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diff --git a/36759-h/36759-h.htm b/36759-h/36759-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..19a4255 --- /dev/null +++ b/36759-h/36759-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,4747 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> +<!-- $Id: header.txt 236 2009-12-07 18:57:00Z vlsimpson $ --> + +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> + <head> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1" /> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Style-Type" content="text/css" /> + <title> + The Project Gutenberg eBook of Daisy; or, The Fairy Spectacles, by Caroline Snowden Guild + </title> + <style type="text/css"> + +body { + margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; +} + + h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { + text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ + clear: both; +} + +p { + margin-top: .75em; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: .75em; +} + +hr { + width: 33%; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; + clear: both; +} + +table { + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; +} + +.pagenum { + position: absolute; + left: 92%; + font-size: smaller; + text-align: right; +} + +.center {text-align: center;} + +.smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} + +/* Images */ +.figcenter { + margin: auto; + text-align: center; +} + </style> + </head> +<body> + + +<pre> + +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Daisy; or, The Fairy Spectacles, by +Caroline Snowden Guild + +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: Daisy; or, The Fairy Spectacles + +Author: Caroline Snowden Guild + +Release Date: July 17, 2011 [EBook #36759] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DAISY; OR, THE FAIRY SPECTACLES *** + + + + +Produced by Heather Clark and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This book was +produced from scanned images of public domain material +from the Google Print project.) + + + + + + +</pre> + + +<p><a name="Frontispiece" id="Frontispiece"></a></p> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 430px;"> +<img src="images/image01_frontispiece.jpg" width="430" height="553" alt="DAISY THOUGHT MORE OF BUTTERFLIES THAN OF BIRDS." title="Frontispiece" /><br /> +<span class="smcap">daisy thought more of butterflies than of birds.</span> +</div> + +<hr /> + +<p class="center" style="font-size:150%">DAISY;<br /></p> +<p class="center" style="font-size:85%">OR,<br /></p> +<p class="center" style="font-size:125%">THE FAIRY SPECTACLES.<br /><br /></p> +<p class="center" style="font-size:80%">BY THE AUTHOR OF<br /> +"VIOLET; A FAIRY STORY." +<br /> +<br /></p> +<p class="center" style="font-size:75%">BOSTON:<br /> +PHILLIPS, SAMPSON, AND COMPANY.<br /> +1857.<br /><br /><br /> + +Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1856, by<br /> +Phillips, Sampson, and Company,<br /> +In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts.<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +Stereotyped at the<br /> +Boston Stereotype Foundry.<br /></p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="center" style="font-size:125%">PUBLISHERS' ADVERTISEMENT.</p> + + +<p>The universal commendation bestowed upon the exquisite +little story of "<span class="smcap">Violet</span>," published last year, has led to +the issue of this second book, by the same author. It +will be found to possess the same delightful simplicity +of style, the same sympathy with nature, the same love +of the good and the true, which characterized its predecessor. +To those parents who would bring their children +into contact with a mind of perfect purity, strong in +correct principles, loving and liberal in nature, and refined +in tastes and sympathies, the publishers commend this +little volume.</p> + +<hr /> +<p class="center" style="font-size:135%">Contents</p> +<p class="center" style="font-size:80%">Created for HTML Version</p> +<table summary="Contents"> +<tr><td></td><td></td><td>Page</td></tr> +<tr><td align="right">I.</td><td>The Old Fairy</td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_9">9</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="right">II.</td><td>The Woodland Home</td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_16">16</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="right">III.</td><td>Daisy</td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_21">21</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="right">IV.</td><td>Great Picture Books</td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_29">29</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="right">V.</td><td>Trouble For Daisy</td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_35">35</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="right">VI.</td><td>The Sweetest Flower</td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_39">39</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="right">VII.</td><td>The Woodman's Funeral</td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_42">42</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="right">VIII.</td><td>Daisy's Mission</td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_47">47</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="right">IX.</td><td>Fairy Food</td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_53">53</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="right">X.</td><td>Daisy's Dreams</td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_58">58</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="right">XI.</td><td>The Dame's Bundle</td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_62">62</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="right">XII.</td><td>A Leaf Out of Daisy's Book</td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_70">70</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="right">XIII.</td><td>Maud</td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_79">79</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="right">XIV.</td><td>The Spectacles</td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_84">84</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="right">XV.</td><td>The Father's House</td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_91">91</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="right">XVI.</td><td>The Watchman</td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_101">101</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="right">XVII.</td><td>The Fairy's Cave</td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_108">108</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="right">XVIII.</td><td>Daisy Alone</td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_116">116</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="right">XIX.</td><td>The Quarrel</td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_124">124</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="right">XX.</td><td>Twilight</td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_133">133</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="right">XXI.</td><td>The Fairy Letters</td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_138">138</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="right">XXII.</td><td>The Face and the Heart</td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_145">145</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="right">XXIII.</td><td>Joseph</td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_151">151</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="right">XXIV.</td><td>The Freshet</td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_157">157</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="right">XXV.</td><td>The Fairy's Last Gift</td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_163">163</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="right">XXVI.</td><td>What It All Means</td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_172">172</a></td></tr> +</table> + +<hr /> + +<p class="center" style="font-size:135%">List of Illustrations</p> +<p class="center" style="font-size:80%">Created for HTML Version</p> +<table summary="Illustrations"> +<tr><td></td><td align="right">Page</td></tr> +<tr><td>Daisy Thought More of Butterflies Than of Birds</td><td><a href="#Frontispiece"><i>Frontispiece</i></a></td></tr> +<tr><td>She Put the Girl's Hand into His</td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_12b">12</a></td></tr> +<tr><td>The Loaf and Flask</td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_54b">54</a></td></tr> +<tr><td>And He Looked into My Face</td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_139b">139</a></td></tr> +</table> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</a></span></p> + +<p class="center" style="font-size:140%">DAISY;</p> +<p class="center" style="font-size:80%">OR THE</p> +<p class="center" style="font-size:120%">FAIRY SPECTACLES.</p> + +<hr /> + +<h3>CHAPTER I.</h3> +<h4>THE OLD FAIRY.</h4> + +<p>There was a great forest, once, where you +might walk for miles, and never hear a sound +except the tapping of woodpeckers, the hooting +of owls, or the low bark of wolves, or the +strokes of a woodman's axe.</p> + +<p>For on the borders of this wild, solitary place +one man had built his little house, and lived +there. It was very near the trees which he +spent his time in cutting down; and Peter +thought this all he cared about.</p> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</a></span></p> +<p>But when the summer wore away, and the +cold, lonely winter months came on, and there +was no one to keep his fire burning and the +wind from sweeping through his home, and no +one to smile upon him and comfort him when +he came back tired from his hard day's work, +Peter grew lonely, and thought he must find a +wife.</p> + +<p>So he went to a market town, a whole day's +journey off; for he knew it was a fair-day, and +that all the young women of his acquaintance +would be there, and many more beside.</p> + +<p>At first he looked about for the most beautiful, +and asked her if she would be his wife; +but the beauty tossed her head, and answered, +not unless he lived in a two-story house, and +had carpets on his floors, and a wagon in which +she could drive to town when she chose.</p> + +<p>All this, was very unlike the home of poor +Peter, who had nothing in the world but his +rough little cabin and a barrow in which he +wheeled his wood.</p> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</a></span></p> +<p>The next maiden told him he had an ugly +scar on his face, and was not good looking +enough for her; and, besides, his clothes were +coarse. The next declared that she was afraid +of wolves, and would rather marry one of the +village youths, and live where she could hear +the news, and on fair-days watch the people +come and go.</p> + +<p>So Peter started for his lonely home again, +with a sadder heart than he left it; for there +was no chance that he could ever grow handsome +or rich, and therefore he thought he must +always dwell alone; instead of the music of +kind voices, with which he had hoped to make +his evenings pleasant, he was still to hear only +the cracking of boughs, and hissing of snakes, +and the barking of wolves.</p> + +<p>But suddenly he met in the road some people +who seemed more wretched than himself—an +old, bent woman, clad in rags, and with +such an ugly face that, strong man as he was, +Peter could not look at her without trembling,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</a></span> +and a girl whom she led, or rather +dragged along, through the dusty road.</p> + +<p>The girl looked as if she had been weeping +and was very tired; she did not raise her +swollen eyes from the ground while Peter +talked with her companion. The old dame +said she was a silly thing, crying her eyes +out because her mother was dead, when she +ought to be thankful to be rid of one so old, +and sick, and troublesome.</p> + +<p>The girl began to cry again, and the woman +to scold her loudly. "Just so ungrateful people +are," she said; "when I have promised to +find a place where you can live at service, +and earn money to buy a new gown, you +must needs whimper about the old body that's +well enough in her grave."</p> + +<p>"Perhaps the poor child is lonely," said +Peter, who had a kind heart under his rough +coat, and knew, besides, from his own experience, +what a hard thing it is to live with +no one to love us and be grateful for our +care.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p><a name="Page_12b" id="Page_12b"></a></p> +<div class="figcenter"> +<img src="images/image02_chap01.jpg" width="430" height="525" alt="SHE PUT THE GIRL'S HAND INTO HIS." title="" /><br /> +<span class="smcap">she put the girl's hand into his.</span> +</div> + +<hr /> + +<p> +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</a></span></p> +<p>The girl looked up at Peter with her pale, +sad face; but her lips trembled so that she +could not thank him. And he began to think +how this poor beggar must have a gentle and +loving heart, because she had taken such good +care of her old mother, and, notwithstanding +she was so troublesome, had been grieved at +losing her.</p> + +<p>So he made bold to ask once more what he +had been refused so many times that day, and +had never thought to ask again, whether she +would marry him, and live in his little cabin, +and cook his meals, and keep his fires burning, +and smile and comfort him when he should +come home tired from his work.</p> + +<p>And at these words a bright smile came +into the face of the old woman, and seemed +for an instant to take its ugliness away. She +put the girl's hand into his, and said to her, +"One who can forget his own trouble in comforting +another will make you a good husband, +Susan."</p> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</a></span></p> +<p>All at once the old woman had disappeared; +and Peter and Susan, hand in hand, were travelling +towards the cabin in the wood. They +looked about in every direction; but she was +gone. Then they looked in each other's faces, +and seemed to remember that they had seen +each other before; at least, Peter knew he +had always meant to have exactly such a wife +as Susan, and Susan was sure that, if she had +looked through the world, she could have found +no one so manly, and kind, and generous as +Peter.</p> + +<p>I may as well tell you a secret, to begin +with—that it was no accident which led the +young woman into Peter's path, but a plan +of the old dame. And she was not the withered +hag she seemed, but the youngest and +most beautiful fairy that ever entered this +earth—the strongest, too, and richest, for +the earth itself is only a part of her treasure; +and should she forsake it for a moment, +our world would wither like a flower cut +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</a></span>from its stem, and be blown away with the +first wind that came.</p> + +<p>But you must find out for yourselves the +fairy's name.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</a></span></p> + +<h3>CHAPTER II.</h3> +<h4>THE WOODLAND HOME.</h4> + +<p>To Susan Peter's cabin seemed like a palace; +for he had taken care that it should +look clean and pleasant when his new wife +came.</p> + +<p>It was shaded with the beautiful boughs +of the wood; and the door stood open, for +he had no lock and key. There were inside +some comfortable seats, and a fireplace, +and table, and some wild flowers in a cup; +and on the floor were patches of sunshine +that had crept through the leaves, and made +the room look only cooler and shadier.</p> + +<p>Peter opened a closet, and showed his stores +of meal and sugar, and all his pans and +dishes; and he took from his pocket the stuff +for a new gown, which he had bought at the +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span>fair on purpose for his wife, and wheeled from +its dark corner an easy chair he had made for +her, and hung upon the wall a little looking +glass, so that she might not forget, he said, to +keep her hair smooth, and look handsome when +he should come home at evening.</p> + +<p>Poor Susan could hardly believe her own +senses: but a few hours ago she had been a +beggar in the streets, without one friend except +the old woman that dragged her through +the dust and scolded her. Many a night they +had slept out of doors, with only a thorny +hedge for shelter and the damp grass for a +bed; and if it rained, and they were out, had +had no fire to dry their shivering limbs; and +when they woke up hungry in the morning, had +no breakfast to cook or eat.</p> + +<p>And now the lonely beggar girl was mistress +of a house, and the wife of a man whom +she would not exchange for the whole wide +world, and who seemed pleased with her, and +even proud of her.</p> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</a></span></p> +<p>So you see, dear children, that it is never +worth while to be unhappy about our trials, +because we do not know what may happen +the next minute. We never can guess what +good fortune is travelling towards us, and may, +when times seem darkest, be standing outside +of our door.</p> + +<p>The poor debtor in jail may suddenly hear +that he has been made a prince; the dear +friend that is sick, and seems almost sure to +die, may arise all the stronger, and the dearer, +too, for the illness which frightened us; the +sad accident that causes such pain, and perhaps +mutilates us for life, may have kept off from +us some more dreadful pain—we cannot tell.</p> + +<p>But of this we may always be sure, that the +good God, who never sleeps nor grows tired, +loves and watches over us, and sends alike +joy and sorrow, to make our souls purer, and +fitter to live in his beautiful home on high.</p> + +<p>Susan never was sorry that the strange old +dame had put her hand in Peter's; for he led +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span>her through the pleasantest paths he could find, +and when the way grew rough, he was so careful +of her comfort, and so grieved for her, +that she almost wished it might never be +smooth again.</p> + +<p>They were very poor, and worked hard from +morning until night, and often had not quite +clothes enough to wear nor food enough to +eat; but they were satisfied with a little, and +loved each other, and enjoyed their quiet, +shady home.</p> + +<p>Many a time they talked over the strange +events of their wedding day, and wondered if +they had really happened, or were only the +recollections of a dream; and Susan would declare +that she had not yet awakened from her +dream, and prayed she never might; for the +cold, cruel, lonely world she always knew before +that day had changed to a beautiful, sunny +home, where she still lived, as merry as a +bird.</p> + +<p>Susan was not so ignorant as you might +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</a></span>think; for before her old mother was taken +sick, she had lived at service, and though unkindly +treated, had learned to do many things, +and could prepare for Peter little comforts of +which he never dreamed before.</p> + +<p>She had, too, a pleasant voice, and she and +her husband sang together of evenings; so +that it happened, after his wife came, Peter +never heard the snakes or wolves again.</p> + +<p>Ah, and there were more cruel, more fearful +snakes and wolves that Susan kept away. Suppose +she had been ill natured or discontented, +and instead of enjoying her house, had tormented +Peter because it was not a more splendid +one; and when he came home tired, instead +of singing pleasant songs to him, had fretted +about her little troubles, and they had vexed +and quarrelled with each other; do you think +the far-off voices of snakes and wolves outside +would have made the poor man's home as doleful +as those angry, peevish voices within, which +no lock could fasten out?</p> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</a></span></p> + +<h3>CHAPTER III.</h3> +<h4>DAISY.</h4> + +<p>Perhaps by this time you are wondering +what has become of the fairy. This is exactly +what Susan used to wonder; and when, at +evening, she went out to tell Peter that supper +was ready, and it was time for him to +leave off work, if a leaf fell suddenly down, +or a rabbit ran across her path, she would +start and look about cautiously; for it seemed +to her the old woman might at any time come +creeping along under one of the tall arches +which the boughs made on every side, or even +she might be perched among the dusky branches +of the trees.</p> + +<p>Peter used to laugh at her, and ask if she +could find nothing pretty and pleasant in all +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</a></span>the beautiful wood, that she must be forever +searching for that ugly face.</p> + +<p>But, to tell the truth, when he walked home +alone after dark, and the wind was dashing +the boughs about, and sighing through them, +and strange-looking shadows came creeping +past him, Peter himself would quicken his +pace, and whistle loudly so as not to hear +the sounds that came thicker and thicker, and +seemed like unearthly voices. He could not +help a feeling, such as Susan had, that the +old fairy was hidden somewhere in the wood, +and that her dreadful face might look up out +of the ground, or from behind some shadowy +rock.</p> + +<p>He did not know what a lovely, smiling +face was hidden beneath the dame's wrinkles +and rags; he did not know that this spirit, he +dreaded so much, was his best and kindest +friend; and that, while he feared to meet her, +she was always walking by his side, and keeping +troubles away, and it was even her kind +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</a></span>hand that parted the boughs sometimes, to let +the sunshine stream upon his little home.</p> + +<p>It is very foolish to fear any thing, for +our fears cannot possibly keep danger away; +and suppose we should sometimes meet living +shadows, and dreadful grinning faces, in a +lonely place, it is not likely they would eat +us up; and it is a great deal better and braver +for us to laugh back at them than to be frightened +out of our senses, and run into some +real danger to escape a fancied one.</p> + +<p>The fairy was not to be found by seeking +her, but she came at last of her own accord. +When Peter came home from his work, one +night, and passed the place where Susan usually +met him, she was not there; he walked +slowly, for it was a beautiful evening, and he +did not wish to disappoint his wife, who thought +more of her walk with him than of her supper. +No Susan appeared, for all his lingering; +and when his own door was reached, +who should stand there but the old woman, +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</a></span>her ugly face bright with smiles; and in her +arms a little child, as small, and helpless, and +homely as you would wish to see.</p> + +<p>But it belonged to Peter and Susan; and +if children are ever so homely, their own parents +always think them beautiful. You never +saw a person so pleased as Peter; he hugged +his little girl, and danced about with her, and +went out to the door, when it was light, to +look at her face, again and again. It seemed +to him as if a miracle had been wrought on +purpose for him; and already he could fancy +the little one running about his home, building +up gardens out of sticks and stones, and singing +with a voice as musical as her mother's, and +even pleasanter, because it would sound so +childish and innocent.</p> + +<p>Of course Susan was pleased with what delighted +Peter so much; and neither of them +minded the little homely face, except once, +when Peter declared it looked like the old +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</a></span>woman herself, and he was afraid it had caught +her ugliness.</p> + +<p>"What's that—what's that?" exclaimed the +fairy, whom he supposed to have gone away; +for he was too happy to think much about +<i>her</i>. Up she started from Susan's easy chair, +with her great eyes glittering at him, and her +wide mouth opening as if she would devour +the baby.</p> + +<p>"I said she looked like her godmother," answered +Peter, holding his child a little closer, +and moving towards the door to look at its +face again.</p> + +<p>"Then," cried the old dame, "I must christen +her. There is nothing rich or beautiful about +her looks, and it would be foolish to call her +by a splendid name. She will live in lonely, +lowly places, and grow without any one's help, +and always have a bright, fresh, loving face, +that looks calmly up to heaven: we must call +her Daisy. Take care of her heart, now, Pe<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</a></span>ter; +and this gift of mine will be a more precious +one than ever was bestowed upon a +queen."</p> + +<p>So she fumbled a while in her great pocket, +and brought out a pair of rusty spectacles, +which she offered Peter: but he did not know +this, for he was looking at Susan; and the +fairy laid them upon the little, sleeping bosom +of the child, and hobbled off into the dark, and +was not seen in Peter's house again for many +a day.</p> + +<p>"What folly is the meddlesome old dame +about, I wonder?" said Peter to himself, taking +up the spectacles, and about to throw them +away; but the child opened her eyes, and +took them in her little hand in such a knowing +way, he must needs have her mother +see it.</p> + +<p>"Dear soul!" exclaimed Susan; "she will +be such a comfort to me, when I am here alone +all day with my work! What shall we name +her? It must be something bright and pleas<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</a></span>ant; +and it seems to me there is nothing prettier +than Daisy."</p> + +<p>Now, while Peter and the old woman were +talking by the door, Susan had been fast asleep, +and had not heard what they said.</p> + +<p>"The dame has talked you into that fancy," +answered Peter. "I should call the little one +Susan."</p> + +<p>"What dame?" asked the wife, in surprise. +"You cannot mean that the old woman has +been here."</p> + +<p>If he had ever heard Susan speak an untruth, +Peter would have thought she was deceiving +him now; but he felt that she was +good and true, and thought, perhaps, after all, +she had been so drowsy as to forget the +dame's visit; so he patiently told about it, +spectacles and all.</p> + +<p>Susan took them in her hand with some curiosity, +and even tried them upon Daisy's face; +they were large and homely, besides being all +over rust. While Daisy wore them, the moon<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</a></span>light +broke through the boughs again, to show +her little face, looking so old, and wise, and +strange, that Susan snatched the spectacles off, +and threw them into a drawer, where she quite +forgot them, and where they lay, growing rustier, +for years.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</a></span></p> + +<h3>CHAPTER IV.</h3> +<h4>GREAT PICTURE BOOKS.</h4> + +<p>You would not suppose that Susan's home +could be any different because such a poor +little thing as Daisy had come into it; but +bright and pleasant as it was before, it was +a hundred times brighter and pleasanter now.</p> + +<p>The child was so gentle and loving, and +so happy and full of life, that Susan and +Peter felt almost like children themselves, in +watching her. No matter how tired Peter +was at night, he would frolic an hour with +Daisy, tossing the little thing in the air, lifting +her up among the boughs till she was +hidden from sight. And Susan would leave +her work any time to admire Daisy's garden, +or to dress the wooden doll that Peter had +made for her.</p> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</a></span></p> +<p>As for Daisy's self, she was the busiest little +soul alive, after she once learned to walk; +for at first she could only lie and look up +at the leaves, and the great sky, so far, far +off, and see the slow, white clouds sail past +the tops of the trees, and watch the birds, +that hopped from branch to branch and looked +down at her curiously, wondering if she were +any thing good to eat.</p> + +<p>Daisy would hold up her little hands, to +tell them they'd better not try, and then the +bird would turn it off by singing away as if +he had no such thought, and watch her as +he warbled his gay little song, that said, "O +Daisy, I'm having a beautiful time; are you?"</p> + +<p>Then Daisy would coo, and laugh, and clap +her hands, which was her song, and which +meant, "Yes, indeed; only wait till I can use +my feet, and have a run with you."</p> + +<p>Peter made a rough kind of cradle out of +willow twigs, and hung it in a tree, so that +the fresh, green leaves shaded it, and kept +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[Pg 31]</a></span>away the flies, and fanned Daisy's face, as she +lay there swinging, when the day was warm, +like a little hangbird in her nest.</p> + +<p>No wonder the child was always fond of +birds, when she began so early to live with +them and listen to their songs.</p> + +<p>But Daisy learned to walk in time; and +then she was constantly flying about, like the +butterflies she loved. For the little girl thought +even more of butterflies than of birds; they +seemed to her like beautiful flowers sailing +through the air, and making calls upon the +other flowers, that were fastened down to the +earth,—poor things!—as she used to be before +she learned to walk.</p> + +<p>She would pick the flowers sometimes, and +toss them into the air to see if they didn't +fly, and tell them they were silly things to +fall back on the ground and wilt, when, if +they only would not be afraid, they might +float off, with all their wings, and see a little +of the world.</p> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[Pg 32]</a></span></p> +<p>Daisy's hands were always full of flowers; +and she brought some to the cabin which Susan +had never seen before; for the good woman +could not leave her work long enough to go +in such out-of-the-way places as they chose to +blossom in.</p> + +<p>Daisy had no work except to amuse herself; +and she never tired of trudging under the trees, +crowding her way among the tall weeds by +the river bank, and creeping behind great rocks, +or into soft, mossy places in the heart of the +quiet wood; and here she was sure of finding +strange and lovely things.</p> + +<p>These were the little girl's books; she had +no spelling and history like yours, but studied +the shapes of leaves and clouds, and the sunshine, +and river, and birds.</p> + +<p>She did not know all their names, but could +tell you where the swallow lived, and where +wild honeysuckles grew, and the humming bird +hid her little eggs, and how many nuts the +squirrel was hoarding for winter time, and how +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[Pg 33]</a></span>nicely the ant had cleaned her house for spring, +and when the winged seeds on the maple tree +would change to broad green leaves, and the +leaves themselves would change to colors as +gay as the sunset, and then all droop and +wither, and leave the bright little stars to +wink at her through the naked boughs.</p> + +<p>The birds all knew Daisy, and were not +afraid of her; they would bring their young +ones about the door, that she might feed them +with crumbs and seeds. And even the sly +little rabbits, that started if a leaf fell, came +quietly and nibbled grass from Daisy's hands, +and let her stroke their long, soft ears.</p> + +<p>You may wonder that Susan was not afraid +the snakes and wolves would devour her little +girl; but, as I told you before, she never +could help thinking that the old woman was +somewhere in the wood, and remembering how +she had smiled at looking into the baby's face, +thought she would not let Daisy come to any +harm.</p> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[Pg 34]</a></span></p> +<p>And she was right; for the fairy only lifted +her finger when the little girl passed, and the +wolf that had begun to watch and growl at +her would crouch back in his den, and fall +asleep.</p> + +<p>But he would not have frightened Daisy, +had he come forth; she did not know the +name of fear, and, glad to see a new play-fellow, +would perhaps have climbed on his back, +and, patting his mouth so gently with her little +hand that he forgot to growl, would have +told him now he might gallop along, and take +her home to her mother.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[Pg 35]</a></span></p> + +<h3>CHAPTER V.</h3> +<h4>TROUBLE FOR DAISY.</h4> + +<p>It was fortunate that Susan was so happy +while she could be; for the poor woman little +dreamed how soon her sunny home was to +become a sad, dark place for her.</p> + +<p>Peter used to go forth in the morning, +whistling as gayly as any of the birds; and +Daisy following him, proud enough that she +could carry his little dinner basket for the +short way she went.</p> + +<p>She did not know that what was such a +heavy load to her was only a feather for the +strong man to lift, and so delighted in thinking +she had grown old enough to help her +dear father.</p> + +<p>Still Peter had to watch his dinner closely; +for Daisy would espy some beautiful flower or +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[Pg 36]</a></span>vine looking at her from away off in the +shade; and down the basket would go, and +the little girl was off to take a nearer look, +and see if she could not break off a branch +to carry home to her mother.</p> + +<p>Sometimes Peter walked so fast, or Daisy +staid so long, that they lost each other; and +then the father made a call that could be +heard for miles, which frightened all the birds +home to their nests, and must have startled +the old dame herself, wherever she might be +lurking in the wood.</p> + +<p>But the call was music to Daisy; and before +many minutes, she would come bounding +into her father's arms, almost hidden in the +waving white blossoms with which she had +loaded herself.</p> + +<p>And all this while, unless Peter himself took +care of it, what would become of his dinner!</p> + +<p>When Susan went to meet her husband at +evening, now, Daisy was sure to be with her—one +moment holding her hand, the next skipping +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[Pg 37]</a></span>away alone, or kneeling to gather bright pebbles +and sheets of green moss, to make banks +and paths in her garden. She fluttered about +in the sunshine like the butterflies she loved, +and was as harmless and gentle.</p> + +<p>But, alas! one night, no Peter came to meet +them; and though Daisy kept thinking she +heard his step or his voice, it could only be +the fall of some dead limb or the hooting of +an owl.</p> + +<p>The night grew darker, and it lightened so +sharply that Daisy clung to her mother's skirts, +and begged her to hide somewhere under a +rock until the storm should be past, as the +little girl felt almost sure her father had done.</p> + +<p>But Susan groped her way on, with the wind +blowing the branches into their faces, and the +dead boughs snapping and falling about them, +and the snakes, that they had never seen before, +gliding across the path, hissing, and running +their forked tongues out with fear.</p> + +<p>And at length they found poor Peter, dead, +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[Pg 38]</a></span>on the ground. The tree which he had been +cutting down had fallen suddenly, and crushed +his head so under its great trunk that they +only knew him by his clothes.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[Pg 39]</a></span></p> + +<h3>CHAPTER VI.</h3> +<h4>THE SWEETEST FLOWER.</h4> + +<p>Small as Daisy was, she saw that her father +could never speak to her again; she remembered +how kind he had always been; how +many good times they had had together; how, +that very morning, he had waited, on his way +to work, and climbed a tall tree, only to tell +her whether the eggs were hatched in the blue-jay's +nest.</p> + +<p>She thought, too, how he had let her go farther +than usual, and then walked back with +her part way, to be sure she was in the right +path, and how gently he had kissed her at +parting, and told her to be a good girl, and +help her mother.</p> + +<p>Ah, she would take care to do that now, and +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[Pg 40]</a></span>never forget the last words which her dear +father spoke to her.</p> + +<p>When our friends are taken away, we remember +every little kind word, or look, or +smile they ever gave us—things we hardly +noticed while they were alive; and Daisy could +remember only kindness, only smiles and pleasant +words. She thought no one could ever +have had so good a father as Peter was to +her, and that no little girl could be so lonely +and wretched as she was now.</p> + +<p>Who was there left to call her up in the +morning before the birds, and to make her +garden tools, and swing her in the boughs, and +listen to her stories at night about the rabbits +and flowers? It seemed as if her heart +would break.</p> + +<p>But Daisy had one pleasant thought to comfort +her—it seemed like a sweet flower that +her father had dropped down from his new +home in paradise, and which she would always +wear in her bosom; and perhaps he would +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[Pg 41]</a></span>know her by it when, after a great many +years, she should go to live with him there.</p> + +<p>This dear thought was, that when Peter +lived, she had done every thing in her power +to please him and make him forget his weariness, +and that he had known of this thoughtfulness, +and loved her for it, and had always +felt younger and happier when she was by +his side.</p> + +<p>If your brothers and sisters or parents die, +whether by accident or sickness, are you sure +that they would leave you such a comforter as +Daisy had? Think about it; for when you +stand by their coffins, and it is too late to +change the past, and the cold lips have spoken +their last word, this little flower will be worth +more to you—though no one may see it except +yourself—than all the treasure in the world.</p> + +<p>But if you have been cold and cruel, there +will come into your heart, instead, when you +think of them, a dismal shadow, which all the +light of the blessed sun cannot drive away.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[Pg 42]</a></span></p> + +<h3>CHAPTER VII.</h3> +<h4>THE WOODMAN'S FUNERAL.</h4> + +<p>Daisy did not see the lightning, nor hear +the snakes, nor feel the drops of rain that +began to patter down; she only felt the cold +hand that would never lead her through the +wood again; for when she lifted it, it fell +back on the ground, dead—dead!</p> + +<p>She asked her mother if they were not going +home; but Susan said her home was with +Peter; and if he staid out in the dark wood, +she must stay there, too. She was frightened, +and wild with sorrow, and did not know what +she was saying, and began, at last, to blame +the old woman, who had brought her there, +she said, to be so happy for a little while, +and always afterwards lonely and wretched—the +old hag!</p> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[Pg 43]</a></span></p> +<p>"What old hag!" said a voice close to +Susan's ear, that brought her senses back +quickly. "Is this all your gratitude, Susan? +And are you going to kill your child, out +here, with the cold and damp, because your +husband's gone? Come! we must bury him; +and then away to your home, and don't sit +here, abusing your best friend."</p> + +<p>Daisy, you know, had never seen the woman, +and she had never looked so dreadfully as +now; she was pale and starved, and her great +eyes glittered like the eyes of the snakes, and +her voice was sharp and shrill enough to have +frightened one on a pleasanter night than that.</p> + +<p>With Peter's axe the fairy sharpened two +stout sticks; one of these she made Susan take, +and there, by the light of the quick flashes of +lightning, and a little lantern that the woman +wore like a brooch on her bosom, Daisy +watched them dig her father's grave.</p> + +<p>The fallen tree was one of the largest in +the wood, and the two women could not lift +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[Pg 44]</a></span>it; so they dug the earth away at the side and +underneath the trunk; and when the place was +deep enough, poor Peter's body dropped into +its grave. While her mother and the fairy +were filling it over with earth, Daisy went for +the moss which she had gathered to show her +father, and, by the light of the fairy's lamp, +picked the sweetest flowers, and fragrant grasses, +and broad leaves that glistened with the rain, +and scattered them on the spot.</p> + +<p>Then, with one of Susan's and one of Daisy's +hands in hers, the old dame hurried them out +of the wood. They stumbled often over the +broken boughs, and stepped, before they knew +it, on the snakes, that only hissed and slid +away among the grass. Susan was crying bitterly, +and their guide kept scolding her, and +Daisy heard the wolves growl in their dens.</p> + +<p>She had heard of great funerals, where there +were carriages and nodding plumes, and heavy +velvet palls, and bells tolling mournfully; but +Daisy thought it was because her father had +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[Pg 45]</a></span>been such a good man, that his funeral was so +much grander.</p> + +<p>She knew that all about his grave, and +on, on, farther than eye could see, the great +forest trees were bending and nodding like +black plumes, and sounds like groans and sighs +came from them as they dashed together in +the wind; the lightning was his funeral torch; +and the thunder tolled, instead of bells, at +Peter's grave; and the black clouds swept on +like a train of mourners; and the great, quick +drops of rain made it seem as if all the sky +were weeping tears of pity for the little girl.</p> + +<p>Ah, and Daisy could not see how the dreadful +old woman only seemed such, and was, in +truth, a good and gentle fairy, who meant still +to watch over the little orphan with tender +care, as she had always done; whose soft, +white wings, even now, were spread above, to +shelter her from the cold rain and wind, and +whose kind heart was full of pity for that +little aching heart of hers.</p> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[Pg 46]</a></span></p> +<p>You and I, and all the people we know, +walk through the world with this same strange +fairy; who seems to frown, and scold, and +force us on through cruel storms, and yet who +is really smiling upon us, and shielding our +shrinking forms with tender care, and leading +us gently home.</p> + +<p>Have you thought yet what can be the +fairy's name?</p> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[Pg 47]</a></span></p> + +<h3>CHAPTER VIII.</h3> +<h4>DAISY'S MISSION.</h4> + +<p>No sooner had Daisy stepped inside of her +mother's door, than there came such a crash +of thunder as she had never heard; and the +little house shook as if it must surely fall.</p> + +<p>The old trees ground their boughs together, +and, blown by the wind, the night birds +dashed with their wet wings against the door; +the screech owl hooted, for the young were +washed out of her nest; and the rain leaked +under Susan's door sill, ran across the floor, +and put out the little fire of brushwood which +was burning on the hearth.</p> + +<p>And Daisy thought of her father, out alone +in this fearful night, and how the cold rain +must be dripping into his grave.</p> + +<p>She peeped through the window. The sharp, +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[Pg 48]</a></span>jagged lightning made the sky look as if it +were shattering like a dome of glass. She +wondered if that lightning might not be the +light of heaven she had heard about, and +whether, if the sky should really fall, heaven +and earth would be one place, and by taking +a long, long journey, she could find her father, +and live with him. And she thought that, for +the sake of having him to take her by the +hand again, she would walk to the end of a +hundred worlds.</p> + +<p>Then the sky seemed to Daisy like a great +black bell; and the thunder was the tongue +of it that tolled so dismally over her father's +grave.</p> + +<p>She was startled by a bony hand laid upon +her shoulder, and looking up, heard the old +woman say in her sharp, shrill voice, "Come, +little girl! don't you know I am hungry after +all this work? Fly round, and get me something +to eat."</p> + +<p>And when Daisy noticed her poor, starved +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[Pg 49]</a></span>face, she wondered that she had not thought +to offer her some food.</p> + +<p>So she went to the closet,—the same one +which poor Peter had shown to his wife with +so much pride,—and pointed to bread and a +dish of milk,—for the shelves were so high +that Daisy could not reach them,—and drew +her mother's easy chair into the dryest place +she could find, and begged the dame to seat +herself.</p> + +<p>She did not wait to be asked twice, but +hobbled into the chair, and, to Daisy's wonder, +ate all the bread at a mouthful, and drank +the milk at a swallow, and then, looking as +hungry as ever, asked for more.</p> + +<p>So the little girl brought meat, and then +some meal, and some dried fruit, and even +cracked nuts; but the more she brought, the +more the fairy wanted.</p> + +<p>If Daisy had feared any thing, she would +have trembled when, at last, the old dame fixed +her glittering eyes upon her, and began to talk.</p> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[Pg 50]</a></span></p> +<p>"Couldn't you do any better, Daisy, than +this," she said, "for your mother's friend and +yours? Are you not ashamed, when I am so +hungry and tired, to give me such mean +food?"</p> + +<p>"I am sorry, if you do not like it," said +Daisy; "it is the best we ever have."</p> + +<p>"Don't tell me that," and the dame began to +look angry. "Do you call it good food that +leaves me thin as I was before, and as hungry, +and my clothes as ragged, and does not +rest or soothe my poor old aching bones?"</p> + +<p>"If you wait till mother has done crying, +she can make a drink out of herbs that will +stop the aching—I am sure of that," said +Daisy, looking up in the fairy's face.</p> + +<p>"But I want it now; and, O, I am so cold! +and she will cry all night. Do, Daisy, find +me something else to eat."</p> + +<p>The poor old woman shivered as she spoke, +and tears came into her eyes.</p> + +<p>"If it were daytime, I could find you ber<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[Pg 51]</a></span>ries +and nuts out doors, for mother says I +have sharp eyes."</p> + +<p>"Have you—have you? And could you +find my hut? There is a beautiful loaf of +bread and a flask of medicine on the table. +O, dear! this dreadful pain again!" and the +ugly face grew uglier, as its wrinkles seemed +all knotting up with agony.</p> + +<p>"I am almost sure I could find it, and I +am so sorry your bones ache; pray, let me +try."</p> + +<p>"What! go out into the dreadful night, with +the owls, and wolves, and snakes, and with +bats flapping their wings in your face, and the +thunder rolling and rumbling overhead?"</p> + +<p>"None of these things ever hurt me, and I +don't believe they will now. May I try?"</p> + +<p>"Just listen to the wind and rain, and see +the lightning cut through the darkness like a +sword; and think, Daisy, if you should see +your father, just as he lay in the wood, with +his head all crushed."</p> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[Pg 52]</a></span></p> +<p>"My father has gone to heaven," said the +little girl; "that is only his body out in the +woods, just as that is his coat on the wall; +and I shall see nothing except the nice loaf +of bread and the medicine, and think only +how they will cure your pain."</p> + +<p>Without another word, the fairy took the +lantern from her bosom, and fastening it to +Daisy's, led her to the door, and pointed out +into the black night.</p> + +<p>"Who could see to hurt me, when it is so +dark!" the little girl exclaimed. "Now, tell +me which way I shall turn, and see if I am +not back soon."</p> + +<p>"Walk only where the light of the lantern +falls." She was saying more; but the wind +slammed the door suddenly, and Daisy found +herself alone.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[Pg 53]</a></span></p> + +<h3>CHAPTER IX.</h3> +<h4>FAIRY FOOD.</h4> + +<p>The lantern made a little pathway of light, +sometimes leading straight forward, sometimes +turning, running among thick bushes or over +the rocks; and Daisy went bravely on, never +minding the frightened birds that fluttered +through her light, like moths, nor the sad sigh +of the wind, nor the dripping trees.</p> + +<p>She looked for pleasant things, instead of +frightful ones; and let me whisper to you, +that, with fairy help or without it, we always +find, in this world, what we are looking for.</p> + +<p>The mosses seemed like a green carpet for +her feet, and the pebbles like shining jewels; +and the little flowers looked up at her like +friends, and seemed to say, "We are smaller +and weaker than you are, Daisy; but we +stay out here every night, and nothing harms +us."</p> + +<p>And the trees bowed, and folded their +leaves above her, as she passed, so gently, that +she thought they were trying to shelter and +take care of her.</p> + +<p>At length the light paused before a rock; +but Daisy could find no house, until she parted +a clump of bushes, and then saw the entrance +to a cave.</p> + +<p>She crept in; and as her lantern filled the +place with light, she saw what a damp, uncomfortable +home the old dame had, with only +some stones for seats, and a table, and a ragged +bed, and a smoky corner where she built +her fire.</p> + +<p>There, however, upon the table stood the +loaf and flask which Daisy had come to find; +she took them and hurried away, for it seemed +as if the old dame's face were looking at her +out of the rocky wall on every side.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p><a name="Page_54b" id="Page_54b"></a></p> +<div class="figcenter"> +<img src="images/image03_chap09.jpg" width="430" height="545" alt="THE LOAF AND FLASK" title="" /><br /> +<span class="smcap">the loaf and flask.</span> +</div> + +<hr /> + +<p>It was a heavier load for the little girl +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[Pg 55]</a></span> +than her father's basket had been; but she +had a strong heart, if her hands were weak. +She ran along, trying to get before the light, +that was always just in front of her, and singing +the merriest songs she knew, so as not to +hear the wind nor think about the faces on +the wall.</p> + +<p>She reached home safely, but could not open +the door; for the latch was high, and the +dame had gone fast asleep. Daisy thought she +must wait until daylight out there in the cold, +and sat on the step, feeling disappointed and +sad enough.</p> + +<p>But one of her tame rabbits, awakened, perhaps, +more easily than the dame, hopped out +of his burrow, and nestled in Daisy's lap, and +looked up at her with his gentle eyes, while +she warmed her hands in his fur, and did not +feel so much alone.</p> + +<p>At last the old woman started from her +sleep, and wondering what had become of Daisy, +went to look for her.</p> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[Pg 56]</a></span></p> +<p>She seized the bread with a cry of joy, and +breaking a morsel, ate it eagerly, as she led +Daisy towards the fire, which she had built +up again.</p> + +<p>"Now, see the difference between your food +and mine." As the fairy spoke, Daisy looked +up, and saw, to her surprise, the wrinkles +smooth away, and a beautiful light break over +the old brown face, the wide mouth shrink to +a little rosy one, all smiles, and pearly teeth +inside. The fairy's eyes grew brighter than +ever; but the dreadful glittering look had +gone, and they were full of joy, and peace, +and love.</p> + +<p>"Wait, now, till I take my medicine." Her +voice had changed to the softest, most silvery +one that Daisy ever heard.</p> + +<p>And when she had tasted the drink, her +poor old crooked hands grew plump and white, +her bent form straightened, and, what made +Daisy wonder more, even her clothes began to +change.</p> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[Pg 57]</a></span></p> +<p>First they looked cleaner, then not so faded, +then the rags disappeared, and they seemed +new and whole; and then they began to grow +soft and rich, till the ragged cotton gown was +changed to velvet and satin, the knotted old +turban to delicate lace, that hung heavy with +pearls, but was not so delicate and beautiful +as the golden hair that floated about the fairy +wherever she moved.</p> + +<p>"Poor child!" she said; "you are tired and +cold; come, rest with me;" and taking Daisy +in her arms, began to sing the sweetest songs, +that seemed to change every thing into music, +even the wailing tempest and her mother's +sobs.</p> + +<p>And all the while that tender, loving face +bent over her, and the gentle hands were +smoothing her wet hair, and folding her more +closely to the fairy's heart.</p> + +<p>Upon this pillow our tired Daisy fell asleep.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[Pg 58]</a></span></p> + +<h3>CHAPTER X.</h3> +<h4>DAISY'S DREAMS.</h4> + +<p>Strange and pleasant dreams came to Daisy +as she slept; and in all of them she could +see the beautiful fairy floating over her head, +and her father walking by her side.</p> + +<p>It seemed to her that, as she watched the +lightning, the sky really broke like a dome of +glass, and came shattering down, and that after +it floated the loveliest forms, and odors and +music came pouring down, and light which was +far clearer, and yet not so dazzling as the +light of earth.</p> + +<p>The clouds came floating towards her, and +all their golden edges were bright wings, that +waved in time with the music; then came falling, +falling slowly as snow flakes, what seemed +little pearly clouds, but blossomed into flowers<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[Pg 59]</a></span> +and then changed into sweet faces, that all +smiled on her as they passed by.</p> + +<p>Among these the little girl searched eagerly +for her father's face, when all at once he took +her in his arms, and said, "Ha, my Daisy! is +it you?" in his own merry, pleasant way.</p> + +<p>This startled her so much that she awoke, +only to fall asleep again, and dream another +dream as wonderful.</p> + +<p>But at length the morning sun had crept +around the side of the cottage, found its way +through the window, and fell so full on Daisy's +face, that she could dream only of dazzling, +dazzling light, which seemed burning into +her eyes, and made her open them wide, at +length.</p> + +<p>And then, alas! how every thing was changed! +Her first thought was of the fairy; but she +had gone, and Daisy had been sleeping in +her mother's easy chair, and felt cold and +lonely as she looked around upon the silent +room.</p> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[Pg 60]</a></span></p> +<p>No music there, no flowers and angelic faces, +and clouds like chariots of pearl, with golden +wings to hurry them along; no father to take +her in his arms, and call her his little Daisy.</p> + +<p>She closed her eyes, and tried to sleep again, +for it seemed to her a great deal better to +dream than to be awake in such a dreary +little world as that. But suddenly Daisy thought +of her mother, and almost at the very moment +was aroused by a moan from another part of +the room.</p> + +<p>She ran to Susan's side, and found her sick, +and wretched as she was the night before; +so Daisy bathed her head, and brought her +some fresh water from the spring; and when +she could not comfort her in any other way, +began to tell her dreams, how she had seen her +father again, and felt sure he must be still +alive.</p> + +<p>As Susan listened, she dried her tears, and +kissed Daisy so fondly that the little girl no +longer wished to be asleep, but was glad that +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[Pg 61]</a></span>she had power to run about, and prattle, and +amuse her lonely mother.</p> + +<p>For she remembered Peter's last words now, +that she must be a good girl, and help, not +herself, not sit still and have pleasant dreams, +but help her mother.</p> + +<p>And this Daisy felt resolved to do, if only +for his sake.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[Pg 62]</a></span></p> + +<h3>CHAPTER XI.</h3> +<h4>THE DAME'S BUNDLE.</h4> + +<p>As soon as her mother smiled once more, +Daisy asked her what had become of the splendid +fairy, and when she would be back again, +and how it happened that the light and music +had gone with her from their home.</p> + +<p>Susan had seen no fairy, and could not believe +that Daisy was thinking of the poor old +wrinkled dame. When she told the story of +her journey to the cave, and the loaf of fairy +bread, and the old dame's sudden change, the +mother stroked Daisy's hair, and said that this +was only another of her wonderful dreams, and +that, instead of going to the rain, the rain +had come to her, pelting upon the window so +hard, it had, perhaps, sprinkled her face—that +was all; and the light of the fairy was, +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[Pg 63]</a></span>she supposed, the light of the morning sun, +that had pried her little sleepy lids apart, at +last.</p> + +<p>Daisy felt bewildered and sorrowful at this, +for she did not like to give up her new friend; +but her mother told her how long she had +known the dame; how she had put her hand +in Peter's, years ago; and afterwards put +Daisy in his arms, a little thing, no larger +than her wooden doll, that could only lie in +the grass or swing in its nest among the +boughs, and look up at the sky.</p> + +<p>Daisy thought, if she could have such another +dear little thing to play with, and love, and +tell her stories to, she should be contented +with her home, and willing to wait for her +father, and forget the vision of the fairy that +had folded her so tenderly in her arms.</p> + +<p>So she went on asking questions about the +dame; and then her mother remembered the +gift of the iron spectacles. Of course Daisy +wished to see them; but where they were no +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[Pg 64]</a></span>one knew. And Susan consoled her by saying +they were but homely and worthless things.</p> + +<p>"All things are worthless unless we make +use of them," said the shrill voice of the dame, +who in her sudden way appeared all at once +in the room.</p> + +<p>"I only wonder that I don't grow tired of +helping you," she said; "for you give me nothing +except ingratitude. Here, take this, and +see what fault you can find with it."</p> + +<p>She tossed a bundle into Susan's arms, put +a loaf on the table, and pointed Daisy to the +rubbish heap outside the door; then frowning +angrily at Susan, "Pretty extravagance! to +make believe you are poor, and throw away +what is worth more than all the gold on earth. +Why didn't you make the child wear my gift?"</p> + +<p>"She was homely enough, at first, without +it," Susan answered; "and after she grew better +looking, why should I waste my time looking +up those old rusty spectacles, to make her +a fright again?"</p> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[Pg 65]</a></span></p> +<p>"You will have no such trouble with the +other one." As the fairy spoke, a lovely little +face peeped out from the bundle in Susan's +arms. "Now, tell what I shall give her, with +her name."</p> + +<p>Susan had never seen such a beautiful child, +and, poor as she was, felt grateful to the dame +for this new gift; but she begged for leave +to name the little one herself.</p> + +<p>"I will call it Peterkin, after my husband. +Ah, how the dear man would have loved it!" +And Susan began to cry.</p> + +<p>"Then her name will not match her face; +if you want a Peterkin, I will bring you one +instead of this; but her name must be Maud."</p> + +<p>So Susan gave up the name for the sake of +the child's good looks, and begged the dame +to keep her always so beautiful, and to make +her rich.</p> + +<p>"That's easy enough; you should have asked +me, Susan, to make her heart rich and beautiful. +Yet rich she shall be; and no one in +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[Pg 66]</a></span>all the earth shall have so handsome a face. +But, remember, it is on one condition I promise—that +Maud and Daisy shall always live together, +rich or poor; that they shall never +spend a night apart, until Daisy goes to live +with her father again."</p> + +<p>Susan promised, and was thanking the dame +with all her heart, though looking at the lovely +little face that nestled in her bosom, when +Daisy flew into the room.</p> + +<p>"O mother, mother! I've seen her again, and +prettier than she was at first. She smiled at +me, and stroked my hair, and then went floating +off among the trees, like all the faces in +my dream."</p> + +<p>"Then she and the dame are not one; for, +look!"</p> + +<p>"Look where? Has the dame been here +again?"</p> + +<p>"To be sure; I was talking with her when +you came; and the door has not been opened +since."</p> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[Pg 67]</a></span></p> +<p>But no old woman was in sight; Daisy +looked under the table, and in the closet, and +every dark corner; but she was not there; +and the little girl told her mother that she +must have been dreaming, now.</p> + +<p>But Susan showed her what the dame had +brought, and even put the little thing in Daisy's +arms. It was hardly larger than a bird, +and pretty as a flower, and as helpless, too.</p> + +<p>And Daisy almost forgot the fairy in this +new delight; she thought that all the visions +in the air were not so sweet and lovely as +her sister's face. She could not look at it +enough; and at length taking out from her +pocket a pair of spectacles, gravely put them +on, and looked at her sister again.</p> + +<p>Susan laughed; she couldn't help it, Daisy +looked so drolly. She saw that the spectacles +were the very ones the dame had brought; for +she thought there could hardly be another pair +so old and rusty in the world.</p> + +<p>The little girl said she had found them in +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[Pg 68]</a></span>a dust heap, where Susan remembered that she +had emptied the rubbish from some old boxes, +the day before. Daisy had but just cleaned the +glasses with her apron, and was holding them +up to find if they were clear, when she saw, +through them, the beautiful fairy floating by, +and smiling on her as she passed.</p> + +<p>She thought, after all, it might have been +the glasses that had changed the sour old woman +into a smiling fairy; but when she looked +at her sister's sweet little face through them, +it was not half so beautiful—it seemed cold +and hungry, and the smile was gone.</p> + +<p>Susan felt very sure that the dame was real, +for all about her were the care and trouble +she had brought; and had she not dragged her +on through cruel storms, and scolded her when +she was trying to do her best? And if the +beautiful smiling vision was real, why did it +always float away?</p> + +<p>Susan forgot that the dame, too, floated +away when her errands were done.</p> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[Pg 69]</a></span></p> +<p>So Daisy did not know but she had been +dreaming again, though with her eyes wide +open; and yet she could not forget how softly +she had been folded once in the fairy's arms.</p> + +<p>Perhaps it was because the little girl believed +in her, and was always watching and +hoping to see her again, that the beautiful +bright form sometimes floated past her eyes.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[Pg 70]</a></span></p> + +<h3>CHAPTER XII.</h3> +<h4>A LEAF OUT OF DAISY'S BOOK.</h4> + +<p>After a great many days of rain, the storm +ceased; and glad enough was Daisy, for she +had grown tired of staying in the house, or of +being drenched and almost blown away when +she ventured out of doors.</p> + +<p>The sun came out, one morning, and did not +hide in clouds again, as usual, but poured its +beautiful beams down on the earth, till the dark +forest trees seemed touched with gold, and the +little drooping flowers lifted up their heads +once more.</p> + +<p>Daisy, as she looked from the cabin window, +and saw and heard the raging storm, had often +wondered what would become of her friends +the birds—if their nests would not be shaken +from the trees, and their little unfledged young +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[Pg 71]</a></span>ones would not shiver with cold. Then, too, +the butterflies, she feared, would have their +bright wings washed away or broken; and the +flowers would have their petals shaken off, and +be snapped from their slender stems.</p> + +<p>But we are apt to dread a great deal worse +things than ever happen to us; and though +Daisy did find some fallen nests and dead birds +scattered on the ground, she could see that the +storm had done more good than harm.</p> + +<p>For every bird there were hundreds of insects +lying dead—not bees and butterflies, but +worms and bugs, that bite the flowers, and +make them shrivel up and fade, and that gnaw +the leaves off the trees and all the tender +buds, and sting and waste the fruit.</p> + +<p>The toads were having a feast over the bodies +of these little mischief makers; and the birds +were swinging on the tips of the leafy boughs, +and singing enough to do your heart good; +bees came buzzing about as busily as though +they meant to make up for all the time they +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[Pg 72]</a></span>had lost; and a beautiful butterfly, floating +through the sunshine, settled upon a flower at +Daisy's feet, and waved his large wings, that +looked soft and dry as if there had never been +a drop of rain.</p> + +<p>Then the trees were so bright and clean, +with the dust all washed away, and fresh as +if they had just been made; they waved together +with a pleasant sound, that Daisy thought +was like a song of joy and praise; and every +little leaf joined in the chorus, far and wide, +stirring, and skimming, and breathing that low +hymn of happiness.</p> + +<p>The wood was fragrant, too; and in all its +hollows stood bright little pools, that reflected +the sky, and sparkled back to the sun; the +grass and flowers had grown whole inches since +Daisy saw them last, and the mosses were green +as emerald.</p> + +<p>Quite near the cabin, though hidden from +it by the trees, was a wide river, that had +swollen with the rain, and was rushing on with +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[Pg 73]</a></span>a sound so loud that it shook the leaves, and +seemed like a mighty voice calling to Daisy +from a great way off.</p> + +<p>So she found her way to its shore, and saw +that the bridge across it had been swept away; +and as it went foaming and tearing along, +whole trees, and boats, and rafts were whirling +in the tide that was rushing on, on, on, +she wondered where.</p> + +<p>Then the little girl remembered how long +she had been away from home, and hurried +back to tell her mother about the bridge, stopping +now and then to snatch a flower as she +passed. Her hands were full when she bounded +into the cabin; and she looked as bright, +and fresh, and full of joy as any thing out +doors.</p> + +<p>But her mother sat in a corner, feeling very +sad, and hardly looked at Daisy's flowers, and +said it was nothing to her how bright the +sun shone so long as it never could rest again +on Peter's face.</p> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[Pg 74]</a></span></p> +<p>"Why," said Daisy, "I thought father was +happy in heaven, and where he did not have +to work so hard, and there were never any +storms, and the flowers were prettier than +these."</p> + +<p>"That is true enough," Susan answered; "but +it will not keep us from being lonely, and +cold, and hungry, too, sometimes."</p> + +<p>"But we are not hungry now, and perhaps +the queer old dame may bring us some more +of her bread, or else I'm pretty sure the fairy +will take care of us. Who feeds the flowers, +mother?"</p> + +<p>"God."</p> + +<p>"What, ours—up in heaven?"</p> + +<p>"There is only one God, Daisy; he gives us +meat and milk, and gives the flowers dew and +air."</p> + +<p>"Then I suppose they were thinking about +him this morning."</p> + +<p>"Why?"</p> + +<p>"Because, when I first went out, they seemed +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[Pg 75]</a></span>as if they were dreaming—just as I felt when +I dreamed; so that I wondered if they hadn't +seen the fairy pass, or if their eyes were sharper +than ours, and they could see faces floating in +the air when there were none for us. It was +damp, at first, and there were great shadows; +but presently the sunshine poured in every +where, and still they kept looking straight up +into the sky—a whole field of them, down by +the river bank; and, do see! even these I've +brought you are looking up now at our wall +as if they could see through it. If God can +see through walls, can't we, when we are looking +after him?"</p> + +<p>"I don't know but we might, Daisy. You +ask strange questions."</p> + +<p>"Just answer one more, mother. If the flowers +have the same God with us, why do they always +look so happy, and beautiful, and young? +Does he think more of them than he does +of us?"</p> + +<p>"No, child—not half so much. We suffer +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[Pg 76]</a></span>because God made us wiser than the flowers."</p> + +<p>"Why, they get trampled on, and beaten in +the wind, and have their stems broken, and +have to stay out doors in the cold all night, +(Daisy was thinking of her midnight walk,) and +sometimes they don't have any sunshine for a +week: we should call that trouble, and I know +what I think about it."</p> + +<p>"Tell me."</p> + +<p>"Why, you see, the flowers are always looking +at the sky, and don't mind what is happening +around them, nor wait to think who +may step on their pretty faces. Suppose we +are wiser; why can't we live as they do, mother, +and think about God and heaven, instead of +always ourselves?"</p> + +<p>"I know a little girl who lives very much +like them now," said Daisy's mother, kissing +her. "But, my dear child, how strangely you +have looked ever since you put on those old +spectacles!"</p> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[Pg 77]</a></span></p> +<p>"Why, am I not the same Daisy? Am I +changing to a fairy, like the dame?"</p> + +<p>"I fear not; they leave a sort of shadow +on your face, and make you homely. It seems +to me, Daisy, I'd throw the old things away."</p> + +<p>"O, don't say that—not if they make me +like the old woman herself. I guess it doesn't +matter much how we look down here."</p> + +<p>"Down where?"</p> + +<p>"Why, on the earth; for you know father +was not handsome; and when I saw him in +heaven, in my dream, O, he had such a beautiful +face!"</p> + +<p>So Daisy went on prattling about her father +until Susan dried her tears; for when she +thought of Peter now, it was not the poor +crushed body in the wood, which she had wept +about, but the beautiful, smiling angel in paradise.</p> + +<p>And when cares gathered thicker about her, +and want seemed so near that Susan grew +discouraged, Daisy would bring her flowers; +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[Pg 78]</a></span>and the mother would remember then how +they were always looking up to the kind God, +and so look up herself, and thinking about him, +forget her sorrows and her cares.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[Pg 79]</a></span></p> + +<h3>CHAPTER XIII.</h3> +<h4>MAUD.</h4> + +<p>The little Maud grew more beautiful every +day; she was fair as a lily, except that you +might think rose leaves had been crushed to +color her cheeks. Her bright eyes were shaded +by long, silky lashes; and her pretty mouth, +when it was shut, concealed two rows of delicate, +pearly teeth. Her hair hung in a cloud +of dark-brown curls, touched on the edges with +a golden tinge.</p> + +<p>The old dame took care that her dress +should be always fine; and while she gave +Daisy the coarsest woollen gowns, brought delicate +muslins for Maud.</p> + +<p>But Daisy did not mind this; she was glad +to see her beautiful sister dressed handsomely; +and, besides, how could she crowd through the +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[Pg 80]</a></span>bushes by the river bank, or sit on the ground +looking at grass and flowers through her spectacles, +if her own dresses were so frail?</p> + +<p>It was not, after all, so very amusing as +Daisy had hoped, to take care of Miss Maud, +when she began to run about and play. She +did not dare to go in the wood, for fear of +bugs and snakes; she did not like to sail chips +in the river, and make believe they were boats; +she tossed away Daisy's wooden doll, and called +it a homely thing; she pulled up her sister's +flowers, and always wanted to go in a different +place and do a different thing from her.</p> + +<p>The little girl found it hard to give up so +many pleasures; but she kept thinking that +Maud would be older soon, and would know +better than to be so troublesome.</p> + +<p>And Maud was no sooner large enough to +run about than Daisy wished her young again; +for she took pains to tread on the prettiest +flowers, and call them old weeds, and would +chase every butterfly that came in sight, and +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[Pg 81]</a></span>tear his wings off, and then laugh because he +could not fly; she pinched the rabbits' ears +until they grew so wild they were almost +afraid of Daisy, and seemed to have no pleasure +except in making those about her very +uncomfortable.</p> + +<p>Yes, Maud had one other pleasure—she +loved to sit beside the still pools in the wood, +that were like mirrors, and watch the reflection +of her handsome face.</p> + +<p>But after this, she was sure to go home +peevish and discontented, telling her mother +and Daisy what a shame it was to live in +such a lonely place, and have no one admire +her beauty; and to be so poor, and depend on +the charity of "that hag," as she called the +dame.</p> + +<p>Then she loved to tell Daisy what a common-looking +little thing <i>she</i> was, and how the +mark of those ugly spectacles was always on +her face, and every day it grew more homely +and serious, and as if she were a daughter of +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[Pg 82]</a></span>the dame. "As for myself," Maud would end, +"I am the child, I know, of some great man; +the dame has stolen me away from him, I feel +sure, and then thinks I ought to be grateful +because she brings me these clothes."</p> + +<p>At this, Daisy would look up through her +spectacles, and say, meekly, "It doesn't matter +much who is our father here; for God, up in +heaven, is the Father of us all, and gives great +people their fine houses, just as he gives these +flowers to you and me; for mother told me so."</p> + +<p>Then Maud would toss her head, and ask, +"What is mother but an old woodcutter's +wife, that has worked, perhaps, in my father's +kitchen?"</p> + +<p>"God doesn't care where we have worked, +but how well our work is done," said Daisy.</p> + +<p>"O, nonsense! Who ever saw God? I want +a father that can build me a fine house, all +carpeted, and lighted with chandeliers, and full +of servants, like the houses mother tells us +about sometimes."</p> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[Pg 83]</a></span></p> +<p>"Why, Maud, what is this world but a great +house that God has built for us? All creatures +are our servants; the sun and stars are its +chandeliers; the clouds are its beautiful window +frames; and this soft moss is the carpet. +Look, what dear little flowers grow among it, +and gaze up as if they were saying, 'Yes—God +made us all.'"</p> + +<p>"Who wants a house that every one else +can enjoy as much as we, and a father that is +not ashamed to call every dirty beggar his +child?"</p> + +<p>Daisy thought her home all the pleasanter +for this, and loved her heavenly Father more, +because he had room in his heart for even the +meanest creature; but she could not make her +sister feel as she did, nor try, as Daisy tried, +to be patient, and gentle, and happy.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[Pg 84]</a></span></p> + +<h3>CHAPTER XIV.</h3> +<h4>THE SPECTACLES.</h4> + +<p>Ashamed as Maud was of her mother, she +found new cause for unhappiness, when, one +day, Susan died.</p> + +<p>"Who is there, now," asked the beauty, "to +make my fine dresses, and keep them clean, +and to pet me, and praise my beauty, and carry +me to the fair sometimes, so that every one +may look at my face, and wish hers were +half so handsome?"</p> + +<p>"Poor, dear mother, your hard work is done," +said Daisy, in her gentle way, bending over the +dead form that Susan had left. "You will +never see the old dame's face again, nor hear +the wolves growl in the wood, nor tire yourself +with taking care of us."</p> + +<p>The corpse's hands were hard and rough, but +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[Pg 85]</a></span>they had grown so with working for her children; +and Daisy kissed them tenderly, and +filled them with fresh flowers, and bore her +mother's body far into the still wood, and +buried it under the same great tree that lay +still, like a tombstone, across Peter's grave.</p> + +<p>Though Daisy was no longer a child, she +could not have done this without fairy help. +All the way, she felt as if other arms than +hers were bearing her mother's form, and as +if new strength were in her own when they +handled the heavy spade.</p> + +<p>As Daisy worked there alone in the wood,—for +she could not see the fairy, who was +helping her,—the little birds sang sweet and +tender songs, as if they would comfort their +friend.</p> + +<p>For Daisy had loved her mother dearly, and +remembered her loving, parental care, and +could not but be sorrowful at losing her, even +for a little while.</p> + +<p>Yet she tried to calm her aching heart, be<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[Pg 86]</a></span>cause +Maud, she knew, would need all her care +now, and must be served, and entertained, and +comforted more carefully than ever, so that +she might not constantly miss her mother, and +spend her days in weeping over what could +not be helped.</p> + +<p>The young girl did not think how much +more toil, and care, and unhappiness was coming +to herself; for it was always Daisy's way +to ask what she could do for others, and not +what others might do for her.</p> + +<p>And, children, if you want your friends, and +God himself, to love you, depend upon it there +is no way so sure as this—to forget yourselves, +and think only whom you can serve. +It is hard, at first, but becomes a pleasure +soon, and as easy and natural as, perhaps, it +is now for you to be selfish.</p> + +<p>You must not be discouraged at failing a +few times; for it takes a great deal of patience +to make us saints.</p> + +<p>But every step we move in the right way, +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[Pg 87]</a></span>you know, is one step nearer to our home in +heaven—the grand and peaceful home that +Christ has promised us.</p> + +<p>We left Daisy in the wood, with the birds +singing above her, as she finished her pious +work; perhaps, with finer ears, we might have +heard angels singing songs of joy above the +holy, patient heart that would not even grieve, +because another needed all its strength.</p> + +<p>But the birds' songs ceased; they fluttered +with frightened cries, instead; the wind rose, +and the boughs began to dash about, and the +night came on earlier than usual. Daisy saw +there was to be another fearful storm; and +her first thought was of Maud, alone in the +lonely wood.</p> + +<p>How she wished for wings, like the birds, +that she might fly home to her nest! But, +instead, she must plod her way among the underbrush, +which grew so thick in places, and +the wind so tangled together across the path, +that she went on slowly, hardly knowing +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[Pg 88]</a></span>whether she were going nearer home or deeper +into the wood.</p> + +<p>"Silly girl, where are your spectacles?" said +a voice by Daisy's side; and the old woman +seized her arm, and dragged her over the +rough path, as she had done once before.</p> + +<p>"There is no need of them, now I have +your lamp," said Daisy in a sad voice; for +she was thinking of dear faces that her eyes +would never rest upon again.</p> + +<p>"That's as much as you know. But you +cannot cheat me, Daisy. Have my glasses been +of so little use that you put them in your +pocket, and choose rather to look through +tears?"</p> + +<p>"I did not mean to cry; but how can any +one help it when——"</p> + +<p>"I know—I know; you needn't tell me +of your sorrows, but take out the spectacles."</p> + +<p>So Daisy did as she was told, and never had +the glasses seemed so wonderful; for, besides that +now the old dame's lamp gave a clearer light, +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[Pg 89]</a></span>something made Daisy lift her eyes, and, instead +of two poor bodies lying asleep in the +storm, she saw a splendid city far, far up upon +the tops of the tallest trees, and Peter and +Susan walking there, hand in hand, and smiling +upon her as Peter had smiled in her dream.</p> + +<p>"Well," said the shrill voice of the dame, +"will you give me back my glasses now, and +keep your tears?"</p> + +<p>"O, no!" and Daisy seized the old woman's +withered hand, and turned to thank her; but +she was not there: one moment Daisy felt the +pressure of a gentle hand in hers, and then +the beautiful fairy floated from before her +sight, far up above the trees, and stood, at +last, with her father and mother. All three +were smiling upon her now, and pointing upwards +to the trees, whose leaves were broader +and more beautiful than any in the wood.</p> + +<p>But the young girl stumbled, and fell among +the thorns, and seemed all at once to awake +from a dream; for, the dame's lamp gone, her +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[Pg 90]</a></span>path had grown narrow and dark again; and +she found it would not do to look any more +at the city of gold, until she should find her +own poor cabin in the wood.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[Pg 91]</a></span></p> + +<h3>CHAPTER XV.</h3> +<h4>THE FATHER'S HOUSE.</h4> + +<p>At length Daisy knew that her home was +near; for, above all the howling of the storm, +she heard her sister's sobs and frightened cries.</p> + +<p>Very tired she was, and cold, and drenched +with rain, and sad, besides, for she could not +enter the door without thinking of the burden +she had borne away from it last.</p> + +<p>But, instead of rest and comforting words, +Maud ran to meet her with whining and bitter +reproaches, and called her cruel to stay so +long, and foolish to have gone at all, hard-hearted +to neglect her mother's child, and +would not listen to reason nor excuse, but +poured forth the wickedness of her heart in +harsh and untrue words, or else indulged her +selfish grief in passionate tears and cries.</p> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[Pg 92]</a></span></p> +<p>Alas! the wolves and snakes that Susan kept +away from the cabin had entered it now, and +our poor Daisy too often felt their fangs at +her sad heart.</p> + +<p>She gave her sister no answering reproaches +back, and did not, as she well might, say that +it was Maud's own fault she had been left +alone; for she had refused, when Daisy asked +her help in making their mother's grave.</p> + +<p>When we see people foolish and unreasonable, +like Maud, we must consider that it is +a kind of insanity; they don't know what +they are saying. Now, when crazy people +have their wild freaks, the only way to quiet +them is by gentleness; and we must treat +angry people just the same, until <i>their</i> freaks +pass.</p> + +<p>You would not tease a poor crazy man, I +hope; and why, then, tease your brother or +sister when their senses leave them for a little +while?</p> + +<p>As soon as Maud would listen, Daisy began +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[Pg 93]</a></span>to tell about the beautiful city she saw through +her spectacles, and how the dreadful old dame +had changed to a graceful fairy, and floated +up above the trees.</p> + +<p>But her sister interrupted her, to ask why +she had never told before of the wonderful +gift in her spectacles, and called her mean for +keeping them all to herself.</p> + +<p>She knew very well that the reason was, +Daisy had never found any one to believe in +what she saw, and that even her mother laughed +at her for wearing such old things.</p> + +<p>Maud snatched them eagerly now from Daisy's +hand, but said, at first, she could only see +the lightning and the rain, and then suddenly +dashed them on the ground, with a frightened +cry.</p> + +<p>For she had seemed, all at once, to stand +out in a lonely wood, by night, and to look +through the ground, at her feet, and see as +plainly as by daylight the dead form of her +mother, with the rain drops, that pelted every +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[Pg 94]</a></span>where, dripping upon the flowers which Daisy +had put in her folded hands.</p> + +<p>Maud would not tell this to her sister, but +said peevishly, "Your old glasses are good for +nothing, as I always thought; and you only +want me to wear them so as to spoil my +beauty, and make me as homely as you. Tell +me again about the place you saw our mother +in, though I don't believe a word of what you +say."</p> + +<p>Daisy knew better, and answered, "It was +a more beautiful city than any we ever thought +about in the world. This earth seemed like +its cellar, it was so dull and cold here after +I had seen that glorious light; the trees looked +in it as if they were made of gold."</p> + +<p>"O, you are always talking about light and +trees; tell me about the people and the houses."</p> + +<p>"The houses were so bright, I cannot tell +you exactly how they looked; the foundations +of them were clear, dazzling stones, of every +color; even the streets were paved with glass; +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[Pg 95]</a></span>and the walls were gold, and the gates great +solid pearls!"</p> + +<p>"What nonsense, Daisy! Didn't the shop-keeper +tell us, at the fair, that one little speck +of a pearl cost more than my new gown? +Now, what of the people?"</p> + +<p>"You didn't look at the houses, after once +seeing them; they had such lovely faces, and +such a kind, gentle look, I could cry at only +thinking of them now."</p> + +<p>"Don't cry till you've finished your story. +Were any of them handsomer than the rest? +And what kind of dresses did they wear?"</p> + +<p>"Their clothes were made of light, I should +think; for they were softer than spider webs, +and kept changing their shape and color as +the people moved about."</p> + +<p>"How could they?"</p> + +<p>"Why, all the light poured from one place, +that I could not look into; and even the +heavenly people, when they turned towards it, +folded their wings before their faces."</p> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[Pg 96]</a></span></p> +<p>"That is where I should build my house."</p> + +<p>"O, no, my sister; that is where our heavenly +Father has built his throne; and it is +the light from him that makes the whole city +splendid, without any sun or moon. You cannot +tell what a little, dark speck I felt before +God: I trembled, and did not know where to +turn, when one of the people came and took +my hand."</p> + +<p>"How frightened I should have been! Did +he have wings?"</p> + +<p>"I can't remember; but he moved—all in +the heavenly city move—more quickly and +more easily than birds. They want to be in +a place, and are there like a flash of light; +and they can see and hear so far, that the +beautiful man who spoke to me said he saw +me kiss our mother's hands, and put flowers in +them, and carry her into the wood."</p> + +<p>"Did he say any thing about me?"</p> + +<p>"Yes—that some time you would love him +better than any one else. And he told me +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[Pg 97]</a></span>why the people's clothes kept changing: when +they went nearer our Father, their faces, and +every thing they wore, became more splendid +and lovely, but as they moved away from +him, grew darker and coarser; and yet, Maud, +the commonest of all the people there is +beautiful as our fairy, and wears as splendid +clothes."</p> + +<p>"What was the man's name? I hope he was +not common, if I must love him."</p> + +<p>"No, he was the greatest in heaven; all the +men and angels bowed to him, and they called +him Christ."</p> + +<p>"O, I would give every thing to see him; +you never shall go through the wood alone, +Daisy, for fear he will come again when I'm +away."</p> + +<p>"He could come to our house as well as to +the grave. And I'll tell you another strange +thing about the city, Maud: some of the roads, +you know, are glass, and some are gold; and +there is a beautiful river, like crystal, shaded +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[Pg 98]</a></span>with palm trees, and sweeping on till it is +lost in the great light."</p> + +<p>"I don't see any thing wonderful in that, if +the rest of your story be true."</p> + +<p>"I have not finished: these broad roads +ended in narrow paths; and from the river +trickled tiny streams, that somehow came down +over the golden walls of the city, and over the +clouds, and the tops of trees, into this very +earth we are standing on."</p> + +<p>"O Daisy! are you sure? Could I find one +of the paths, and so climb up to heaven, and +find the beautiful Christ I am to love?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, he told me so himself, and pointed to +all the people on earth that were in those +paths; and I saw a brightness about them, +and a calm look in their faces, such as God's +angels have. And then Christ told how all +who tasted of the streams grew strong; beautiful, +and glad; sick people, that stepped into +them, were healed; and those who washed in +the water were never unclean again."</p> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[Pg 99]</a></span></p> +<p>And Daisy did not tell, because she feared it +might make her sister envious and sad, that +the Beautiful One had kissed her forehead, +and said, "Daisy, you have picked many a +flower beside these streams, and they have +soothed your father's weariness, and healed +your mother's aching heart; and when you +come to live with me, and I place them all +on your head in a wreath that shall never +fade, no angel in heaven will wear a more +beautiful crown."</p> + +<p>Daisy looked up at him then, and asked, +"But will you take them away from my +mother? And shall not Maud have some? +Only let me live near you, and give her the +crown."</p> + +<p>Christ smiled, and then looked sad, and said, +"It will be long before your sister is willing +to walk in such straight, narrow paths, and +dwell beside such still waters, as she must +in order to find these flowers; but you will +always be pointing them out to her; and, in +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[Pg 100]</a></span>the end, she will love me better than she loves +any one else. I would gladly help her, Daisy, +for your sake; but only they who love can +dwell with me."</p> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[Pg 101]</a></span></p> + +<h3>CHAPTER XVI.</h3> +<h4>THE WATCHMAN.</h4> + +<p>So tired was Daisy, after all the labor and +excitement of the day, that as soon as she had +finished her story she fell asleep. Maud tried +until she was tired to arouse her sister, and +make her talk some more; but Daisy, except +for her quiet breathing, was like one dead.</p> + +<p>Maud could not sleep; she listened to the +howling of the storm, and then remembered +the grave she had seen through Daisy's spectacles, +out there in the night; and then her +sister's vision of the beautiful, shining city, +whose people were clothed in light, and thought +of the highest among them all, the King, who +waited for her love.</p> + +<p>"He will not care for Daisy, with her wise +little face, when once he has seen mine," thought +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[Pg 102]</a></span>Maud. "I shall wear my finest garments, and +put on my most stately and haughtiest look, +to show him I am not like common people. +I hope he does not know that every thing I +have comes from that wretched old dame."</p> + +<p>Here there sounded a rattling at the door +latch, as if some one were coming into the +cabin. Maud's heart beat loud and fast for +fright; she imagined that dreadful things were +about to happen, and scolded poor Daisy, as if +she could hear, for pretending to be asleep.</p> + +<p>Then came quick flashes of lightning, that +made the room like noonday for one instant; +and then thunder in crashing peals, that sounded +more dreadful in the silent night; and then +a stillness, through which Maud could hear the +voices of the wolves, and the heavy, pelting +drops.</p> + +<p>Sometimes she thought the river would swell, +and swell, till it flooded into the cabin, and +drowned them both; sometimes she thought the +lightning would kill her at a flash, or the +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[Pg 103]</a></span>wolves would break through the slender door, +and eat her up, or the wind would blow the +cabin down, and bury her.</p> + +<p>Wasn't it strange that the thought never came +to her, as she lay there trembling, what a poor, +weak thing she was, and how good the fairy +had been to keep all mischief from her until now?</p> + +<p>She did think of the fairy, at length, and +resolved to call her help, if it were possible. +She lighted a lamp, and held it so near Daisy's +eyes as almost to burn the lashes off; this she +found better than shaking or scolding, for Daisy +started up from her pleasant dreams, and asked +where she was and what was happening.</p> + +<p>"That!" said Maud, as a still sharper flash +of lightning ran across the sky, and then thunder +so loud that it drowned Maud's angry +voice.</p> + +<p>Daisy covered her face, for the lightning +almost blinded her, and then first found that +she had fallen asleep with the fairy spectacles on.</p> + +<p>"Come, selfish girl," said Maud, "look through +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[Pg 104]</a></span>your old glasses; and if they are good for any +thing, you can find what has become of the +dame, and if she is still awake and watching +over us."</p> + +<p>Then Daisy told how she had been once to +the old woman's cave; and if it were not for +leaving her sister alone, would go again to-night.</p> + +<p>Maud would not listen to this at first, but +told Daisy that she was deceiving her, and only +wanted to creep off somewhere and sleep, and +leave her to be eaten by the wolves. As she +spoke, Daisy's face lighted all at once with the +beautiful smile which Peter saw, the day that +she was born.</p> + +<p>"O Maud, listen, and you will not be afraid," +she said in her gentle voice. "I seemed to +see, just now, the night, and the storm, and our +cabin, and myself asleep—all as if in a picture. +The lightning flashed and thunder rolled; +the wolves were creeping about the door, and +sniffing at the threshold, and the cabin rocked +in the wind like a cradle.</p> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[Pg 105]</a></span></p> +<p>"But just where you are standing, Maud, was +an angel bending over me, and shading my +eyes from the dazzle with her own white wings. +She had such a quiet, gentle face as I never +saw any where except in my vision of our +Father's house."</p> + +<p>"Were her eyes black, or blue like mine? +I wonder if Christ ever saw her."</p> + +<p>"I do not remember the color; but her eyes +were full of love, and pity, and tenderness; and +when I seemed to awake, and look up at her, +she pointed out into the night."</p> + +<p>"And there, I suppose, you will pretend that +you saw something else very fine—as if I +should believe such foolish stories! But talk +on, for it keeps you awake."</p> + +<p>"No, Maud, nothing seemed beautiful after +the angel's face; but I saw a strong city, with +walls, and towers on the walls, and with +watchmen walking to and fro to keep robbers +away. And I saw a great house, as large as +a hundred of ours, with heavy doors, and +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[Pg 106]</a></span>bolts, and locks, and many servants—strong +men, sleeping in their beds, for it was night.</p> + +<p>"And in one of the inmost rooms, where all +was rich and elegant, and the carpet was soft +as moss, and the muslin curtains hung like +clouds, lay a girl about my age, but a great +deal more beautiful, asleep."</p> + +<p>"Was she handsomer than I?" interrupted +Maud.</p> + +<p>"I had not time to ask myself; for, as I +looked, the door opened softly, and two thieves +crept in, and snatched the jewels that lay about +the room, and then, seeing a bracelet on her +white arm, went towards the bed.</p> + +<p>"I was about to scream, when the fairy softly +put her hand before my mouth, and pointed +again.</p> + +<p>"As soon as the thief touched her arm, the +girl awoke, and shrieked aloud; and, when +they could not quiet her cries, the men struck +at her with their sharp knives, and left her +dead.</p> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[Pg 107]</a></span></p> +<p>"Then the angel whispered, 'Daisy, there is +only one hand that can save; there is one eye +that watches, over rich and poor, the crowded +city and the lonely wood, alike. That eye is +God's; unless he keep the city, the watchman +walketh in vain.'</p> + +<p>"So, Maud, the angel will take care of us, +if we only trust in her."</p> + +<p>Maud's fears were quieted so far by Daisy's +words, that she urged her sister now to go +and seek the dame, and leave her there alone.</p> + +<p>The truth was, Maud had a feeling that, +if poor little Daisy had an angel to watch +over her, she, who was so much more beautiful, +could not be left to perish. Perhaps, even +the glorious Christ would come; and if he +did, she would rather not have her sister in +the way.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[Pg 108]</a></span></p> + +<h3>CHAPTER XVII.</h3> +<h4>THE FAIRY'S CAVE.</h4> + +<p>The old dame had built a fire in the corner +of her cave, and sat, alone, watching the +embers.</p> + +<p>Presently she heard a sound unlike the storm—a +parting of the bushes outside, a crackling +of dry sticks upon the ground; and, all at +once, Daisy's bright face appeared, seeming to +bring a sunshine into the gloomy den.</p> + +<p>Daisy was dripping with rain, and felt a +little afraid that the dame would scold her because +her feet made wet tracks on the floor.</p> + +<p>But the fairy seemed in a merry mood to-night—perhaps +she was glad of some one to +keep her company. She laughed till the old +cave rang again, when her visitor told that she +had been frightened by the storm; for she said +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[Pg 109]</a></span>it was music in her ears, and ought to be in +the ears of every one.</p> + +<p>So she drew a stool before the fire for Daisy, +and, while wringing the dampness from her +dress, asked what had become of the spectacles.</p> + +<p>"O, they are safe enough," answered Daisy. +"I know now how much they are worth, and +what a splendid present you gave me, though +it seemed so poor. You are very good to us, +dame."</p> + +<p>"Better than I seem—always better than I +seem," she muttered, looking into the fire still. +"Now, if you think so much of your glasses, +put them on."</p> + +<p>Daisy wiped the water from them on a corner +of the fairy's dress, for her own was too +wet, and did as she was told.</p> + +<p>And, down, down miles beneath the cave, she +saw fires burning, blazing, flashing, flaming about, +and filling the whole centre of the earth; beside +them the lightning was dull, and the old +dame's fire seemed hardly a spark.</p> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[Pg 110]</a></span></p> +<p>She saw whole acres of granite—the hard +stone that lay in pieces about the wood, half +covered with moss and violets; acres of this +were rolling and foaming like the river in a +storm, melted and boiling in the fiery flames.</p> + +<p>"Why, in a few minutes, the cave itself, and +all the earth, will melt, and we shall be burned +up," said Daisy, alarmed.</p> + +<p>"O, no," laughed the fairy. "The fire was +kindled thousands of years before you were +born; and the granite your violets grow upon +has boiled like this in its day; but we are +not burned yet, and shall not be. There's a +bridge over the fire."</p> + +<p>And, surely enough, when Daisy looked again, +she saw great cold ribs of rock rising above +the flames and above the sea of boiling stone, +up and out, like arches on every side. Upon +this rock the earth was heaped, layer above +layer, until on its outside countries, and cities, +and great forests were planted, and fastened +together, it seemed, by rivers and seas.</p> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[Pg 111]</a></span></p> +<p>In the beds of rivers, in crevices of rock, +in depths of the earth, were hidden precious +stones and metals; and where the rocks rose +highest, they formed what we call mountains, +that buried their soaring heads in the sky, +and stretched along the earth for many hundred +miles.</p> + +<p>"What can this rock be made of?" asked +Daisy. "Look!" and, to her wonder, she saw +that it was all little cells, crowded with insects +of different kinds. She asked the dame +how many there were in one piece of stone +which she picked up, and which was about an +inch square.</p> + +<p>"About forty-one thousand millions of one +kind, and many more of another," she answered +carelessly.</p> + +<p>"You could not make Maud believe that," +thought Daisy; and the dame, as if seeing into +her mind, continued,—</p> + +<p>"But it is only the one little world we live +in which you have seen thus far: look above."</p> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[Pg 112]</a></span></p> +<p>The roof of the cave seemed gone; and +Daisy beheld the stars, not far off and still, +as they had always seemed, but close about +her, whirling, waltzing, chasing each other in +circles, with such tremendous speed that it made +one dizzy to watch.</p> + +<p>And they were no longer little points of +light, but worlds like ours—many of them +larger than our earth, which was whirling too, +and seemed so small that Daisy hardly noticed +it amidst the beaming suns.</p> + +<p>There were no handles, no fastenings, no +beams, or ropes, or anchors to those flying +worlds, that dashed along at such mad speed; +she wondered they did not strike against each +other, and shatter, and fall.</p> + +<p>"O, no," said the dame; "the Hand which +made these worlds can keep them in their +places. But how many stars do you suppose +there are?"</p> + +<p>"O, I could not count them in a week."</p> + +<p>"No, nor in a lifetime. It takes more than +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[Pg 113]</a></span>that to count one million; and there are more +than twenty million worlds."</p> + +<p>"There will be no use in telling that to +Maud," thought Daisy; "she'll never believe me."</p> + +<p>And again the fairy saw into her heart, and +answered, "Only the pure in heart can see +God, and believe in him. Maud thinks there +is no truth, because her weak mind cannot +grasp it.</p> + +<p>"Now, Daisy, think that all these worlds +are God's—made, and watched, and loved by +him. You see in many of them mountains +such as the piece of stone you looked into; +you see rivers, earth, and sky; and I tell you +the truth when I say, that all of these are +crowded, fuller than you can dream, with creatures +He has made. And cannot He who +made the lightning govern it? So, do not +fear the howling of the storm again; it is +your Father's voice."</p> + +<p>"How great he is! I am afraid of him!" +said Daisy.</p> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[Pg 114]</a></span></p> +<p>"You may well be afraid to offend him, but +only that; for God is a gentle, loving Father. +He feels when the tiniest insect in this stone +is hurt; and the same mighty Hand that guides +the stars, and roofs over the fires that might +burn up our earth,—the same Hand led you +through the storm to-night, or, Daisy, you would +not have found my cave."</p> + +<p>The dame's last words reminded Daisy that +she had left her sister alone; and though Maud +had surprised her by saying that she need not +hurry back, Maud might have changed her +mind, and complain of the very thing she +asked an hour before.</p> + +<p>She flew home, therefore—falling many a +time, and wounding her hands with the sharp +sticks in her path. Great trees were torn up +by the roots, and came crashing down, in the +dark, scattering earth and pebbles far and +wide; but Daisy walked among them all +unharmed, and was not even frightened; for +she knew some kind hand must be guiding +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[Pg 115]</a></span>her, and thought of the Watchman who never +sleeps.</p> + +<p>Reaching the cabin, she found Maud in a +quiet slumber; and, lying down beside her, +Daisy was soon dreaming over again all she +had seen through the spectacles.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[Pg 116]</a></span></p> + +<h3>CHAPTER XVIII.</h3> +<h4>DAISY ALONE.</h4> + +<p>The sisters lived together comfortably enough +in the wood, for the old dame still supplied +their wants; and Daisy grew so accustomed to +Maud's complaints and reproaches, that she did +not mind them so much as at first.</p> + +<p>Then it was such a joy when, sometimes, +Maud would be pleased and satisfied, and speak +a kind word or two, that her sister forgot all +the rest.</p> + +<p>The fairy had been in the habit, after Susan's +death, of taking Maud to the fair sometimes, +where she could see the people, and +choose handsome gowns for herself, and hear +what was going on in the world.</p> + +<p>Meantime Daisy would remain at home, cleaning +the house and washing Maud's dresses, and +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[Pg 117]</a></span>baking some nice thing for her to eat when +she should come home tired from the fair.</p> + +<p>You may think this hard for Daisy; but you +are mistaken, this time, for she was never so +merry as when working thus alone. There +was no one to meddle and complain when she +was trying to do her best. Let Maud depart, +and all was peace in Daisy's home.</p> + +<p>Maud seemed to think that Daisy was made +for her servant; and when she wished to enjoy +herself alone, or to do some kind deed,—for +other people lived, now, in the neighborhood +of the cabin,—her sister would always interfere, +and complain and whine so grievously +that Daisy yielded to her.</p> + +<p>But Maud away, and her work all finished +in the house, Daisy would clap on her spectacles, +and then such a wonderful world as +stretched around her! Nothing was common, +or mean, or dead; all things were full of +beauty and surprise, when she looked into them.</p> + +<p>The insects that stung Maud, and made her +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[Pg 118]</a></span>so impatient, would settle quietly on Daisy's +hand, and let her find out how their gauzy, glittering +wings were made, and see all the strange +machinery by which they could rise and fly, +and the little beating hearts and busy heads +they had.</p> + +<p>Then they would go slowly circling to their +homes; and Daisy would softly follow, and find +how they lived, and what they ate, and what +became of them in winter time, and all about +their young.</p> + +<p>The birds, meantime, would come and sing +to her about their joy, their young, their fairy +nests, their homes among the shady summer +leaves; the poorest worm, the ugliest spider, +had something in him curious and beautiful.</p> + +<p>Then she would study the plants and trees, +see the sap rising out of the ground, and +slowly creeping into every branch and leaf, and +the little buds come forth, and swell, and +burst, at length, into lovely flowers.</p> + +<p>She would sit upon the mossy rocks, and +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[Pg 119]</a></span>think how far down under the earth they had +been, and how full they might be of living +creatures now; and then bending over the +violets that had grown in their crevices, would +count their tiny veins, and find how air and +sunshine had mixed with the sap to color and +perfume them.</p> + +<p>All these works of his hands made Daisy +feel how near the great God was to her, and +that she could never go where he had not +been before, and where his eye would not follow +her.</p> + +<p>And then, amidst her troubles and toils, she +had but to think of the beautiful city above, +where Peter and Susan were waiting for her, +where the spirits clothed in light would be +her teachers and friends, and she would see +as far, perhaps, as they, and learn more a thousand +times than even her wonderful spectacles +could teach her now.</p> + +<p>But, one day, the dame took a fancy in her +head that she was too old to go to the fair +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[Pg 120]</a></span>again, and, in future, Daisy must go instead, +and take care of Maud.</p> + +<p>This pleased neither of the sisters; for Daisy +now must lose her only hours of quiet; and +Maud, instead of the old crone who had passed +for her servant, must appear with the shabby +little Daisy, of whose meek, serious face, and +country manners, she was very much ashamed.</p> + +<p>Then there was the mark of the spectacles +to attract attention, and make every one ask +who it could be that had such a wise look +on a face so young.</p> + +<p>But the two sisters started, one morning, +for the fair, on the selfsame road on which +Peter had met his wife, and along which he +had led her home, to make his cabin such a +happy place.</p> + +<p>It was not so bad for Maud to have Daisy +with her as she had feared; for the good +natured sister carried all her parcels, found +out cool springs where they could drink, and +pleasant spots where they could sit in the cool +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[Pg 121]</a></span>grass and rest sometimes, instead of hurrying +on through the dust, as the dame had always +done.</p> + +<p>Then Daisy had a cheerful heart, and was +pleased with every thing she met, and so full +of her stories and cheerful songs, that the way +seemed not half so long to Maud as when she +went with the dame.</p> + +<p>Ah, but Maud didn't think how much shorter +and brighter her sister's path through life +would have been had <i>she</i>, instead of her selfish +temper, a good and gentle heart like that +which was cheering her now.</p> + +<p>Daisy took her spectacles along, you may +be sure; and besides that she saw through +them many a flower, and bird, and stone, and +countless other things to which her sister was +as good as blind, Maud found them very useful +at the fair.</p> + +<p>For the glasses showed things now exactly +as they were—in the rich silk, rough places +or cotton threads; calicoes, gay enough to the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[Pg 122]</a></span> +naked eye, through these looked faded and +shabby. Was any thing shopworn, moth eaten, +or out of fashion, the spectacles told it as +plainly as if they had spoken aloud.</p> + +<p>And just so, seen through these magical +glasses, the people changed. A man with a +smiling face and pleasant words would appear +dishonest and cunning, when Daisy put on her +spectacles. A maiden with a proud and beautiful +face looked humbled, all at once, and sad, +and dying of a broken heart. People that +walked about in splendid clothes, and looked +down on the others, seemed suddenly poor beggars, +hiding beneath their garments as if they +were a mask.</p> + +<p>The dame would never carry bundles for +Maud, nor allow herself to be hurried or +contradicted in any way; but Daisy bore all +the burdens of her own accord, and yielded +to Maud's caprices, however foolish they might +be, if they troubled no one except herself.</p> + +<p>But on their way home, something occurred<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[Pg 123]</a></span> +in which Daisy resolved to have her own way; +and Maud was so angry that she would not +walk with her sister, and hurrying on, left +her far behind.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[Pg 124]</a></span></p> + +<h3>CHAPTER XIX.</h3> +<h4>THE QUARREL.</h4> + +<p>It was the old dame that caused the sisters' +quarrel. A few miles from the cabin she appeared, +creeping through the dusty road, with +a bundle of sticks three times as big as herself +on her head.</p> + +<p>"Pretty well!" exclaimed Maud. "The old +creature could not find strength enough to walk +a little way with me; but she can pick up +sticks all day for herself, and carry home more +than I could even lift."</p> + +<p>The dame made no reply; perhaps she did +not hear the beauty's words; but Maud was +so vexed that she brushed roughly past, and +upset all her sticks, and the poor old dame in +the midst of them.</p> + +<p>The fairy lifted her wrinkled arm, which was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[Pg 125]</a></span> +covered with bleeding scratches, and shook her +finger angrily at Maud, who only laughed, and +said, "It is good enough for you; take care, +next time, how you stand in my way. I am +the one to be angry, after you've scattered +your sharp old sticks all over the road to +fray my new silk stockings. Come, Daisy, +make a path for me through them."</p> + +<p>Daisy helped the dame to her feet again, +and wiped away the dust and blood, and +bound the arm up with her own handkerchief, +and then began patiently to pick up all the +sticks, and fasten them in a bundle.</p> + +<p>She did this while Maud and the fairy were +quarrelling and reproaching each other. We +could often make up for a fault or accident +in the time which we spend mourning over it +and deciding whose was the fault.</p> + +<p>Maud, in her heart, was not sorry for what +her sister had now done, because she feared +the fairy, and knew, if she went too far in +offending her, that she might never appear<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[Pg 126]</a></span> +again; and then Miss Maud would eat coarse +food, and wear shabby clothes, like her sister +Daisy.</p> + +<p>Still she pretended to be angry, and scolded +Daisy well for undoing what she had done, +and comforting the old woman when she chose +to punish her.</p> + +<p>Yet more vexed was she when Daisy took +the sticks on her own head; for the dame +seemed tired and faint, and trembled like a +leaf from the fright and pain of her fall.</p> + +<p>Maud drew herself up haughtily, and asked +if she was expected to walk in a public road +in company with a lame old hag and a fagot +girl. Her eyes flashed, and the color glowed +in her delicate cheeks, as she spoke; Daisy +thought she had never seen her sister look so +beautiful, and even took out the glasses that +she might look more closely at the handsome +face.</p> + +<p>Alas, what a change! Serpents seemed coiling +and hissing about Maud's breast; her eyes<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[Pg 127]</a></span> +were like the eyes of a wolf; the color on +her cheeks made Daisy think of the fires she +had seen burning so far down in the centre +of the earth; and the ivory whiteness of her +forehead was the dead white of a corpse.</p> + +<p>It was not strange that, Maud's beauty gone, +her sister grew less submissive; for Daisy, even +with her spectacles, had found nothing except +beauty to love in her sister. She thought a +lovely heart must be hidden somewhere underneath +the lovely face.</p> + +<p>But now she had looked past the outside, +and all was deformed and dreadful.</p> + +<p>"I should like to know if you mean to answer," +said Maud pettishly; "I told you either +to throw down the sticks, or else I would walk +home alone."</p> + +<p>"I must help the poor dame; and as for +our walk, we both know the way," was Daisy's +quiet answer.</p> + +<p>So they parted; and Daisy began to cheer +the dame, who groaned dreadfully, by telling<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[Pg 128]</a></span> +of all the fine things at the fair, and the use +she had made of her spectacles, and how grateful +she must always be for such a wondrous gift.</p> + +<p>It pleased the dame to have her glasses +praised; and so she forgot to limp and grumble +about her wounds, and walked on gayly +enough by Daisy's side, telling sometimes the +wisest, and sometimes the drollest, stories she +had ever heard.</p> + +<p>But their mirth was interrupted by the sound +of sobs; and Daisy's quick eyes discovered, sitting +among the bushes by the way, a little +girl, all rags and dust, crying as if her heart +would break.</p> + +<p>"Never mind her; she will get over it soon +enough," said the dame.</p> + +<p>"I wonder how you would have liked it, +had I said that about you, an hour ago," +thought Daisy, but made no reply, except to +turn and ask the child what she could do +for her.</p> + +<p>"O, give me food, for I am starved, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[Pg 129]</a></span> +clothes, for I am cold, and take me with you, +for I am so lonely," sobbed the child.</p> + +<p>"Then don't cry any more, but take my +hand; and here are some wild grapes I picked +just now—taste how fresh and sweet they +are."</p> + +<p>The little girl laughed for joy, with the tears +still glistening on her face, and soon leaving +Daisy's hand, skipped about her, flying hither +and thither like a butterfly, filling her hands +with flowers, and then coming back, to look +up curiously in the strange old face of the +dame.</p> + +<p>"You are a good soul, after all," said the +fairy, when Daisy returned to her side. "See +how happy you have made that little wretch!"</p> + +<p>"Yes, and how easily, too! O, why do not +all people find out what a cheap comfort it is +to help each other? I think, if they only knew +this, that every one would grow kind and full +of charity."</p> + +<p>Daisy did not dream that the child listened,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[Pg 130]</a></span> +or would understand what she was saying; but +the little girl, tears springing into her eyes +again, answered softly, "O, no, not all."</p> + +<p>"Why, have you found so many wicked people, +my poor child?"</p> + +<p>"Perhaps they are not wicked; but they +are not kind;" and the girl's voice grew sadder. +"Some time before you came, a beautiful +lady passed; she was not dressed like you, +but a hundred times handsomer; and I thought +she would have ever so much to give away; +so I asked her for a penny to buy bread."</p> + +<p>"And did she give you one?" asked Daisy, +who saw that the lady must have been her +sister Maud.</p> + +<p>"Not she; she called me names, and pushed +me away so roughly that I fell into a bunch +of nettles; and they stung till it seemed as +if bees were eating me up. Look there!"</p> + +<p>So she held up her poor little arms, that +were pinched with poverty, as the dame's with +age; they were mottled, white and red or pur<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[Pg 131]</a></span>ple, +with the nettle stings; and only looking +at them made her cry again.</p> + +<p>But Daisy comforted her. "There, I wouldn't +mind; she did not mean to hurt you. And, +besides, you must blame me; for I offended +her, and made her cross. She is my sister."</p> + +<p>"O, dear, then I don't want to go home and +live with you; let me go back and die, if I must. +That lady would beat me, and pull my hair, +I know. When you met me, I was not crying +for hunger, though I was so hungry, nor for +cold, though my clothes were all worn out, +but because she was so unkind. Don't make +me live with her."</p> + +<p>Here the fairy drew the little girl towards +her, and whispered, "Daisy has to live with her, +and be fretted at and worked hard all the time; +if you go, Maud will have another to torment, +and will leave her sister in peace sometimes."</p> + +<p>Then the tears were dried at once; and the +child, taking Daisy's hand, said firmly, "Wherever +you lead me I will go."<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[Pg 132]</a></span></p> + +<p>Daisy never knew what made her change her +mind, for she had not heard the fairy's whisper; +but angels in heaven knew it, and saw +how, at that moment, the child unconsciously +stepped into one of the golden paths that lead +to the beautiful city on high.</p> + +<p>For no good deed, no good thought or intention +even, is lost. Few, perhaps, behold +them here; but hosts of the heavenly people +may always be looking on.</p> + +<p>And even if they were not, it is better to +be good and kind: the good deed brings its +own reward; it makes our hearts peaceful; it +makes us respect ourselves, so that we can look +serenely in the face of every one, and, if they +blame us, answer, "I have done the best I +could."</p> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[Pg 133]</a></span></p> + +<h3>CHAPTER XX.</h3> +<h4>TWILIGHT.</h4> + +<p>When Maud had gone far enough to lose +sight of Daisy and the dame, she slackened her +pace, and looked about to see how beautiful +the path had grown.</p> + +<p>The trees met in green arches above her +head; the road side was sprinkled with lovely +flowers, fragrant in the evening air; and the +breeze, stirring freshly, gave motion and a +sweet, low sound to every thing. Insects were +chirping merrily, and stars began to twinkle +through the boughs.</p> + +<p>Even Maud did not feel lonely; she had +much to remember about the fair—all her +purchases, all the compliments she had heard +paid to her beauty, all Daisy's usefulness, and +how sure she would be to make her go again.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[Pg 134]</a></span></p> + +<p>But the scene about her grew every moment +quieter and more beautiful; so that, leaving +her worldly thoughts, a solemn feeling came +over Maud, and she began to think of the +still more beautiful place which was some time +to be her home,—</p> + +<p>And then of that Glorious One whom she +was to love; mean and coarse seemed her +earthly lovers when she thought of him, and +their compliments vulgar and idle beside his +gracious words.</p> + +<p>"Ah, if I could but see this Christ once," +thought Maud, "so that I might know what +would please him, and could always remember +him just as he really is! It is strange that +he does not come when he must know how I +am longing to behold his face."</p> + +<p>And, in truth, Maud had never for an hour +forgotten her sister's vision, but was constantly +thinking what more she could do to make herself +attractive when the Beautiful One should +come.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[Pg 135]</a></span></p> + +<p>She would not go out at noon, for fear of +tanning her complexion; she hardly ate enough +to live, because of a fancy that angels have +very poor appetites; she gave up the sweet +smile which she had preserved with so much +care, and looked serious, and even sad. And +the foolish girl made it an excuse for not +doing her share of the household work, that +she could not go to heaven with the stains of +labor on her hands.</p> + +<p>"What more can he require of me?" thought +Maud. "Let him but say, and I will do any +thing to serve this greatest of all the angels—will +die—will be his slave!"</p> + +<p>In the twilight, Maud saw, all at once, beside +her a being more beautiful than she had +even thought her Christ. He was thin and +pale; he looked tired, and there were drops +of blood on his forehead and tears in his eyes.</p> + +<p>Yet was there something noble and good +about him, that seemed grander than all the +beauty of this earth, and melted the heart of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[Pg 136]</a></span> +the haughty Maud; so that she asked him to +come to her cabin for food, and promised to +make the old dame give him clothes.</p> + +<p>He shook his head, and answered, "I have +come to you before, naked, and hungry, and +tired, and sad; but you drove me away."</p> + +<p>"O, no, you are mistaken," said Maud; "I +never saw you in my life before."</p> + +<p>"When you refused food and shelter to the +poor, old, and wretched, you were starving and +freezing me."</p> + +<p>"How could I know that?" said Maud, a +little peevishly. "But, come, take my hand, and +I will lead you where there is shelter and food."</p> + +<p>He drew back from the hand she offered. +"I cannot touch these fingers; wicked words +are written over them."</p> + +<p>"No such thing!" said Maud, thoroughly +vexed. "There is not a man at the fair but +would be proud to take my hand. Read the +wicked words, if you can."</p> + +<p>"Waste, weakness, indolence, selfishness, scorn,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[Pg 137]</a></span> +vanity," he read, as if the hand were a book +spread out before him.</p> + +<p>And then the beautiful being disappeared; +and Maud, never dreaming that she had spoken +with <span class="smcap">Christ</span>, and hearing her sister's voice not +far behind, hurried on quickly, so as to be in +the cabin first.</p> + + +<hr /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[Pg 138]</a></span></p> + +<h3>CHAPTER XXI.</h3> +<h4>THE FAIRY LETTERS.</h4> + +<p>Maud was so tired of being alone, and so +anxious, besides, to ask if Daisy had seen the +stranger who disappeared from her, that she +ran good naturedly enough to the door, to +welcome her sister.</p> + +<p>But when she saw the dame's wretched old +face, and the little beggar whom she had thrust +away so scornfully, and Daisy herself bending +under the heavy load of sticks, Maud's wrath +came back again.</p> + +<p>"Here I shall have to wait an hour for my +supper," she complained, "because you chose +to lag behind, and tire yourself with bringing +burdens for other folks. I should like to know +where you will put your precious friends: not +in <i>our</i> house—be very sure of that."<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[Pg 139]</a></span></p> + +<p>But the dame quickly silenced her by asking, +"Who has fed, and clothed, and taken care +of you and all your kith and kin? Who +gave you the gown on your back and the +beauty in your cheeks? And when you found +your sister lying half dead by the roadside,—as +you would have been but for my care,—what +were you willing to do for her? O +Maud, for shame!"</p> + +<p>"She is no sister of mine," answered Maud, +making way; however, as she spoke, for the +beggar to enter her door.</p> + +<p>"Ask Daisy," was the dame's reply.</p> + +<p>"O Maud, I was so sorry that you left us," +Daisy said; "for the beautiful man I saw in +heaven, whom you are to love, came and spoke +to me, with a look and words I can never +forget in all my life."</p> + +<p>"Where was it?" asked the sister eagerly.</p> + +<p>"In that part of the road which our father +used to call the Church, because the trees made +such grand arches overhead, and it was so +still and holy, with the stars looking through +the boughs. You remember the elm, with the +grape vine climbing up among its boughs, and +hanging full of fruit: I met him there."</p> + +<p>"But he could not be half so beautiful as +the man I saw in that very place," boasted +Maud. "I talked with him a while; then I +suppose he heard you coming, for he went away."</p> + +<p>The old dame's bright, sharp eyes were fixed +upon her; and Maud cast her own eyes down +in shame, as Daisy continued,—</p> + +<p>"The dame's bundle of wood was very heavy, +and this little girl dragged so upon my skirts +as we toiled on, that I knew she must be +tired. I was feeling glad that I happened to +meet them, because I am both young and +strong, you know, and used to work, when, as +I told you, Christ appeared, standing beneath +the elm."</p> + +<p><a name="Page_139b" id="Page_139b"></a></p> +<div class="figcenter"> +<img src="images/image04_chap21.jpg" width="430" height="545" alt="AND HE LOOKED INTO MY FACE." title="" /><br /> +<span class="smcap">and he looked into my face.</span> +</div> + +<p>"How ashamed you must have felt! I suppose +he thought you the old dame's daughter, +or a beggar, perhaps. I'm glad you did not +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[Pg 141]</a></span><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[Pg 140]</a></span>bring him to our cabin; how it would look +beside his palace in the golden city above! +What did he say to you?"</p> + +<p>"'Blessed, O Daisy, are the merciful,' he +said; I was hungry, and you gave me food; +thirsty, and you gave me drink. I was sad, +and you cheered me; tired, and I rested on +your arm.'</p> + +<p>"'O, no,' I answered, 'you must be thinking +of some one else. I never saw you before, except +in my vision once.'</p> + +<p>"He took my hand, and looked into my +face with such a gentle smile that I did not +feel afraid, and pointed at the wood: 'This +burden was not the old dame's, but mine; the +blood you wiped away was mine; when you +fed and comforted this little one, you were +feeding and comforting me. You never can +tell how much good you are doing, Daisy; +poor girl as you are, you may give joy to my +Father's angels. Look through your spectacles.'</p> + +<p>"So I looked, and there sat the poor little<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[Pg 142]</a></span> +beggar, (see, she has fallen asleep from weariness!) +moaning and sobbing in the grass, as +when we found her first; and an angel stood +beside her, weeping, too."</p> + +<p>"An angel beside <i>her</i>?" interrupted Maud.</p> + +<p>"Yes, a beautiful angel, with the calm, holy +look which they all wear in heaven, but I never +saw upon this earth; he wept because she had +no friend; and, just then, I was so fortunate +as to come past, and, not seeing the angel, I +asked her to take my hand, and run along +beside me.</p> + +<p>"But now I saw that, when the child began +to smile, the angel also smiled, and lifted his +white wings and flew—O, faster than lightning—over +the tree tops, and past the clouds; +and the sky parted where he went, until I saw +him stand before the throne, in the wonderful +city above.</p> + +<p>"And Christ said, 'He stands there always, +watching her, unless she needs him here; and +when her earthly life is over, he will lead her<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[Pg 143]</a></span> +back, to dwell in my Father's house. For the +great God is her Father, and yours, and +mine; she is my sister: should I not feel her +grief?'"</p> + +<p>Maud's heart fell, for she felt that the being +whom she had met must also have been Christ, +and asked Daisy if he looked sad and tired, +and had wounds in his hands.</p> + +<p>"O, no—what could tire him, Maud? He +looked strong, and noble, and glad, and seemed, +among the dark trees, like a shining light."</p> + +<p>"Alas! then it was I who tired him, and +made him sorrowful," thought Maud; then said, +aloud, "But, Daisy, are you sure he took your +hand? See, it is smeared with the old dame's +blood, and soiled with tears you wiped from +the beggar's face, and stained and roughened +with hard work: are you sure he touched it?"</p> + +<p>"The whole was so strange, that I dare not +be sure whether any part of it was real," replied +Daisy, who was so modest that she did +not wish to tell all Christ had said.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[Pg 144]</a></span></p> + +<p>"<i>I</i> am sure, then," outspoke the dame. "He +took her hand, and—listen to me, Maud!—he +said, 'This blood, these tears, these labor +stains, will be the brightest jewels you can +wear in heaven; have courage, and be patient, +Daisy—for beautiful words are written here, +that never will fade away.'"</p> + +<p>And when Maud asked what they were, the +dame replied sharply, "Exactly the opposite of +words that are written on somebody's fine +hands: self-sacrifice, and generosity, and faith, +and earnestness, and love. Such words as these +make Daisy's rough hands beautiful."</p> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[Pg 145]</a></span></p> + +<h3>CHAPTER XXII.</h3> +<h4>THE FACE AND THE HEART.</h4> + +<p>"Can I give up my beautiful face, and become +a poor little drudge, like Daisy?" asked +Maud of herself. "No, it's a great deal too +much trouble. I can find plenty of friends at +the fair; and so I will forget the sad, sweet +face that has haunted me all these months."</p> + +<p>So Maud never told that she had looked +upon Christ; though every time Daisy spoke +of him, she felt it could be no other.</p> + +<p>The winter came on; and the report of +Maud's beauty had spread so far, that she was +invited to balls in the neighboring towns; and +she no longer walked, for people sent their +elegant carriages for her.</p> + +<p>The dame took care that she should have +dresses and jewels in abundance; and Daisy<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[Pg 146]</a></span> +could not but feel proud when she saw her sister +look like such a splendid lady; though +sometimes she would be frightened by seeing +the eyes of a live snake glittering among +Maud's diamonds, and something that seemed +like the teeth of a wolf glistening among her +pearls.</p> + +<p>The beauty had many lovers, but she found +some fault with each; until, one day, the handsomest +and gayest man in all the country round +asked her to marry him.</p> + +<p>She refused, at first, because he had not quite +so much money as the others; but when she +saw how many ladies were in love with him, +Maud felt it would be a fine thing to humble +them, and show her own power. The old dame +could give them money enough; and so she +changed her mind, and began to make ready +for her wedding.</p> + +<p>Then you should have seen the splendid +things that the old dame brought, day after +day, and poured on the cabin floor—velvets,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[Pg 147]</a></span> +and heavy brocades, gay ribbons and silks, and +costly laces; as for the pearls and diamonds, +you would think she had found them by handfuls +in the river bed, there were so many.</p> + +<p>Meantime Daisy had come across a very different +jewel, though I am not sure but it was +worth a cabin full of such as Maud's.</p> + +<p>Once she was walking with the little beggar +girl, whom Daisy called her own child now, +and named Susan, after her mother; before +them, climbing the hill side, was a man in a +coarse blue frock, who seemed like a herdsman.</p> + +<p>He was driving his cows, and turning back +to look for a stray one, Susan chanced to see +his face; she broke from Daisy, and with a +cry of joy, ran into the herdsman's arms.</p> + +<p>His name was Joseph; and Daisy learned +that, when the little girl's mother was sick, +Joseph had brought her food, and taken the +kindest care of her; but his master sent him +to buy some cows in a distant town, and before +he reached home again, Susan's mother did<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[Pg 148]</a></span> +not need any more charity, and the poor child +herself was cast out into the streets.</p> + +<p>They sat on the grass beside Joseph; and +Daisy found that, for all his coarse dress, he +loved beautiful things as well as herself, and +had sat there, day after day, watching the river +and sky, and finding out the secrets of the +birds, seeing the insects gather in their stores, +and the rabbits burrow, and listening to the +whisper of the leaves.</p> + +<p>And, in cold winter nights, he had watched +the stars moving on in their silent paths, so +far above his head, and fancied he could find +pictures and letters among them, and that they +beckoned, and seemed to promise, if he would +only try, he might come and live with them.</p> + +<p>Then, out of some young shoots of elder, +Joseph had made a flute; and Daisy was enchanted +when he played on this, for, besides +that she had never heard a musical instrument +before, he seemed to bring every thing she +loved around her in his wonderful tunes.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[Pg 149]</a></span></p> + +<p>She could almost see the dark pine tops +gilded with morning light, and the cabin nestling +under them; and then the song of a bird, +and of many birds, trilled out from amidst the +boughs, and the little leaves on the birch +trees trembled as with joy, and her rabbits +darted through the shade.</p> + +<p>Again, she saw the wide river rolling on, the +sky reflected in it, and the flowers on its banks +just lifting their sweet faces to the sun, and +every thing was wet with dew, and fresh, and +silent.</p> + +<p>And then he played what was like a storm, +with lightning, and huge trees crashing down, +and the old dame seated before her fire in the +cave, and Daisy herself creeping alone through +the dark, tired, and drenched with rain.</p> + +<p>Daisy told her new friend that she lived in +the wood, and what a beautiful sister she had +at home, and how she wished that Maud could +hear his music.</p> + +<p>But Joseph seemed contented to play for<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[Pg 150]</a></span> +her, and could not leave his cows, he said, to +look upon a handsome face; he did not care +so much for bright eyes and pretty lips as for +goodness and gentleness, that would make the +ugliest face look beautiful to him.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[Pg 151]</a></span></p> + +<h3>CHAPTER XXIII.</h3> +<h4>JOSEPH.</h4> + +<p>What with Joseph's music, and all he had +to say to them, Daisy and Susan sat for hours +on the hill side, and promised, at parting, to +come very soon again.</p> + +<p>But they found Maud ready, as usual, to +spoil all their pleasure, by fretting because they +had left her alone, and had not come earlier, +and a hundred other foolish things.</p> + +<p>She wouldn't hear a word about the music, +but asked her sister if she was not ashamed to +talk with a cow boy, and declared that neither +she nor Susan should go to the hill again.</p> + +<p>But it was no strange thing for Maud to +change her mind; so, one day, she told Daisy +she had dreamed about Joseph's music, and must +hear it, and they would all go that very afternoon.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[Pg 152]</a></span></p> + +<p>Daisy was glad, you may be sure; but she +had great trouble with her sister on the way, +for Maud would shriek at an earth worm, and +start at a fly, and was afraid of bats, and +snakes, and owls, and more other things than +Daisy ever thought of.</p> + +<p>Then the sharp sticks cut through her satin +boots; and when she sat a while to rest, the +crickets ate great holes in her new silk gown, +and mosquitos kept buzzing about her, and little +worms dropped down sometimes from the boughs.</p> + +<p>When any of these things happened, of course +poor Daisy had to be scolded, as if it were +her fault. If a shadow moved, or a bird flew +quickly past, or a bee buzzed by,—thinking +of any one except Miss Maud,—the beauty +would fancy that a tiger or rattlesnake was +making ready to spring at her, and suffered a +great deal more from fright than she would +from pain if the creatures she dreaded had +really been near, and she had allowed them +quietly to eat her up.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[Pg 153]</a></span></p> + +<p>When, after all this trouble, she found that +Joseph wore a coarse blue frock, and did not +oil his curly hair, and hardly looked at her, +while he was overjoyed at seeing Daisy again, +Maud began to pout, and say she must go home.</p> + +<p>But Joseph brought a kind of harp he had +made from reeds and corn stalks; and when +he began to play, Maud started, for it was as +if she stood under the arching trees again, +and the Beautiful Being stood beside her, with +his sad eyes, saying, "O Maud, when you despise +my little ones, you are despising me."</p> + +<p>She thought it must only be a kind of +waking dream, however, and tossing her head, +asked Joseph if he could play any opera airs, +and where he bought his harp, and who his +teacher could have been.</p> + +<p>"The trees, and river, and birds, the morning +wind and midnight sky, sorrow, and joy, +and hope have been my teachers," he answered +gravely.</p> + +<p>"They're an old-fashioned set, then," said<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[Pg 154]</a></span> +Maud. "We haven't had any of the tunes you +play at our balls this year; and you must find +more modern teachers, or else be content to +take care of your cows."</p> + +<p>Joseph heard not her sneers; he was talking +with Daisy; and every thing he said seemed so +noble, and wise, and pure, so unlike the words +of Maud or of the fretful dame, that Daisy +could not help loving him with all her heart.</p> + +<p>The more she thought of Joseph the less she +said of him to Maud; but whenever her sister +was away, they were sure to meet; and the +herdsman grew as fond of Daisy as she was +of him.</p> + +<p>In the long winter evenings, when Maud was +away at her balls, she little dreamed what +pleasant times Daisy had at home. When +floating about in the dance, to the sound of +gay, inspiring music, she thought of her sister +only to pity her, and did not know that she +was listening to sweeter music from Joseph's +humble harp of reeds.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[Pg 155]</a></span></p> + +<p>We often pity people who are a great deal +better off than ourselves, forgetting that what +seems fine to us may be tedious enough to them.</p> + +<p>Then it was such a new thing for Daisy to +have any one think of <i>her</i> comfort, and plan +pleasant surprises for her, and even admire her +serious face, and—best of all—appreciate her +spectacles.</p> + +<p>As soon as Joseph came, he wanted her to +put them on, and tell him about a hundred +things which he had looked at only with his +naked eyes. Daisy found so often that he had +seen rightly and clearly, and had in humblest +paths picked up most lovely things, and every +where found what was best, she told him that +he must have borrowed the old dame's lantern.</p> + +<p>But Joseph said, no, he had only taken care +that the lantern in his own breast should be +free from dust and stains; while that burned +clearly, there was no use in borrowing another's +light.</p> + +<p>Maud's lover took her to dances and sleigh<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">[Pg 156]</a></span> +rides, and gave her jewels and confectionery; +Daisy's lover took her to see the old sick +mother he supported, and to look at his cows +in their neat barn, and brought her a new +apron sometimes from the fair, or a bag of +chestnuts which he had picked up in the fall.</p> + +<p>But Joseph gave the love of a fresh, honest +heart; and Daisy thought this better than all +her sister's bright stones and sugar plums.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[Pg 157]</a></span></p> + +<h3>CHAPTER XXIV.</h3> +<h4>THE FRESHET.</h4> + +<p>The spring came; and Maud's wedding day +was so near that she and Daisy went to the +town every week to make purchases.</p> + +<p>Now, the river which they were obliged to +cross always overflowed its banks in spring. +Although, in summer, Daisy had often walked +across it, by stepping from stone to stone in +the rough bed, it had risen now to a height +of many feet.</p> + +<p>Then, blocks of ice came down from the mountain +streams above, and swept along bridges, +and hay ricks, and drift wood with them, just +as happened once, you may remember, when +Susan was alive.</p> + +<p>A new bridge had been built; but it jarred<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[Pg 158]</a></span> +frightfully when the heaped blocks of ice came +down, or some great tree was dashed against +it by the rapid stream.</p> + +<p>Things were in this state when the two sisters +reached home, one day, from town. When +Maud felt how the bridge jarred, she ran back +screaming, and told Daisy to go first, and make +sure it was safe.</p> + +<p>Daisy was not a coward; but this time she +did think of her own life for once, or rather +of Joseph—how he would grieve if she were +swept away and drowned.</p> + +<p>Her heart beat faster than usual; yet she +walked on calmly, and soon gained the other +side. Then she called back for Maud to wait +till she could find Joseph, and secure his help.</p> + +<p>But Maud, always impatient, grew tired of +waiting, and mustering all her courage, stepped +upon the bridge alone.</p> + +<p>She had hardly reached the centre when its +foundations gave way; and, with a great crash +and whirl, with the trees, and ice, and drift<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[Pg 159]</a></span> +wood whirling after it, the bridge went sweeping +down the stream.</p> + +<p>So Joseph and Daisy returned only in time +to hear Maud's shrieks, which sounded louder +than the heavy, jolting logs, and creaking +beams, and grinding ice.</p> + +<p>Running across the bridge wildly, she beckoned +for Joseph to come to her—implored +him to trust himself upon the blocks of ice, or +else send Daisy, and not leave her to perish alone.</p> + +<p>There came new drifts of ice from above, jolting +against the bridge, and throwing Maud +from her feet; and so the heavy structure went +whirling, tossing like a straw upon the stream.</p> + +<p>Joseph turned to Daisy. "If I go to her +help, we both may slip from the unsteady blocks +of ice, and drown. Yet I may possibly save +her; shall I go or stay?"</p> + +<p>"Go," she said instantly.</p> + +<p>"Then good by, Daisy; perhaps we never +shall look in each other's faces again."</p> + +<p>"Not here, perhaps; but, go."<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[Pg 160]</a></span></p> + +<p>"What's that?" asked the sharp voice of the +dame. "Foolish children! Don't you know +that, when Maud is drowned, there will be no +one to separate you, and, as long as she lives, +she will not let you be married?"</p> + +<p>"She is my sister," said Daisy. And Joseph, +stepping boldly upon the ice, creeping from log +to log,—lost now in the branches of a tree, +dashed into the water, and struggling out again,—found +his way to the bridge, and threw his +strong arm about the form of the fainting Maud.</p> + +<p>But here was new trouble; for she declared +that she would never venture where Joseph had +been, not if they both were swept away.</p> + +<p>Finding her so unreasonable, the herdsman +took Maud, like an infant, in his arms, and, +though she shrieked and struggled, stepped from +the bridge just as its straining beams parted, +and fell, one by one, among the drift wood +in the stream.</p> + +<p>When Maud stood safely on the shore, she +was so glad to find herself alive, that she took<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[Pg 161]</a></span> +off every one of her jewels and offered them +to Joseph.</p> + +<p>But the herdsman told her that he did not +wish to be paid for what had cost him nothing, +and had he lost his life, the jewels would +have been no recompense.</p> + +<p>"So you want more, perhaps," said Maud, the +haughty look coming again into her handsome +face. "Well, what shall I give you for risking +your precious life?"</p> + +<p>"Daisy," he answered.</p> + +<p>"My sister? Do you dare tell me that she +would marry a cowboy?"</p> + +<p>"Ask her."</p> + +<p>"Yes," said Daisy.</p> + +<p>"Nonsense! you will live with me, Daisy, in +my new great house; and if you marry at all, +it will be some rich, elegant man, so that you +can entertain us when I and my husband wish +to visit you."</p> + +<p>"I shall marry Joseph or no one," Daisy answered +firmly.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">[Pg 162]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Well, then, Joseph, cross the river on the +ice once more, and Daisy shall be your wife." +Maud thought she had found a way to rid +herself of the troublesome herdsman; for it +seemed to her the dreadful voyage could not +be made again in safety; and then she half +believed that Joseph would sooner give up Daisy +than try.</p> + +<p>But, without a word, he darted upon the ice—slipped, +as at first; and when Daisy saw +him struggling, she flew to his help—slipped +where he slipped: a tree came sailing down, +and struck them both. Maud saw no more.</p> + +<p>But, all the way home, she heard in her ears +the shrill voice of the fairy, saying, "I hope +you are satisfied, now you have killed them +both."</p> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">[Pg 163]</a></span></p> + +<h3>CHAPTER XXV.</h3> +<h4>THE FAIRY'S LAST GIFT.</h4> + +<p>Maud went home to the lonely cabin; there +was no one to make a fire, and dry her wet +clothes, and comfort her. When little Susan +heard what had happened, she ran away to live +with the mother of Joseph; and Maud was +left alone.</p> + +<p>Wearied with fright, and trouble, and remorse, +the beauty sank upon her bed and fell asleep.</p> + +<p>But hardly were her eyes closed, when she +seemed in a damp, cellar-like place herself, but, +looking upward, saw the glorious golden city +Daisy told her about, with its pearly gates and +diamond foundations, and the river shaded by +beautiful palms, and throngs of angels walking +on its banks.</p> + +<p>The ranks of angels parted, and she saw<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">[Pg 164]</a></span> +among them the Beautiful One, who had met +her in the wood—only he was bright and +joyous now, and his wounds shone like stars; +and—could it be? yes—he was leading Daisy +and Joseph, not a poor drudge and humble +herdsboy now, but, like the other angels, clothed +in light, crowned with lilies, and Joseph's harp +of reeds changed to a golden harp, on which +he still made music.</p> + +<p>She saw two other beautiful ones come forward +and embrace her sister: one, she felt, +was the father she had never seen, and one +was Susan, the good and humble mother of +whom Maud had been ashamed.</p> + +<p>Then she awoke, to find herself alone in the +cabin, which was damp and dark as she had +dreamed; and she could only hear the night +wind sighing, and the voices of the wolves and +snakes.</p> + +<p>As soon as morning came, she hurried to +the river bank, in hopes, thus late, to save her +sister, or to hear, at least, some news from<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[Pg 165]</a></span> +her. But she saw only floating logs and blocks +of ice jarring and whirling down the river.</p> + +<p>And from that hour Maud believed herself +a murderer, and would gladly have given her +own life to forget the dreadful scene, which +kept rising before her, of the good, gentle +sister drowning in the flood, and the sound of +the dame's shrill voice asking, "Now, are you +satisfied?"</p> + +<p>But Daisy did not drown. When Joseph +saw her danger, though almost dead himself, he +took fresh courage, and made such bold, brave +efforts that both he and Daisy reached the shore.</p> + +<p>Long, happy days they spent together on +the earth. Determined that she should have +no more trouble with her sister, Joseph took +his wife over the sea to a pleasant island, +where she had a happier, if not so splendid +a home as Maud.</p> + +<p>When he opened the door to show Daisy +her beautiful little house, who should stand +within but the fairy, all dressed in her velvet<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[Pg 166]</a></span> +and pearls, and looking as bright as if she +too were glad that Daisy's life was to be so +happy now.</p> + +<p>Many a gift the fairy brought them: little +Peters, and Susans, and Daisies came in her +arms, to play before their door, and make the +cottage merry with their songs, before <i>our</i> Daisy +went to wear her crown in heaven. And many +a pleasant tune Joseph played to his wife and +children on the home-made harp of reeds, before +it was changed to a harp of gold, and +chimed in with the angels' music, in our +Father's home above.</p> + +<p>When packing her things, to leave the cabin, +Maud left Daisy's dresses, as they were not +fine enough for her, and also some little things +which her sister had treasured—among them, +the spectacles.</p> + +<p>But once in her fine new home, and the +wedding over, the first things she found, hanging +in the fringe of her shawl, were Daisy's +spectacles.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">[Pg 167]</a></span></p> + +<p>So she thought how queerly Daisy used to +look in them, and put the glasses on, to amuse +her husband; but what was her surprise to find +she could see plainly through them now!</p> + +<p>And, alas! the first thing they told her was, +that this man, for whom she had left all her +rich suitors, did not love her, but her money; +despised her because her mother was so poor, +and was much fonder of one of the ladies whom +he had forsaken than of her.</p> + +<p>She told him this angrily; but he only +laughed, and said she might have guessed it +without spectacles, and asked how he could +love any one who thought only of herself.</p> + +<p>She hoped he might be jesting, yet his words +were soon proved true; for he not only neglected, +but treated her harshly, and when she +was saddest, dragged her to the balls which +she no longer enjoyed, and laughed about her +spectacles, which began to leave their mark +upon her handsome face.</p> + +<p>"At least," thought Maud, "I am very<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">[Pg 168]</a></span> +rich; there is no end to my jewelry. I +will find out all its value through the spectacles."</p> + +<p>But though there were pearls and diamonds, +emeralds, rubies, and sapphires, set in heavy +gold, they seemed only a handful through the +glasses; while she saw whole heaps of finer +pearls lying neglected under the sea, and rubies, +and emeralds, and diamonds scattered about +on the sands, or in the heart of rocks, enough +to build a house. Melted along the veins of the +earth she discovered so much gold, too, that +her own didn't seem worth keeping; for Maud +only valued things when she thought others +could not have so fine.</p> + +<p>Do you remember what the dame said, when +she placed the spectacles on little Daisy's breast? +"Take care of her heart, now, Peter, and this +gift of mine will be a precious one."</p> + +<p>Here was the trouble: Maud, with all her +beauty and wealth, had not taken care of her +heart; and so, when Daisy saw bright, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">[Pg 169]</a></span> +wise, and pleasant things through the glasses, +Maud saw only sad and painful ones.</p> + +<p>The beauty grew tired of life; her husband +was so jealous that he would not allow any +one to admire her; and she found the palace +did not make her any happier than the cabin +had done, nor did the open country seem any +brighter than the wood.</p> + +<p>For it isn't whether we <i>live</i> in a palace or +a cave, but whether our hearts are cheerful +palaces or gloomy caves, that makes the difference +between sad lives and merry ones.</p> + +<p>So, one day, when the dame appeared with +her gifts, Maud said, "O, take them away—take +back all the beauty, the power, and money +you ever brought, and give me a heart like +Daisy's."</p> + +<p>"Pretty likely," said the dame. "You asked +for money—you and your mother, both; now +make the most of it."</p> + +<p>But the old woman had hardly left the house +when one of Maud's servants brought her in,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">[Pg 170]</a></span> +wounded, and weeping bitterly, for a wagon +had run over her.</p> + +<p>"Carry her home to her cave; why did you +bring her to me?" said Maud.</p> + +<p>But just then she seemed to see the cold, +bare cave that Daisy had told her about, with +nothing except wooden stools and a smoky fireplace—no +soft bed, no child to watch over +and comfort the poor old dame.</p> + +<p>So Maud called the servants back, and had +the woman placed in her own room, and watched +with her, and bathed her limbs, and though she +was fretful, did not once neglect her through +a long and tedious illness.</p> + +<p>At last, the dame felt well enough to go +home, and bade good by to Maud, who begged +her not to go; "for," she said,—and the +tears came into her eyes,—"you make me +think of dear Daisy, the only one that ever +loved me, with this selfish heart."</p> + +<p>"No, no; I cannot trust you," said the dame, +and disappeared.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">[Pg 171]</a></span></p> + +<p>But she came back, with such a bundle in +her arms as she had brought to Susan once; +and when Maud looked up to thank her, lo! +the dame had changed to a lovely fairy, with +a young, sweet face—the same that Daisy +used to talk about.</p> + +<p>Bending over Maud, she wiped the tears from +her face, and put the bundle in her arms, and +disappeared.</p> + +<p>And when the little child learned to love +her, Maud forgot her fears and cares, her cruel +husband and her selfish self, and found how +much happier it makes us to give joy than to +receive it.</p> + +<p>The little girl was named Daisy, and grew +up not only beautiful and rich, but wise and +good; she spent her money nobly, and gained +the love and added to the happiness of all +her friends.</p> + +<p>But the one whom she made happiest was +her own mother—Maud.</p> + +<hr /> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">[Pg 172]</a></span></p> + +<h3>CHAPTER XXVI.</h3> +<h4>WHAT IT ALL MEANS.</h4> + +<p>Now, dear children, I suppose you have guessed +all my riddles, for they are not hard ones; but +I will tell you the meaning of one or two.</p> + +<p><span class="smcap">Life</span> is the old fairy, that comes sometimes +frowning and wretched, sometimes smiling and +lovely, but always benevolent, always taking +better care of us than we take of ourselves.</p> + +<p>We should be silent, helpless dust, except for +Life; and whether we be great or humble, rich +or poor, she gives us all we have.</p> + +<p>Though she may seem to smile on you and +frown upon your sister, be sure it is not because +she loves you best; the fairy may yet +change into a wrinkled dame, or the dame to +a beautiful fairy.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">[Pg 173]</a></span></p> + +<p>When you remember her, beware how you +grieve or slight any one. If you are passing +some poor beggar in the street, think, "Had I +on Daisy's spectacles, I should see under all +these rags a child of the great God, travelling +on, as I am travelling, to live with him in the +golden city above. While this man seems +humble to me, angels may bow to him as they +pass invisibly; for all the titles in this world +are not so great as to be a child of God."</p> + +<p>When you are tempted to vex or laugh at +some old woman, think, "Under these wrinkles, +lo! the great fairy, Life, is hid; and she can +curse or bless me, as I will."</p> + +<p>The old dame's lantern, and the light in +his breast by which Joseph saw, were Instinct; +which, if we could but keep it undimmed by +the dust of earth, would always light our +pathway.</p> + +<p>And the fairy bread is Kindness, which alone +can comfort the poor and sorrowful. They +may use what we give in charity, and still<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">[Pg 174]</a></span> +be poor and sad; but an act of kindness +makes them feel that they too are children of +the same great God, and are therefore happy +and rich, though they must walk about for a +little while in rags.</p> + +<p>For they remember how, like us, they have +a glorious home awaiting them in the city +whose streets are gold; and then it doesn't +seem so hard that they have less than we of +the poor gold of earth.</p> + +<p>The spectacles are Wisdom, which shows us +all things as they are, not as they seem—which +we may learn, like Daisy, from insects, trees, +and clouds, or, easier still, from words that the +wise have written.</p> + +<p>Believe me, this wisdom, which may seem but +a tedious thing, will show any of you as wonderful +visions as those I have told you about.</p> + +<p>So, when your lessons are hard, and you long +to play, and wonder what's the use in books, +think, "They are Daisy's wondrous spectacles, +that change our dull earth into fairy land."<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">[Pg 175]</a></span></p> + +<p>Wearing these, you need never be lonely or +afraid, but will feel God's strong and loving +arm around you in the dreariest place. The +sun will seem his watchful eye, the wind his +breath, the flowers his messages. You will +know that all good and lovely things are gifts +from him.</p> + +<p>And you will not forget that the fairy, Life, +is still on earth, and, if we ask her, will lead +us all to the wonderful city which Daisy saw +far up above the pines—where you, too, may +be good and peaceful, like the rest, and wear +a crown of lilies and a robe of light.</p> + +<hr /> + + +<p class="center">PHILLIPS, SAMPSON, & COMPANY<br /> +PUBLISH<br /><br /> +PEEP AT "NUMBER FIVE;"<br /> +<span class="smcap">Or, A CHAPTER IN THE LIFE OF A CITY PASTOR</span>.<br /> +BY H. TRUSTA,<br /> +<i>Author of</i> "<span class="smcap">The Sunny Side</span>," &c., &c.<br /> +<i>Twenty-fifth Thousand.</i><br /> +<br /> + +THE TELLTALE;<br /> +<span class="smcap">Or, HOME SECRETS TOLD BY OLD TRAVELLERS</span>.<br /> +BY H. TRUSTA,<br /> +<i>Author of</i> "<span class="smcap">Peep at Number Five</span>," "<span class="smcap">Sunny Side</span>," &c., &c.<br /> +<i>Tenth Thousand.</i><br /> +<br /> +<br /> +THE "LAST LEAF FROM SUNNY SIDE;"<br /> +By H. TRUSTA,<br /> +<i>Author of</i> "<span class="smcap">Peep at Number Five</span>," "<span class="smcap">Telltale</span>," &c., &c.<br /> +<i>Thirteenth Thousand.</i><br /> +<br /> +<br /> +FATHER BRIGHTHOPES;<br /> +<span class="smcap">Or, AN OLD CLERGYMAN'S VACATION</span>.<br /> +By PAUL CREYTON.<br /> +<i>Uniform with</i> "<i>Peep at Number Five</i>," "<i>Last Leaf</i>," &c.<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +HEARTS AND FACES;<br /> +<span class="smcap">Or, HOME LIFE UNVEILED</span>.<br /> +By PAUL CREYTON,<br /> +<i>Author of</i> "<span class="smcap">Father Brighthopes</span>," &c.<br /> +<i>Uniform with the above.</i><br /> +<br /></p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="center">PHILLIPS, SAMPSON, & CO.<br /> +PUBLISH THE FOLLOWING JUVENILE WORKS<br /> +<br /></p> +<hr style="width: 5%;" /> +<p class="center">ESTELLE'S STORIES ABOUT DOGS;<br /> +Containing six beautiful Illustrations; being original Portraits from Life.<br /> +Printed on superfine paper. 16mo, colored engravings, 75 cents; plain,<br /> +50 cents.<br /></p> +<hr style="width: 5%;" /> +<p class="center">LITTLE MARY;<br /> +<span class="smcap">Or, TALKS AND TALES</span>.<br /> +BY H. TRUSTA,<br /> +Author of "<span class="smcap">Sunny Side</span>," "<span class="smcap">Peep at Number Five</span>," &c., &c.<br /> +This little book is charmingly illustrated, and is a very beautiful book.<br /> +It is made up of short lessons, and was originally written for the<br /> +practical use of children from five to ten years of age.<br /></p> +<hr style="width: 5%;" /> +<p class="center">LITTLE BLOSSOM'S REWARD;<br /> +A CHRISTMAS BOOK FOR CHILDREN<br /> +BY MRS. EMILY HARE.<br /> +Beautifully Illustrated from original Designs, and a charming<br /> +Presentation Book for Young People.<br /> +<br /></p> + +<hr /> +<p class="center">PHILLIPS, SAMPSON, & CO.<br /> +PUBLISH THE FOLLOWING JUVENILE WORKS.<br /> +<br /> +By Francis C. Woodworth.<br /> +<br /> +EDITOR OF "WOODWORTH'S YOUTH'S CABINET,"<br /> +AUTHOR OF "THE WILLOW LANE BUDGET," "THE STRAWBERRY GIRL,"<br /> +"THE MILLER OF OUR VILLAGE," "THEODORE THINKER'S<br /> +TALES," ETC., ETC.<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +UNCLE FRANK'S BOYS' AND GIRLS' LIBRARY<br /> +<br /> +<i>A Beautiful Series, comprising six volumes, square 12mo, with eight<br /> +Tinted Engravings in each volume. The following<br /> +are their titles respectively</i>:—<br /> +<br /></p> +<table summary="Booklist"> +<tr><td align="right">I.</td><td><span class="smcap">THE PEDDLER'S BOY; or, I'll be Somebody.</span></td></tr> +<tr><td align="right">II.</td><td><span class="smcap">THE DIVING BELL; or, Pearls to be sought for.</span></td></tr> +<tr><td align="right">III.</td><td><span class="smcap">THE POOR ORGAN GRINDER, and other Stories.</span></td></tr> +<tr><td align="right">IV.</td><td><span class="smcap">OUR SUE: Her Motto and its Uses.</span></td></tr> +<tr><td align="right">V.</td><td><span class="smcap">MIKE MARBLE: His Crotchets and Oddities.</span></td></tr> +<tr><td align="right">VI.</td><td><span class="smcap">THE WONDERFUL LETTER BAG OF KIT CURIOUS.</span></td></tr> +</table> + +<hr style="width: 5%;" /> + +<p>"Woodworth is unquestionably and immeasurably the best writer for +children that we know of; for he combines a sturdy common sense and +varied information with a most childlike and loveful spirit, that finds its +way at once to the child's heart. We regard him as one of the truest benefactors +of his race; for he is as wise as he is gentle, and never uses his +power over the child-heart to instil into it the poison of false teaching, or +to cramp it with unlovely bigotry. The publishers have done their part, as +well as the author, to make these volumes attractive. Altogether we regard +them as one of the pleasantest series of juvenile books extant, both in their +literary character and mechanical execution."—<i>Syracuse (N. Y.) Daily +Standard.</i></p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="center">PHILLIPS, SAMPSON, & CO.<br /> +PUBLISH THE FOLLOWING JUVENILE WORKS<br /></p> +<hr style="width: 5%;" /> +<p class="center">CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS AT CHESTNUT HILL.<br /> +BY COUSIN MARY.<br /> +Containing fine engravings from original Designs, and printed very neatly.<br /> +It will be found to be a charming little book for a present for all seasons.<br /></p> +<hr style="width: 5%;" /> +<p class="center">ESTELLE'S STORIES ABOUT DOGS;<br /> +Containing six beautiful Illustrations; being original Portraits from Life.<br /> +Printed on superfine paper. 16mo, colored engravings, 75 cents; plain.<br /> +50 cents.<br /></p> +<hr style="width: 5%;" /> +<p class="center">LITTLE MARY;<br /> +<span class="smcap">Or, Talks and Tales</span>.<br /> +BY H. TRUSTA,<br /> +Author of "<span class="smcap">Sunny Side</span>," "<span class="smcap">Peep at Number Five</span>," &c., &c.<br /> +This little book is charmingly illustrated, and is a very beautiful book.<br /> +It is made up of short lessons, and was originally written for the<br /> +practical use of children from five to ten years of age.<br /> +<br /></p> + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Daisy; or, The Fairy Spectacles, by +Caroline Snowden Guild + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DAISY; OR, THE FAIRY SPECTACLES *** + +***** This file should be named 36759-h.htm or 36759-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/3/6/7/5/36759/ + +Produced by Heather Clark and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This book was +produced from scanned images of public domain material +from the Google Print project.) + + +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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