The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1847-08-26
TIE PALACE OF BEAUTY.
A. Fairy Story.
BY LYDIA MARIA CHILD.

In ancient times, two little princesSes lived
in Scotland, one Of whom was extremely beau
tifuI, and the other dwarfsh ,dark-colored and
deformod. One was named Rose, tho other
Marion The sisters did not live happily to-
ccthcr. Marion hated Rose, because she was
handsome, and every body praised her. She
scowed, and her face absolutely grew black,
when any body asked her how her pretty
little sister did; and once she was so wicked
as to cut off all her glossy, golden hair, and
throw it on the fire. Poor Rose cried bitter.
" about it, but she did not scold or strike her
sister for she was an amiabe, gentle little
being as ever lived. No wonder all the fam
ily and all the neighborhood disliked Marion
and no wonder her face grew ugler and
uelier every day. The Scotch used to be Il
supcrsttious people, and they believed the
infant Rose had been blessed by the fairies,
to whom she owed her extraordinary beauty
and exceeding goodness.
Not far from the castle where the princess
es resided, was deep grotto, said to lead to
the Palace OF Beauty, where the Queen OF
/ the fairies held her court Some sad Rose
| had fallen asleep there one day, when she had
grown tired of chasing a butterfly, and that
The queen had dipped her in an immortal
| fountain, from which she had risen with the
beauty Of an angel. Marion often askedques-
tons about this story, but Rose replied that
she had been forbidden TO speak OF it. When
she saw any uncommonly brilliant bird Or but
terny, she would sometimes eXclaim, " Oh
how much that looks like fairy land" Blu
when asked what she knew about fairy land
she blushed, and would not answer.
Marion thought great deal about this
"Whv cannot | 90 to the Palace Of Beauty 2
thought she and why may not battle II
the Immortal Fountain ?"
One summers morn when all was still saw
, the faint twittering of the birds, and the az.
hum of the insects, Marion entered the decl
: grotto She sat down on bank Of moss; tn
| air around her was as fragrant as if it cam
: from a bed of violcts; and with the sound c
of far-ofr music dying on her ear, she fell int
a gentle slumber. When she awoke, it wa
t evening; and she found herself in sma
hall where opal pillars supported rainbo'
roof the bright reflection of which rested o
crystal walls, and o golden floor inlaid wit
, pearls. All around, between the opal pillar
, stood the tiniest vases of pure alabastcr, i
! which crew a multitude Of brilliant and iri
grant flowers; some OF them twinlng arouh
, the pillars, were lost in the floating rainbo
: above. The whole OF tnlS scE!'c Vi oo""'
: was lighted by millions Of fre-Gies glitterin
about like wandering Oars While Mario
was wondering at all this, little figure
rare lovcliness stood before her. Her rot
was Of green gold; her flowing ,gossam!'
; mantle was caught up on one shoulder VII
5, a pearl, and in her hair was solitary sta
IT composed Of five diamonds, each no blgg
W than pins point, and thus she sang;
The fairy queen
+ Hath rarely seen
Creature Of earthly mould
Wtlinhcr door
" On pearIy floor,
= IuIail Wih shining gold.
e, Mortal, MI thou -eo',t is fair,
70 Quick thy purposes declare!
10 AS She concluded, the song was taken u
g, and thrice repeated by multitude OF s.