Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1866-12-01

the g.psses' But when he begged that she
would let him take his dear little cousin
away with him, she consented only on coudi-
ton that tho child herself should be willing !;
for Gertrude had become very dear to the old
queen. Soshe called the little maid in and said:
Now, look here, my child. This really is
your cousin Waltor. DO you no longer love
him, and will you not 80 away with him ?"
The child looked at the knight from head
to foot, and then said, III troubled voice:
"Since you both declare that it is Walter,
| suppose must believe it. Ah ! if only no
we're still IS little rs he was year ago, Iwould
so into the wide world with him, wherever
ho wanted; but now, never can. 1t would
be no good, whilst he is like that. If wan
ted to play hide and seek rs we used to do,
his ar,nor would shine and his spurs rattle,
and | should know where he was directly. -
If wanted t, go to school with him. he could
not sit by mc on the little benches at the lit.
tie tables. Then what could poor child like
me do for such stately knight? If tried
to work for him should burn my little hands;
if tried to make his clothes, should prick
my little fingers; and if ran races with him,
should hurt my little feet. If I were
grown up princess, indeed it would be dffe.
rent thing"
Walter could not but feel that what Ger
trudo said was true. So he took leave of
them both, mounted his horse, and rode away.
But the queen and Gertrude watched him
| from the battlemcnts of tho castle
lie bad not ridden many steps when voice
| from tree called, "Walter Walter - and
when he looked up, there wos the raven who
said
ca year has passed since you wished to be
a knight. If you have another wish, speak
aud 1t shall be granted but observe, what
you wished before will then be at an end.
| 10 these last words Walter paid no attcn
ton. The raven had no sooner said that he
might have another wsh than he interrupted
it, cxclai,ning. Then l wish Gertrude to be
a grown.up princes"
| But even as he spoke he himself becam
child again, and his hosrc hobby horse, Just
as they had been a year ago. But when he
looked up to the bat,emcnts, there stood by
the queen wonderfully beautiful princess, tall
and slim and stately; and this was-his Ger
trude! Then the boy, taking Ills hobby horse
went back up the castle steps, and wcpt bit
tery. But the queen sorry for him,
took him in, and tried to comfort him.
And now there was another trouble. Dear
lyas the Princess Gertrude and the boy Wal
ter loved each other, they were not so happy
us they should have been. If Walter said to
her, Come Gertrude and wen run races,
and jump ditchcs,@s she would answer {. O.,
that would never do for princess What
would the people say?'
If Walter said, Come and play hide and
seek" Gertrude would answer again, 90,
but that you'd never do for Il princess. |
should leave my train hanging on the thorns,
and my coronet would be tumbling off my
head"
Then, if Gertrude asked Walter to bring
in some venlson for the table, the boy would
bring her a mouse instead; and if bull or ::
snatch Walter up in her arms, aud run of with
could run great deal quicker. Meanwhile
he remained in the castle; and the boy be-
came very dear to the old queen
Another year passed by; and one morning
Gertrude sat under tree in the garden with
her embroidery, whilst Walter played at her
feet. Then, az before, voice called out
of tree, "Walter Walter !" And when
the boy looked up, the raven was sitting on a
branch, who said, " Now once more You may
wish, and it shall be granted but this is the
last time, therefore think it we'll over"
But Walter did not think long before hc
answered, "Ah let us both be children all
our lives long"
And as ho wished so it happened. They
both became children as before, played to,
gcther more happily than ever, aud we're of
one heart and of one soul
But when another year had passed by, and
the children sat plucking flowers and singing
together in the garden, an angel flew down
from heaven, who took them both in his arms
and carried them away-away to the celestial
gardens of Paradise, where they are yet to.
gether, gathering the flowers that never fade
and singing songs 80 wondrously beautiful that
even the blessed angels hear with joy
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