Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1847-10-28

they went ana the air become more anu moIe
fragrant, and more and more distinctly they
heard the sound of waters falling in music. At
length they were stopped by a band of fairies
clothed in blue, with their silver wands crossed.
Here said the queen, 'our journey must end
You can 90 no further until you shall have full
filled the orders l shall give you. Go home
now for one month do by your sister in all re-
spects as you would wish her to do by you, were
you Rose and she Marion
Marion promised and departed. She found
the task harder than the first had been. She
| could help speaking; but when Rose asked her
for anv of her playthings, she found it difficult
to give them gently and affecuionately, instead
of pushing them along. When Rose wanted to
talk to her, she wished to 60 away in silence =
and when a pocket mirror was found in her Sis
ter's room, broken into a thousand fragments,
she ieIt sorely tempted TO conceal that she did
the mischief. But she was so anxious to be
made beautiful, that she did as she would be
done by.
All the household remarked how Marion had
changed. Il love her dearly, said Rose, she is
so good and so amiable.'
so do l., said a dozen voices.
Marion blushed deeply, and her eyes sparkled
with pleasure. How pleasant it is to be loved,
thought she.
AT the end of the month, she went to the
grotto. The fairies in blue lowered their silver
wands, and they flew away. They travelled on
the path grew sleeper, but the fragrance of the
atmosphere was redoubled, and more distinctly
came the sound of the waters falling in music.
Their course was stayed by a troop of fairies in
rainbow robes, and silver wands tipped with
gold. In face and form they were far more
beautiful than any thing Marion had yet seen.
Here we must pause said the queen this
boundary you cannot yet pass
why not ? asked the impatient Marion,
Because those must be very pure who pass
the rainbow fairies, replied the queen.
Am | not very pure ? said the maiden, fall
the folks in the castle tell me how good | have
grown
Mortal eyes only see the outside answered
the queen but those who pass the rainbow fai-
ries must be pure in thought as well as ill &C
ton. Return home for three months never
indulge an %envious thought. You shall have a
sight at the Immortal Fountain Marion was
sad at heart, for she knew how many thoughts
+ and wrong wishes she had suffered to gain pow
er over her,
AT the end of three months she again visited
f the Palace of Beauty. The queen did not
smile when she saw her, but i'll silence led her
away to the Immortal Fountain, The green
fairies and the blue fairies flew away as they
f approached but the rainbow fairies bowed low
S to the queen, and kept their gold tipped wands
! firmly crossed. Marion saw that the silver
specks on then wings grew dim, and she burst
into tears. Il knew said the queen, that you
could not pass this boundary. Envy has been
in your heart, and you have not driven it away.
Your sister had been i'll, and in your heart you
wished that she might die, or rise from the bed
deprived Of her beauty. But be not discour.
aged you have been several years INDUCING
wrong feelings, and you must not wonder that
it takes many months to put them away
Marion was sad as she wended her was home.
ward. When Rose asked her what was the mat.
ter, she told her she wanted to be very good but
could not. when ] want to be good read my
Bible and pray said Rose, 'and / find God
! helps me to be good. Then Marion prayed
that God would help her to be pure in thought
and when wicked feelings rose in she heart, she
read the Bible, and they went away.
When she again visited the Palace of Beauty,
the queen smiled, and touched her playfuly with
the wand, and led her away to the mortal Four.
tain. The silver specks on the wings of the
rainbow fairies shone bright as she approached
and they lowered their wands and flew away.
And now every f%ootstep was on flowers that
yielded beneath their feet as if their pathway
had been upon a cloud. The delicious fragrance
could almost be felt, yet it did not Cypress the
senses with heaviness, and loud, clear and liuuiC
came the sound of waters as they fell in music
And now the cascade is seen leaping and spark
ling over crystal rocks-a rainbow arch rests a.
bovc it, like a perpetual halo the spray fall,
in pearls, and forms fantastic foliage around the
margin ofthe fountain. 1t has touched the webs
woven amongst the grass, and they have become
pearl embroidered cloaks for the fairy queen
Deep and silent below the foam is the Immorta
Fountain Its amber colored waves flow ovel
a golden bed as the fairies battle in ii, the dia
monds in their hair glance like sunbeams on the
waters.
'Oh, let me battle in the fountain = cried Ma,
rion cIasping her hands in delight.
> Not yet said the queen. Behold the pur.
> pie fairies with golden wands, that guard It's
brink. Marion looked, and saw beings far love.
: lier than any her eye had rested on. you can.
: not pass there yet,' said the queen, Go home
; for one year drive away all evil feelings, moi
for the sake of bathing in this fountain, but be-
cause goodness is lovely, desirable for its owr
sake, Purify the inward motive, and your work
I is done
This was the hardest task of all. For she had
been willing to be good, not because it was right
= to be good but because she wished to be beautiful
Three times she sought the grotto, and three
! times she left it in tears, for the golden speck;
grew dim as she approached, and the golden
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