True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1856-09-17


play. ground to come and stay with you,
and talk 10 you. | have such pretty
story to tell you, little Kitty, all about
the fairies Should you like to hear
about the airies, little Kitty!'' .#
Jnliet's voice was always ssweet-even
in anger-but now it assumed the most
winning, pelting loving tone imaginable
and though" " little Kitty" only purred
in reply-1lite Lucy's eyes began to
glisten with mingled tears and smiles. SO
the pretty and youthful comforter laying
her arm londly over the kitten, that 1t
mi ght touch Lucy's which was also car
essing it, told the following story -
s t'f THE LAST FAIRY.
Once there was little girl, and hel
name was Mary, aud she was sweet
good little girl. She looked like Lucy
Grey. Do you know Lucy Grey, Kitty /?
Well, Mary had just such darling deep
blue eyes, and just such soft, wavy hair
and just such little cunning, pretty play
ful ways. ' e..
One evening al sunset Mary was lean
ing all alone, and half asleep on fresh
bank of moss in the woods. She gazed
dreamiIy up through the dark trees, and
felt very happy, for the blue sky looked
down upon her with soft, soft smile,
and the breeze whispered amid the many
colored leaves in musical, mysterious
tones, and the pleasant tranquil flowers
sighed out their happy love at her feet:
and all things minIslered 10 her, for her
spirit was pure and true. Little Mary
had heard so many charming fairy tales
that she wanted very much to believe in
raries-but as she had never seen one
and her mamma never had either-she
was afraid it was sily-but still she could
not help IL ow and then watching the key
holes, half hoping, half dreading to see a
tiny, gauze winged spirit Autlering
through, and she would even fancy some.
times that she felt one in her thimble
dancing on the Zip of ber little, round fin
ger, and she would peep into shell for
hours, pining 10 each glimpse of the
lille singing-sylph which she was almost
sure was imprisoned there, for had she
not distinctly heard it murmuring sad
low, plaintive song, about its far-off home
in the sea?
Now il so happened tina. close by her
side as she lay asleep in the woods grew
a great Aloe tree, which the Oldest mar
in the village where she lived had once
seen bloom-.bnl that was almost a hundred
years ago. This old man had often tolt
her that there were plenty OF fairies il
his time, and that once, just at sunrise, he
had seen a whole lrooJ Of them tripping
round that very tree when it was jus
shedding its wonderful blossoms HI
had heard that daylight was fatal TO th'
, elm race. and he had watched 10 SCI
what effect The sunshine would have, fo
they had rashIy prolonged their dance tc
A later hour than usual Sure enough
at the very first CLEAN Of light he hearc
a faint shout or rather moan of disma,
and sorrow from the troop, and they grad
ualy faded from his view like stars at tn,
dawn Of day, They were never seen o
heard Of afterward. ~ ..' '.'-
Mary though, of all this as she lay q
the foot of tree, aud she said to herself
"If had been there would have toll
:, the dear, little fairies that the great SUI
r was coming up the hill, and that the
d must all run away quick before he sa'
+ them, and then he would not have killc
: them with that dazzling, burning eye o
! his - While she was thus reverieing-
r do you know what revereing mean
n Kitty! 1t means solioquising--that is
s medita,ing-that is. lhiuk-well while
Mary was thinking thus, and still lookin
drowsily up at the tree, all at once one
e the buds began slowly, very slowly t
/ unfold, and to her wonder and delight sh
! plainly saw pair of luminous rose col
IS ored wings Aulering softly up from tn
= aower-.and then--can it he !--yes =
a it is-it must be fairy la real fairy =
n flying like sunbeam personifed to he
IL feet, and there it stands gracefully poise
}, upon one little dot of foot which reste
n on violet, gazing earnestly up in he
face as if asking her how in the world sh
e came there. ha, a-H, nas ~
r. Mary was not the least frightened
al good children seldom are; She held on
ID her dimpled hand with a smile Of invita-
r ton, and the cunning and beautiful cres
Is ture sprang at once to her little finger AM
le and said in a voice light and clear. an
l. delicate as the faintest linkle Of a musi
t. box, but sad and wild as an Eolian bar
n -" They are all gone but IL am a
4, alone now !--when that cruel and uneH
"a pected beam Of daylight pierced ther
y with It's fatal heat | only escaped--for
y had hidden in sport in seed orthe Alo
'r flower. But that destiny which doome
l. my sisters TO death, doomed me to a fat
y as sad. II sealed the seed where ha
e rashly crept, and for nearly an hundre
s. years, for not till then could the blossol
4 bloom again, have Ibided my time
70 darkness but in hope. Now once MOI
r. I am free, bu, oh /! how, lonelyl,o Wi
st you take me, Mary, and let me liye7i