Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-05-23
PUBLISHED EVERY AFTERNOON,
except SUNDAY
LITTLE LIZZIE AND THE FAIRIES


green heldS- The nearest high road was at
least half mile off, and the rest of the way to
the cottage you had to come by narrow foot
path, through fields, across a creaking plank
bridge, beneath which little stream ran over
great high stiles, such as none but country chill
dren could possibly climb; and through gates
that nine times out of ten were fast locked with
an immense paddock, and had to be crept under
or climbed over, in the best way you could.
There was a very little garden round the cot
tage; for Lizzie made the fields her garden.
There, on the sunny green slopes, she found
flowers in every season Of the year; first daisies
and white cuckOO-tOwers; then primrOses, cow
slips, Orchiscs, and numberless other flowers of
summer. Autumn brought fox-glOves, cranes
bill, and purple vetehes; so that Lizzie's garden
was always In bloom. without any care of her
own to tend it. All summer long the child
wandered about the fields, learning all country
lore from flowers, and birds, and insects In
the winter time, when the snow covered up the
green grass and the rivulet was frozen, and the
only cheerful-lOOking object in the fields was
the hawthorn hedge, with its scarlet berries,
Lizzie used to sit by her mothers side and
learn to spin flax.
1t was by lax-spinning that the widow main
tanned herself and her daughter Little Lizzie
lived nearly two hundred years ago when there
were no such things as looms and weaving ma
chimes, and the linen and wOOlen garments of
the country people were spun by their own
hands, from the fleece of their own sheep. and
from the hemp and fax that grew in their own
gardens and fields. This was what Lizzie's
mother did. Close by the cottage was fax
held. where each year she sowed the seed, and
when the plants were ready to be gathered she
took them to be prepared and made into fax
for spinning. This she brought home and spun
into garments, which people were glad to buy,
for they were evenly and beautifully woven.
Did you ever see a fax field 1t is indeed a
EIrhf e
leaves and bright blue flowers, in color and
shape something like harebells these beautiful
deep azure flowers that you find in autumn on
wild heaths, only that the harcbell droop their
heads while the little fax flowers hold theirs up
boldly Fancy how very pretty whole field
OF them must LOOK, growing as high almost as
whe1t, and each plant bearing numbers Of these
blue blossoms with small leaves Of the tender
est green. No wonder that all summer the
hax-held was LiZZie's admiration and delight
She would creep through the narrow walks
that lntersected 1t, too narrow for even her tiny
loot, and watch the plants spring up from the
brown mould, and gradually grow higher and
higher, until by summer time they absolutely
OvertOpped her head, and Lizzie in her walk
was completely buried between two long alleys
cf blue tlaIaOWers.-
Many and many time when the plants were
young and feeble did Lizzie go all over the field
carefully taking away the worms and nOxiOus
insects from the stems, and watering such as
looked delicate and dropping. Her mother
joined in this care Of the field for she knew its
value and how important to them it was that
each year the fax should yield an abundant
harvest.
1t seemed as if the plants themselves re-
Quilted this tender care, for they grew tall and
thick with blossoms, and were the prettiest
sight all summer; and when autumn came
there was not fax-feld for miles around that
brought such an abundant harvest as the wild
oW : little held. And she we'll deserved it for
sne Was n plous, gentle woman, who had the
kindeSt heart IN the world. who out of her own
poverty, found means to help those poorer still.
and who brought up her only child in all good
ways.
The summer was waning fast into autumn.
the biackberries and nuts were ripening on
every hedge; already q few fields of golden
wheat had fallen beneath the sickle. Lizzie'g
mother watched her fax-feld with anxious
eyes, but no thunderstorm eame TO break the
plants, aad they were strong and healthy
Every morning, soon as the sun was up the
mother and the child went together to look at
the beautiful lax-feld
One morning, Lizzie woke very early-so ear
~ that what she took for daylight was only the
light OF the bright harvest-mOon that pee,cd
through her curtains. She lifted her head and
looked at her mother; the widow still slept the
heavy slumber Of weariness, for she had walk
ct many miles the day before and she was
thought how very tired, and what a pity il
would be TO wake her.
Poor mother. will go alone 10 the fay.
held this morning, thought the child; :" and
then will come back and light the fire, and 20
to the well for water, before she wakes Da9r
mother, l wish L were Old enough 20 work and
then she should never be SO weary as She j.
now" -
80 Lizzie crept quietly out Of bed. AMI put
on ner lew clOthes-nO bonnet covered her fair
curls and her little white feet always went
quite bare ct she was pretty. graceful child.
"a ever danced over green meadows. When she
had nOiselessly closed the cottage door. and was
out IN the open air, Lizzie felt much surprised
To md how very early she was up 1t was al-
most dark, for the moon had Just glimmered in
al the chIlds window before setting and the
stars only remained to give light Lizzie felt
almost diSposed TO go to rest again but that
would be sure to awaken her mother She
looked to the east, and saw the first streak of
dawn; so the little girl knew that day-break
was coming, and determined 10 90 to the flax
held by starlight and wait there to see the sun
rse, sight which her little sleepy eyes had
seldom beheld
Lizzie had hardly come to the gate when she
saw there was bright light all over the field.
90 that she could distinguish it as plain as if
broad daylight She looked up to the sky but
the day-break was stiII like faint line on the
horizon, and the stars were yet shining over
h@UI- LiLLle opener the gate and went into
The held, and there she saw the most wonderful
and lovely sight that ever little child beheld.
All over the field, in countless myriads were
troops OF tiny creatures like men and women.
but 80 small that Lizzie could have held one of
them In her little hand. On the head of each
g'Immeref star, like that which the gIowworn
carries, and this light it was that iIlumined the
whole field. They were both dressed in gar
ments which seemed like dragon hies' wings of
every imaginable eolor and they crept in and
out Ut the fax flowers and danced about the
stems as light and agile as bees and grasshop.
peTs
The child knew that they were the fairies. the
good people Of whom she had heard many a
tune and whose rings she had seen on the grass
OF the meadow, showing where they had danced
t1e night before. Lizzie felt rather alarmed.
and would have ran home again very quickly
but that the gate Of the field had closed behind
her OF Its own accord, and she could not open il
without turning her back upon the fairies-a
PIE . ot ru.lencss which Lizzie had heard always
Tia l..