The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1871-02-10

Presently, a little boy and girl came
along the garden-walk, talking and
laughing, and busying themselves
planting bulb-roots and seeds.
"Ohl" said the mischievous elf,
"you think you are going to have some
beautiful flowers, do you, and a garden.
bed all to yourselvesi But l shall
spoil your fun, for I shall dig up all
your roots and seeds while you are
a~sleepl"
Burly Bones would have been wiser
if he had not said this aloud, for Holly.
hook camsby just then and overheard
him.
"Ahal" he thought, "you are dis.
posed to do mischief in my garden, are
your Little did / think you would re.
pay my kindness thus"
So, that night, Hollyhock
watched him, and saw him
go to the fower-bed and begin dig
cling up tie flowers the children had
planted. Nothing was so contrary to
Hollyhock's ideas of morality as a deed
of this sort so, quick as a flash, the
old guardian bounced upon the delin.
quent, seized him by the nap of the
neck, drew over his head a cap made Of
bats wings, and calling two or three
fairies, they bound him fast, and shut
him up in a dark place, and then had
him tried before a court of fairies. The
court sentenced him to hard work in
the garden for a year. They clipped
his wings, and dressed him in O snake.
H., n0o a.1 fa1 hs., ~ 4Ao ,a-1o-l
fruits; and his bed was not a bed Of
roses, but of dry leaves. And while he
was at work, wedding and removing
stones, a fairy, in the shape of an ugly
great toad, was set to watch him: Burly
Bones grumbled a great deal, and made
several attempts to escape; but he was
too closely watched.
For a long time he worked hard, be
cause he was forced to work; but finally
he became more resigned to his i'm,
prisonment and his labor.
Then gradually a change came ovel
him. He saw the other FAIRIES in the
garden working nearly as hard as him
self, but all interested in their work
all as happy as the b rds. They worked
at their garden as artists do at then
pictures. Why should he alone be dis
contented2
Then he began to say to himself
What IN. idle scamp I have been
And yet was I any happier than 1 an
here? Now I begin to see that there il
just as much fun in being occupied ahC
useful as in being idle and mischievous
Besides, to tell the truth, 1 am gettinl
interested Ingardening. And if Holly
hook will only forget my folly, and re
receive me as a companion among tn,
garden fairies, / think I should like Il
remain here. I find these fellows, too
more sociable than the wood fairies.
So Burly Bones became quite a respec
table and useful fairy. And when, af
ter serving out his year of Discipline
he was told he might go back to tn,
woods, he begged to be allowed to re
main. Hollyhock reflected upon tn
matter, and talked it over with Mrs
Pansy, and finally consented on Burl,
Bones's solemn promise of good behav
ior.
Still, Burly Bones often sighed whe1
he thought of Whirligig, and wondered
if he should ever plc~s5 her.
Perhaps" said. he, eff I learn tC
dance she will hke-me BETTER
So he went to a friend of his named
Larkspur, a tall, slender, hght-foote6
elf, and asked him if he would be SC
kind as to give him a few lessons.
Larkspur readily agreed, and bringing
out a little fiddle, proposed that he
should begin at once 1t was funny to
see what awkward capers and gambofs
Burly Bones exhibited at first. Butb BY
dint of encouragement and persever-
ance, he made such progress that al
length he ventured to join the fairies
of the garden in their midnight hops,
and was bold enough to lead the dance
with Miss Bluebell, one of the most
graceful of the dancers.
Soon he became so fond of the amuse.
ment that he would sometimes even
stop short in his work and cut q pi.
geon-wing in the air, much to the aston.
ishment of the grave Deacon HoIlyhocb
and the quiet Madam Pansy.
This old couple, however, liked tc
see the younger fairies enjoy them.
selves. On the suggestion of Larkspur,
they determined to give a party, and
invite all the wood fairies to it. Burly
Bones was overjoyed to hear it, for he
thought that Whirligig would come, OF
course. But while he was c~ultivatine
the graces and the morals, Whirligie
was getting to be weary of dancing
forever, and rather tired of her dancing
beaux. Still, when she heard of the
invitation, she resolved to go. The
party was to be given In the ~loveliest
part of the garden, at the full of the
moon.
The night came, and Burly Bones and
Whirligig met. She was amazed to
see the improvement in his appearance
and manners, and began to repent that
she had ever ridiculed him. But when
she saw him dancing away with Miss
Bluebell, she was still more astonished,
and began to feel almost jealous of hel
rival. Soon, however, he came to ask
her hand in the next dance, and amerry
dance they had. But when it was over,
somehow they found themselves stroll.
ing off in the moonlight, and talking o.
old times and new times, and not car.
ing to dance any more. They seemed
to have q great deal to say to each
other; and Miss Whirligig's heart was
quite softenedtoward poor Burly Bones,
while he was more in love with her thar
ever.
Well, 1 won't undertake to report
their conversation, but it was quit
evident that Miss Whirligig saw Mr.
Burly Bones in quite a different light
from that time. And the long and
short of it is that after q few months
more acquaintance, they were married
happily, and settled in the garden. And
1 conclude with the hope that all who
read this may be as good and useful In
their day and generation.
BOsguiIlOn on the Seerefs Of Lonrevify