The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1872-11-15
Young Folks.
A Fairy Story.

Little Clara Sheldon lived with her
father and mother In pretty cottage
on tho banks of the Hudson. They
had beautiful flowers garden in front
of the house, filled with all kinds of
flowers, such as violets, tulips, roses,
etc; and every morning Clara would
get up with the sun and gather little
bouquet, fresh with sparkling dew, to
give to her father to carry to town
with him, for he had to go to New York
to attend to his business.
One beautiful morning while gath
ering the bouquet, she cspied large
white rose, all covered with little
diamond like drops of dew. With
an exclamation of delight she hasten
cd toward it to pluck it, but just as
her hand touched the stem, tiny
voice, which seemed to como from the
rose, said {:
"Please don'tw
Clara looked down, and saw stand.
ing on the rose the smallest being i'm
aginable, who continued :
"Please don't pluck this rose-it is
my bed !"
"Your bed !" said Clara surpris-
ed. "Who are you, beautiful little
thing ?"
~ am fairy" replied the little
thing, land my name is Fragrance
and my grandmother, Mat, queen of the
fairies, is angry with me, and has ban
ished me from the fairy land but
cannot live here. must take one look
at my dear home, although my grand
mother said If / ever came back she
would kill me-"
"Why, what wicked fairy she mu 81
bel" said Clara.
The little fairy only sighed, and
shaking out her pair of wings
sailed away, and was soon out o
sight.
Clara went on gathering her flowers
when, thinking the dew-drops would
make beautiful jewels, she took from
her pocket vial to secure them In ;
just then she happened to glance up.
ward. and saw the little fairy hurrying
toward her, chased by large blue fly
AS soon as the tiny thing was near 1t
cried:
"The fly is my wicked grandmother
going to kill me-"
With these words she fell on u rose,
painting for breath.
Clara held up the vial to ward Off the
fly, but it was coming so swiftly that il
never needed it, and so flew right into
1t. Clara clapped in the cork, and held
it fast.
"What shall / do with this wicked
old fly !" she asked the fairy, as soon as
the little thing had somewhat recover.
ed from its fright.
"Keep it fast in the vial," was the
answer, land do not let it out till ii
promises to be good.'
So she placed it in her room, and went
to her breakfast.
The next morning she saw in golden
letters on the vial these words:
~ will be good, always good, if you
will let me out?"
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and asked her what to do, and the an
swer was:
"Let her out. A fairy never broke
her word" So she went and opened
the vial, and out flew the fly, alight-
ing on the window still. It rubbed it
wings with its hind feet, and immedia.
tely became beautiful fairy, and
then, in sweet voice thus addressed
her:
"Because you have kept me from
evil doing in my anger; and have been
kind to my daughter, l give you virtue,
happiness and long life. May you be
the means of reforming mortals, as you
have me and may your happiness ex-
ceed that of the fairies!"
She then flew to her granddaughter
and after Fragrance had thanked Clara,
they few off to fairyland. And Clara
was happy, for who are not when they
have made others o?.