <i>now</i>?' and Johnny would shout out in a +fierce defiant voice, 'No! no! I won't! You may lock me up forever and +ever, and I won't be good.' So the poor farmer's wife would heave a +sigh and go away.</p> + +<p>"All the morning little Susie had been very silent, with the tears +just trembling on her eyelids. She felt very much grieved that Johnny +was such a bad boy, and she could not bear to think of him in the +lonely garret with no company but his wicked thoughts: so, after +dinner, she crept softly +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">[Pg 170]</a></span> up to her mother, and said, 'Mother, I think +I can get Johnny to be good, if you will let me try.'</p> + +<p>"'Well,' said her mother, smoothing her hair lovingly, 'what is your +plan?'</p> + +<p>"'Why, mother,' answered the little girl, 'I will go and tell Johnny +that I will be locked up instead of him, and he may go play with my +dear little boat that brother made, and named for me.'</p> + +<p>"The mother looked at her a moment with a loving tear swelling in her +eyes, then she said, 'Very well, you may go.'</p> + +<p>"So Susie took down the key of the garret, which hung behind the door, +and went up stairs, unlocked the door, and then tapped gently. +'Johnny, may I come in?' said she.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">[Pg 171]</a></span>"'What do you want <i>now</i>?' grumbled +the bad boy. Susie went in, and going softly up to him, she +said—'Johnny, mother says you may go and play with my little boat +this afternoon, and I will be locked up instead.'</p> + +<p>"I am ashamed to say that Johnny was mean enough to accept this offer, +and let the little girl bear his punishment; for without even stopping +to thank her, he started up and made off, slamming the door behind +him, and locking it with a spiteful snap.</p> + +<p>"He had a famous time sailing the pretty little boat in the brook; and +only came in at tea-time—as hungry as a bear.</p> + +<p>"After he had eaten a hearty meal of bread and butter, baked pears, +and a great +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">[Pg 172]</a></span> piece of nice gingerbread, he noticed that the farmer's +wife commenced to clear away the things, and then he remembered poor +little Susie. He sat silent a good while, but at last he could not +stand it any longer, and he said—'Say? ain't you agoing to give that +little gal up stairs any tea? say?'</p> + +<p>"'Yes, Johnny,' answered the mother, 'you can take this to her,' and +she handed him a piece of dry bread on a plate.</p> + +<p>"Johnny took the plate, carried it up stairs, and began to kick and +bang at the door—Thump! bump! thump!</p> + +<p>"'Unlock it and come in,' cried Susie. So Johnny did so, and went in; +but when he saw the dear little child sitting there so patiently and +smiling at him, a strange trem +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">[Pg 173]</a></span>bling came to his lips, and without +saying a word, he put down the plate, and darted away.</p> + +<p>"All that night Susie staid in the garret, and slept as quietly and +sweetly as if she had been in her own little room.</p> + +<p>"When the next day came, Johnny felt very much like asking pardon for +his bad conduct, and begging that Susie might come down from her +captivity, while he took her place; but the sun was shining +gloriously, and Johnny thought of the little boat; and so, driving +away the good thoughts and impulses, he eat his breakfast, snatched up +the boat, and ran out to play.</p> + +<p>"When dinner-time came, he was the very first to come in, he was so +hungry; and soon<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">[Pg 174]</a></span> after the rest of the family, <i>except</i> one, took +their places.</p> + +<p>"'Where's Susie?' asked Johnny.</p> + +<p>"'She is locked up in the garret,' said her mother.</p> + +<p>"'Can't she have any dinner?'</p> + +<p>"'Yes; she can have some dry bread;' and the farmer's wife gave him a +piece on a plate, as before.</p> + +<p>"Johnny took it, and went slowly up stairs. He opened the door. There +sat Susie, patient and silent. He put the plate beside her, but +instead of going away, he stood looking at her in silence.</p> + +<p>"Presently he burst out with—'Susie! you're a fool, I say! a perfect +fool! Before I'd let myself be locked up, I'd—I'd—' here +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">[Pg 175]</a></span> Johnny +stopped; a great lump came into his throat, and was choking him. He +drew in his breath with a painful sob, and then burst into an agony of +tears, and rushing up to Susie, he threw his arms about her neck, and +cried out—</p> + +<p>"'O Susie! Susie! please forgive me. I'll never be so bad again, +never. They might have whipped me forever, and starved me forever, and +it would just have made me worse; but you (and here the great tears +came fast and faster)—you have <span class="smcap">LOVED ME GOOD</span>.'"</p> + +<p>"O——h!" cried the children, taking long breaths, and wiping their +eyes, "how lovely!—what a good, <i>GOOD</i> story—what a dear, darling +Susie! She must have heard +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_176" id="Page_176">[Pg 176]</a></span> of mamma, when she wanted to <i>LOVE</i> Johnny +good."</p> + +<p>"Yes," said Aunt Fanny, "I think she was very much like your dear +mother, and you children can hardly know what a blessed lot is yours, +in having a mother who rules you by <span class="smcap">LOVE</span>."</p> + +<p>"Yes, we do! yes, we do!" cried the children; we know she is a perfect +darling; and thereupon the little mother underwent a series of +caresses quite alarming to witness.</p> + +<p>"And now about my visit to Idlewild," said Aunt Fanny, when they were +once more quiet. "Soon after breakfast I commenced my walk. I had to +cross the wild and beautiful ravine. I am afraid I looked a little +like a figure of fun, scrambling and scratch +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177">[Pg 177]</a></span>ing down the slippery +descent. I have no doubt some of Charley's fairies were laughing at me +all the time; and I am sure the beautiful little waterfall did, as it +came joyously dancing down the great black rocks. Really, some of the +places were as slippery as ice; and I had to go a-sliding in the +summer time, whether I wanted to or not."</p> + +<p>"How nice!" cried the children; "that would just have suited the old +woman in Mother Goose, who wanted her children to slide on dry ground. +You can't drown that way, you know."</p> + +<p>"Not exactly; but at last I stood upon the famous zigzag bridge, which +is only a single plank with a railing on one side, made of a long, +slender sapling. And now, +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178">[Pg 178]</a></span> how lovely the scene was that I looked +upon! The sun came in dimples and ripples of light through the trees, +and the waterfall, with its soft white foam, talked to me in a voice +full of power and beauty, of the greatness and goodness of God.</p> + +<p>"When I got to the house, I was welcomed by its fair and gentle +mistress with a simple courtesy, that made me feel at home at once. +Very soon a sweet little maiden came to me, and shyly offered her +hand; she told me her name was Daisy, and then she called her baby +brother. He was afraid of me at first, but when I said, 'Why, Bailey, +I know all about you. I know how you fed the little birds last +winter'"—</p> + +<p>"Oh," interrupted the children, "how +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_179" id="Page_179">[Pg 179]</a></span> did he feed the little birds, +Aunt Fanny?"</p> + +<p>"If you will put me in mind, I will tell you by and by. Then Bailey +looked at me when I said that, with wide-open eyes; and I continued, +'I know all about the peacock, too, so I do—more, too.'</p> + +<p>"Then he came right up to me, and laid his dear little curly head in +my lap, and looking up in my face with his merry, bright blue eyes, he +said—'I've got a horse.'</p> + +<p>"'Why, no! You don't tell me so!' I exclaimed. 'Why, I'm astonished! +How many legs has he?'</p> + +<p>"'Two, nailed fast, and two, kicking up in the air.'</p> + +<p>"'My patience! what a horse!' said I. +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_180" id="Page_180">[Pg 180]</a></span></p> + +<p>"'But come!' said the little darling fellow, pulling at my dress, +'come see my horse! come!'</p> + +<p>"So Daisy and the mother, and Bailey and I, went out of the room. Of +course I expected to be conducted to the stables; but we began to +mount the stairs, and up we went till we arrived at the third story, +Bailey holding me fast by the hand. We went into a large room—the +children's play-room—from the windows of which there was a +magnificent view. Sitting at one of them, was the kind, +motherly-looking nurse, to whom I was introduced as to an old friend. +As I pressed her hand, her eyes turned fondly upon her mistress and +the lovely children. I looked around, and sure enough, in one cor +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">[Pg 181]</a></span>ner +was a prancing charger, standing on his hind legs, which were made +fast to a spring rocker, while the others were kicking up in the air, +just as Bailey had told me.</p> + +<p>"Then the little fellow was lifted up on his horse, and I said, "Get +up, pony;" and then all of a sudden such a funny little shy fit came +over Bailey, that down went his curly head on the horse's neck, and he +very nearly tumbled off. After that he dismounted, and pulling down +the prancing legs of the horse, got between them, and holding fast, he +had a fine ride after an ingenious invention of his own; for, as the +horse's legs rose in the air, up went little Bailey, and then down he +came with a funny little stamp of his feet on the carpet, which sent +him into the air again. +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_182" id="Page_182">[Pg 182]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Then the dear little fair-haired Daisy showed me her birds, +'Buttercup' and 'Primrose,' and two others whose names I did not hear; +and then we went down stairs again.</p> + +<p>"In the charming library we met another daughter, a lovely young lady, +and a friend who was visiting her. I knew this young lady before, and +loved her very much; and I was very glad to meet her; and you may be +sure we were very merry together.</p> + +<p>"Just then we heard Bailey's voice in the hall, lifted up in loud +wailing and weeping. We all rushed out, thinking the sweet little +fellow had fallen down stairs. But he was safe, though the great tears +were running down his cheeks; and he sobbed out, 'Mamma! mamma! Edith +won't come to see +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_183" id="Page_183">[Pg 183]</a></span> Aunt Fanny!' Dear little fellow! It seems that +Edith was the shyest little maiden in the world, and Bailey, in his +loving endeavor to get her to come to me, had first coaxed her, then +kissed her over and over again, and at last, broken-hearted about it, +had burst into loud crying. Edith stood at the turn of the stairs, +ready to dart away; and when I said, 'Do come, darling—come, little +Edith,' she fled like a frightened fawn, upon which Bailey began +lamenting again, and I had hard work to bring the peace once more into +his little, loving, troubled heart.</p> + +<p>"When we returned to the room, Miss Laura, the young lady who was +visiting the family, told a funny story about Bailey. She was walking +in the beautiful glen before +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_184" id="Page_184">[Pg 184]</a></span> breakfast, and frolicking round her were +Gouldy, and Cæsar, and Bailey."</p> + +<p>"Were they all boys? or what?" asked the children.</p> + +<p>"Not exactly, for two of them were dogs; but far better and gentler +companions than <i>some</i> boys I know. Gouldy was a dear old fellow, that +would not have hurt a hair of your head for a thousand dollars in +gold, even if he knew about or cared for money; and Cæsar—Oh! he was +something and somebody very extra indeed."</p> + +<p>"What! did he have horns on his head?" asked Harry.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 495px;"> +<img src="images/i007.jpg" width="495" height="575" alt="DR. KANE AND CAESAR IN THE ARCTIC REGIONS." /> +<p class="caption">DR. KANE AND CAESAR IN THE ARCTIC REGIONS.</p> +</div> + +<p>"Not a horn; but he once belonged to the good and famous Dr. Kane, the +great Arctic explorer; and Cæsar had seen as +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_185" id="Page_185">[Pg 185]</a></span>many icebergs and +white bears as he wanted to, and a few over, I imagine; for Dr. Kane +gave him to his friend, the owner of Idlewild; and the good dog tells +his new master every day by an extra flourish of his tail, how happy +he is, and how much he loves to live in such a lovely place, and with +such lovely children.</p> + +<p>"Well, as I was telling you, the dogs and little Bailey were +scampering here and there, while Miss Laura walked in the glen, +thinking how sweetly the rippling golden light came down through the +green leaves. After a while she thought it was time to return, so she +called—'Come, Gouldy, come, Cæsar, come, Bailey. It is time to go +home.' Up bounded the two dogs at her bidding, but +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_186" id="Page_186">[Pg 186]</a></span> the darling little +rogue, Bailey, pretended to be very busy looking for something in the +grass. Then the dogs, seeing that <i>he</i> did not mind, went leaping off, +tumbling over each other, pretending to bite, and growling at a great +rate. So Miss Laura walked a few steps nearer Bailey, and called +again—'Come, Gouldy, come, Cæsar, come, <i>Bailey</i>.' The dogs ran to +her as before, but Bailey walked as grave as any deacon, and looking +sideways at her, with a merry twinkle in his blue eyes, and a comical +little chuckle, he said—'Miss Laura, there is no <i>dog</i> of that name +in this place.' His face looked so full of fun and mischief, that Miss +Laura screamed out laughing, and then Bailey laughed, and was very +glad he had been so funny." +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_187" id="Page_187">[Pg 187]</a></span></p> + +<p>"What a funny little fellow," exclaimed the children, "to make believe +Miss Laura did not mean him when she called. I <i>do</i> wish he could come +and play with us. He's a darling! Well, please go on Aunt Fanny."</p> + +<p>"While we were sitting in the parlor, Bailey brought me a superb book +of engravings to look at. They were flowers. I only wish you could +have heard him telling me the long names, slowly and carefully, in +such a sweet little voice—'This is the Rho-de-den-dron,' and then +giving a quick, satisfied sigh, because he had gotten it all right. +When he showed me a picture of a splendid lily, I looked at the +beautiful flower, and then at his innocent baby-brow, and in his +unclouded eyes, through which the immortal soul shone +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_188" id="Page_188">[Pg 188]</a></span> purer and +whiter than any lily, and softly said—'Consider the lilies of the +field; they toil not, neither do they spin;' and as I bent over to +kiss this immortal lily, I heard the gentle little mother murmur—'Yet +Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.' Truly the +innocence of a little child invests him with a greater glory than any +this world can give. Why may we not always retain it, pure and +undefiled?</p> + +<p>"At last the carriage came to take me away; and they all bid me a kind +adieu; and Bailey and Daisy kissed me so lovingly, that I felt the +kisses all the way to my heart, where I mean to keep the memory of +them as long as I live. Wonderful to relate, something happened at the +very last moment, that +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_189" id="Page_189">[Pg 189]</a></span> made Bailey dance with delight, for Edith, shy +Edith, ran to me and put up her sweet pink and white cheek for a kiss; +and so I left beautiful Idlewild, a very happy Aunt Fanny."</p> + +<p>The children were delighted with this account, which Minnie called "a +very nice <i>inscription</i>."</p> + +<p>"And now about the birds, Aunt Fanny. You know you told us to put you +in mind."</p> + +<p>"Oh, yes. Well, I will try to remember what I read in the Home Journal +a year ago about the dear little winter birds at Idlewild."</p> + +<p>"There is a charming study at the north-west corner of the house; and +the father of Daisy, and Edith, and Bailey, began his beautiful little +story, by saying that he had two +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_190" id="Page_190">[Pg 190]</a></span> very sociable sets of visitors in +his study early every morning. First the little folks jump out of +their beds, and run in to him in their slippers and nightgowns, just +as Laina the cook, with her kind dark face, comes along with the +tea-tray for him, and bread for the second set of visitors. The +children crumble the bread very joyfully and carefully, and the window +is quickly opened, (for it is winter, and snowing,) and the +bread-feast is spread out over the roof of the portico.</p> + +<p>"Then the children cluster round the fire, and talk about the dogs and +the peacock and their lessons, keeping one eye upon the window, near +which the snow-white hemlocks are bowing in the wintry wind.</p> + +<p>"Presently—'Hush! There they are!' +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191">[Pg 191]</a></span> and the little nightgowns flutter +softly to the window, and gaze lovingly at fifteen or twenty little +birds, in only their bare feet and feathers, who have come with the +first peep of dawn, and are made happy with a bountiful breakfast. +They were dear old birds, that had been before, and no doubt some +invited friends. Such a nice time as they all have! inside the window +and out; and the children are so delighted that they can soften the +winter for those poor little houseless ones out in the cold, who, +remembering the kindness of last year, came so trustingly again. It +was this confidence and love that was shown by the dear little birds, +that made the children so glad; and a rosier, happier troop of little +folk, could hardly be +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_192" id="Page_192">[Pg 192]</a></span> found than this early morning party in Idlewild +study."</p> + +<p>"Oh! oh! how sweet! how lovely!" cried the children. "How we wish we +lived at Idlewild, or at any rate in the country, where we could feed +the little birds. We wish it would snow like every thing this very +minute."</p> + +<p>Aunt Fanny laughed, and said she was delighted, the story had pleased +them so much, but was afraid she had not done it justice, as it had +been most beautifully told in the Home Journal; but she could not +remember the exact words.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> +<img src="images/i008.jpg" width="600" height="400" alt="THE WICKED WATER FAIRY." /> +<p class="caption">THE WICKED WATER FAIRY.</p> +</div> + +<p>After tea that evening, the whole family went out in a large row-boat. +It was bright moonlight. A light breeze stole through +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_193" id="Page_193">[Pg 193]</a></span> the +tree-tops, making soft music; and it was so still and sweet on the +water, that everybody felt a thrill of delight.</p> + +<p>Charley had been carried down to the water, and he sat in the bow of +the boat, leaning his head upon his mother's breast. He was in no +pain, and soothed by the measured and musical drip of the oars, he +closed his blue eyes and fell into a sweet sleep.</p> + +<p>In a few moments he was awakened by a tap upon his arm; opening his +eyes, he beheld, close by him, seated upon the back of a flying-fish, +an ugly kelpie, or water-fairy, with a malevolent, evil aspect, who +regarded him with a look of hate.</p> + +<p>"Come out of the boat! come out of the boat!" he said, in a baleful +whisper. +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_194" id="Page_194">[Pg 194]</a></span></p> + +<p>Spite of his terror and shrinking, Charley felt himself impelled to +lean over and look down into the moon-lit water.</p> + +<p>Oh! what frightful forms he saw! Some riding on crabs, some on great +leeches, and more on the backs of flying-fishes, who took tremendous +leaps in the air, while their riders uttered frantic yells of delight.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 575px;"> +<img src="images/i009.jpg" width="575" height="535" alt="THE BATTLE OF THE FAIRIES." /> +<p class="caption">THE BATTLE OF THE FAIRIES.</p> +</div> + +<p>The poor boy felt that some horrible but irresistible power was +dragging him down, down into the deep water, where these wicked imps +would bury him in some dark cave. He struggled to resist the impulse +to plunge, but it grew stronger and stronger, till, with a faint moan +of despair, he was just yielding to his hapless fate, when the sound +of distant fairy music broke upon his ear, and +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_195" id="Page_195">[Pg 195]</a></span> raising his head, he +beheld, riding swiftly down on the moonbeams, in all the pomp and +blazonry of military equipment, a band of armed fairy knights, with +Firefly at their head. On they came, with dash and hurry, and soon the +air was darkened with arrows and javelins hurled at the hateful +water-sprites.</p> + +<p>Fast and sharp they came, and in a very few moments a still more +brilliant light gleamed from the eyes of the victorious army, as the +kelpies, after a short but furious resistance, sank yelling with rage +and disappointment beneath the wave, and the water became still and +glassy as before.</p> + +<p>The agitated boy heard a tiny but hearty shout of triumph, and then +the brave little +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_196" id="Page_196">[Pg 196]</a></span> fairy soldiers, after kissing their hands and waving +their gossamer scarfs at Charley, turned and flew on their light and +winged steeds, towards the beautiful hollow from which the good Queen +had sent them, for she knew, by her fairy power, the danger her +beloved Charley was in.</p> + +<p>The music, faint and sweet, lingered till the last lance had flashed +in the moonbeams, as it disappeared over the tall tree-tops, and then +it died insensibly away, so lingering were the delicious notes.</p> + +<p>Then the wondering boy looking round, saw only the bright moon, the +still water, and the row-boat full of his brothers and sisters.</p> + +<p>"Why, Charley," said his mother, kiss +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_197" id="Page_197">[Pg 197]</a></span>ing him, "you have had a nice +little sleep; haven't you?"</p> + +<p>"Sleep? Oh no!" answered the bewildered child. "Did you see the +battle?"</p> + +<p>"<span class="smcap">Battle!</span>" screamed all the children. "Why, Charley, you must be +getting crazy!"</p> + +<p>"Not at all," said Charley, very earnestly, "this time it really +happened;" and he told of the battle of the fairies, while the +children opened their eyes and mouths so wide with astonishment, that +their faces looked all holes; and they stared with all their might up +at the moonbeams and down into the water, in the hope that at least +some one fairy might have found it necessary to see Charley safe on +dry land; but I am sorry to have to relate that they were not +gratified<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_198" id="Page_198">[Pg 198]</a></span> with a sight, though their very eye-balls stuck out, so +intense and eager did they look, and so sure was Charley that he had +not been asleep.</p> + +<p><i>Had he been asleep?</i></p> + +<p>And now, for more than a month after this, Charley and the rest of the +children lived a most delightful life. They were up at drum-beat +every morning. They would not have missed a parade on any account +whatever, that is, all except Charley, and he enjoyed it almost as +much as the rest. They were so enthusiastic and glowing in their +descriptions. They even went to a stag-dance at night, and almost +killed themselves laughing at the cadets.</p> + +<p>This stag-dance is performed on the +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_199" id="Page_199">[Pg 199]</a></span> green. A ring is formed, and a +tallow candle is stuck in a cut potato, and placed at intervals round +the circle; and within this not very brilliant illumination, the +cadets dance with each other to the excellent music of the band. Those +who personate ladies, take hold of their little bob-tailed jackets, +and prink and mince, and take fine airs upon themselves, and look so +precisely like fine ladies, that the real fine ladies looking at them, +want to give them a good shaking.</p> + +<p>But the children went off into fits of laughter at the long and +quizzical shadows on the ground. When the cadets dance a figure, their +shadows look like a company of sickly, melancholy monkeys, which dodge +about in a distracting way, and look so irre +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_200" id="Page_200">[Pg 200]</a></span>sistibly funny, that +everybody shouts with laughter—and it is a very merry spectacle.</p> + +<p>Then this pleasant family had the most delightful tea parties in an +arbor at the back of the house. To be sure the ear-wigs and +daddy-long-legs, <i>would</i> drop into their tea once in a while, making +them first squeal, and jump up, and then laugh, and a grasshopper or +two, <i>would</i> hop suddenly on the cake, and hop more suddenly off, +before they could catch him; but what of that? Some people shriek so +if a grasshopper hops near them, you would think it was an elephant +come to pack them up in his trunk, for the rest of their lives; but +these children had more sense, and did not mind a little insect a +thousand times smaller than themselves. +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_201" id="Page_201">[Pg 201]</a></span></p> + +<hr /> + +<p>And now I must come to a sad, sad part of my story—I dread to begin +it—and would gladly have told you a great deal more about the +fairies, and what they did for Charley; but Mr. Appleton says, you +would not like to have the same story go through two books, and this, +I am afraid, is already too long.</p> + +<p>But I must relate one circumstance. Charley had retired to his little +bed one evening earlier than usual; dark, lowering clouds had sped +quickly over the sky, soon after he fell asleep. The tops of the high +trees, skirting the fairy hollow, waved restlessly to and fro, and the +angry growls of the thunder portended a violent storm. This +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_202" id="Page_202">[Pg 202]</a></span> night, +there was to have been a festival in the beautiful hollow.</p> + +<p>As the fairies flew along in the troubled air, and the Queen tried +vainly to charm away the coming tempest, (for they were to carry +Charley to the hollow that night,) a dark form, like gathered mist, +went slowly past, her head bent, her arms folded.</p> + +<p>And now, the lightnings came with a blinding glare, and the grand +booming of Heaven's artillery awoke the solemn echoes. Fast the +affrighted, shuddering fairies sped away, to hide under the fern +leaves, and in the tiny caves at the foot of the rocks. But the misty, +shadowy form still floated past, till it arrived at the open window of Charley's room.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> +<img src="images/i010.jpg" width="500" height="600" alt="THE ANGEL OF DEATH." /> +<p class="caption">THE ANGEL OF DEATH.</p> +</div> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_203" id="Page_203">[Pg 203]</a></span> +With noiseless motion it glided to the bed, bent over Charley, and +whispered in a soft, sweet voice, "Beloved one, you are taken away in +your early and lovely spring-time, because for you, to live, is to +suffer. You will go where there are no storms, no sorrows, no +sufferings; clasped in my arms, you will sleep, and be at rest +forever."</p> + +<p>And Charley smiled lovingly upon the <span class="smcap">Angel of Death</span>, and his sleep +grew deeper, and calmer, and sweeter. But the next day, he told his +mother, and sisters, and brothers, of his mournful visitor, who had +passed out of the window into the veiling clouds, and disappeared. The +children burst into passionate weeping, and clasped him in their arms, +and refused to let him go. The little +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_204" id="Page_204">[Pg 204]</a></span> mother knew he had been +<i>dreaming as before</i>; but alas! she knew also only too well, that her +darling's time had come. He suffered no pain; but he became weaker and +weaker, and life was slowly but surely ebbing away. Consumption, that +fell disease, had nearly finished her baleful work, and his lamp of +life, flickering and dim, would soon pass away into the dark valley of +the shadow of death.</p> + +<p>God knew best, and in His infinite wisdom saw fit to take Charley out +of this wearisome world, in which, if he had lived, he would suffer so +much.</p> + +<p>But the child was so much beloved. <i>He was the sunlight of the house</i>; +and the pang of parting would be so cruel. They knew +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_205" id="Page_205">[Pg 205]</a></span> that they would +meet again in the place Jesus had prepared for them in His Father's +house—they knew <i>that</i>; but how could they help grieving now?</p> + +<p>The good doctor came every day, and used his utmost skill, for he +dearly loved the sweet, patient child; but it was of no avail, +Charley's everlasting <span class="smcap">HOME</span> was ready for him.</p> + +<p>Slowly and sadly the poor children wandered around; for their sorrow +pressed like a weight upon them. They would come softly to his +bedside, smooth his golden hair, and kiss his forehead, and hope he +would yet get well; then seeing his pallid face, and little wasted +hands lying so still outside of the white bedspread, they would go +hastily +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_206" id="Page_206">[Pg 206]</a></span> away, and shed bitter, bitter tears; vainly struggling to +repress them, lest he should hear and be grieved.</p> + +<p>The joyous little birds still sang in the trees; the majestic +Highlands still rose in the blue air; and the splendid sunset clouds +still covered their summits with a glory; the glittering water was +beautiful as ever. The drums beat to reveille, and crowds of gay +people walked about the parade-ground.</p> + +<p>And Charley was dying.</p> + +<p>Even now, the loving guardian angels were waiting on the other side of +the dark valley, to conduct this summer blossom to his heavenly home. +Myriads of little children were tuning their golden harps, to greet +his purified spirit with a hymn of joyful welcome, and Jesus was +saying, "Come." +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_207" id="Page_207">[Pg 207]</a></span></p> + +<p>And now, his last day on earth was passing—lovely and serene. +Charley's little bed had been moved in the afternoon, close to the +open window, where he could see the white sails gliding by on the +smooth silvery water. A peace from within, not of this world, +illuminated his sweet face. He had sent for all his brothers and +sisters, and with a faint voice, and at broken intervals, was talking +to them, and giving to each one some little trifle belonging to him; +and one by one, convulsed with sobs, they would rush from the +room—and after a painful struggle would return, with their tears +forced back; their loving gaze fastened upon him, whom in a few short +hours they would see no more.</p> + +<p>When the good doctor entered, and saw +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_208" id="Page_208">[Pg 208]</a></span> that the end was so near, his +features worked painfully, and covering his face with his hands, in +another moment the great scalding tears trickled through. This brave +man, in the midst of battle, with the death strokes falling right and +left, and the great cannons booming destruction before him, had walked +without fear or flinching among the dead and wounded, giving help and +succor; but now, loving and tender-hearted as he was brave, he had +covered his face, and was weeping like a child.</p> + +<p><a name="THE_DEATH_OF_CHARLEY" id="THE_DEATH_OF_CHARLEY"></a>"Tell the doctor not to cry," whispered the dying boy. "I am going +home to Jesus. I am going <i>now</i>," he said, with a gasping sigh. "Kiss +me, mother. Oh! how I thank you for all your love and kindness. I +thank +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_209" id="Page_209">[Pg 209]</a></span> you all; I bless you all. God bless you all;" and thus to the +end, grateful and loving, Charley spoke his last words.</p> + +<p>For now his silken hair lay heavy and damp upon his snow-white +forehead; and as the solemn twilight deepened into shade, and the +first star broke like a promise in the sky, one little upward +fluttering sigh was heard, and they knew that this life was ended, and +Charley was winging his bright way to <span class="smcap">HEAVEN</span>.</p> + +<p>Not a word was spoken, not a sob broke the stillness. The moonbeams, +struggling into the room, disclosed the little mother on her knees by +the small white couch, her head buried in the white coverings. The +children sat sorrow-stricken, motionless, almost breath +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_210" id="Page_210">[Pg 210]</a></span>less, their +eyes fastened on the face of the dead child, in a despairing hope that +he might speak again; but not a breath stirred those still lips. The +good doctor, after a while, tenderly raised the heart-broken mother, +and led her away, and then sending for some kind neighbors, they +gently and lovingly prepared the remains of Charley for their last +quiet resting-place.</p> + +<p>How lovely now looked what was left of the good and lovely boy. The +glistening golden curls pressed closely around the broad, open brow, +white as a lily, and a heaven-sent smile just parted the pale lips. +The leaves of a cluster of white roses curled around his little hands, +which were folded so tenderly above his stilled and quiet heart; +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_211" id="Page_211">[Pg 211]</a></span> and +every flower that he loved was placed with tears and kisses all about +him.</p> + +<p>But oh! what a desolate cry arose in those children's hearts when the +little coffin was closed, and the sweet, peaceful face was seen no +more. Charley was in heaven—Charley was happy, but they wanted him, +<i>they wanted him</i>.</p> + +<p>It seemed so cruel that the world should go on gay as ever, and their +Charley dead. They wondered, as they came on board the boat, which was +to carry what was left of their darling back to New York, they +wondered why every face was not tearful, when theirs was so full of +sorrow.</p> + +<p>They made a little grave for him in the beautiful Greenwood Cemetery. +The soft +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_212" id="Page_212">[Pg 212]</a></span> moonlight sleeps lovingly upon it, and people tread lightly +as they approach and read the name of "<span class="smcap">Lame Charley</span>."</p> + +<p>Slowly and sadly passed the rest of the summer, for the little mother +told no more stories. Once she tried, for she could not bear to see +the sad faces of her children; alas! that one vanished face, with its +sweet, grateful smile, and little tender ways, came before her, and +the story was lost in a flood of tears.</p> + +<p>But late one lovely evening, as she was sitting by the open window, +thinking of her loved and lost one, some friend, unseen beneath, sang +these words, to a sweet and tender melody +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_213" id="Page_213">[Pg 213]</a></span>—</p> + +<p class="blockquot noin"> +"Mildly, sweet summer moon,<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 3em;">Shine on this mother, weeping;</span><br /> +Whisper within her heart,<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 3em;">'He is not dead, but sleeping.'</span></p> + +<p class="blockquot noin">"Softly, sweet summer stars,<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 3em;">Evermore vigil keeping,</span><br /> +Tell her, in steadfast tones,<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 3em;">'He is not dead, but sleeping.'</span></p> + +<p class="blockquot noin">"Gently, sweet summer wind,<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 3em;">All things in perfume steeping;</span><br /> +Breathe in her sorrowing soul,<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 3em;">'He is not dead, but sleeping;</span></p> + +<p class="blockquot noin">"'And safe in Jesus' arms,<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 3em;">His great reward is reaping.'</span><br /> +Up! mother, up! and cry,<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 3em;">'He is not dead, but sleeping.'"</span></p> + +<p>A faint flush passed over the mother's +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_214" id="Page_214">[Pg 214]</a></span> pale cheek, for she knew that +some one who loved her, had thus tenderly warned her that her grief +was not endured as hopefully as it should be. She had not remembered +that her beloved Charley was only "gone before, not lost."</p> + +<p>With an earnest, prayerful effort, she once more grew cheerful, and +with her cheerfulness came happiness to the children's hearts, though +they all their lives will remember their good, pure, and tenderly +beloved brother—whom you, dear little reader, also love, and know as</p> + +<p class="smcap center">LAME CHARLEY.</p> + + +<p>Dear little readers, you and I have now followed Charley together +through six books, +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_215" id="Page_215">[Pg 215]</a></span> +in which his life, and the lives of his brothers +and sisters, have been faithfully portrayed. If the good and pure life +of the little lame child, now happy in heaven, gives you <i>one</i> +steadfast resolution, to endeavor, from this time forth, to lead a +good and pure life, it will gladden the inmost heart of your loving</p> + +<p class="smcap blockquot"><span class="right">Aunt Fanny.</span></p> + + +<h4>THE END.</h4> + + +<div class="tnote"> + +<h3>Transcriber's Note:</h3> + +<p>Variations and inconsistencies in spelling, hyphenation, and punctuation +in the original text have been retained in this ebook.</p> +</div> + + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's The Fairy Nightcaps, by Frances Elizabeth Barrow + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE FAIRY NIGHTCAPS *** + +***** This file should be named 28802-h.htm or 28802-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/2/8/8/0/28802/ + +Produced by David Edwards and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was +produced from images generously made available by The +Internet Archive.) + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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