Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1875-04-29

hhN w" Siaii nave niue, TOO, III
tie girl. y said Jack, latter You hav
eaten that. for you must be yer,
hungry; arn't you?"
"Yes,' resumed she, with her de
mur little voice. And she ate it yer,
eagerly, TO the last drop, but shC
would not take jacks, though h,
pressed her to do so again and again
She had eaten all she wished, sh,
said, though it was very nice, an6
thanked him thousand times
Jack wondered that she grew warn
50 soon, for she kept moving her lit
tlesehair away and away from thu
fire5until she had reached the frost
iestscorner of the room.
why, are you so warm?" asked he
And the little girl said that she
had been in the cold so long. that
the fire made her face burn. Jack
tried to be very entertaining, and
talkedsto the silly little stranger as
merrily as possible: but she was in
clined to he very silent, though she
looked amused.
Jack asked her where she lived, and
when she answered very sadly, that
she hadn't tany home at all, he spoke
out eagerly: Then you shall come
and live with us. I'm going to he a
man pretty soon, and take care of
Won. But You won't mind if you
don have very much supper, or 4
very pretty dress to wear, for q little
while, will you?"
The little girl did not speak, but
she gave him Il very bright, grateful
look, which was beautiful 10 see, and
Jack thought he'd never seen any
one half so pretty. She was pret-
tier even than Bess B"own, his little
rosy-cheeked sweetheart at school.
But while he was looking at her, to
his great surprise and fear she sud
denly vanished, as Il shadow on the
wall might have done; and. from an
opposite corner. the tiniest little lady
imaginable danced out, waving
wand like frosted silver, and dressed
all in glittering white, like some ell
fin bride.
The queer little hat she wore,
perched on her pert little head, was
trimmed about the brim with
fringe of tiny icicles; and her jaunty
little jacket was edged with longer
ones, that tingled when she moved
like sprays Of silver bells; and her
tiny feet were encased in the cum
ningest little slippers that looked
like glass, but were nothing but
clear crystal ice, in reality; and they
made clear little clack as she
daHrcel-about over the hard wooden
floor
Jack was inclined to be afraid, ut
first; but the expression of the little
ladv's face was So sweet. that he
soon forgot his fear in admiration
and delight, as she waved her beauti
full glittering wand, and laughed gay
ly, making the faintest. sweetest mu-
sic as she did so, that ever was made.
His eyes were very wide and bright
as he watched her graceful motions
from his low stool by the fire; and
suddenly she was before him; and, af-
ter courtesying, she stood on the tips |
Of her dainty ice slippers to look into
his face, and said, Il am little |
snow -spritc, and if you will wish a
wish, ] will grantit to you! Think |
what yon wish the most, kind little |
Jack"
''But where is the little beggar
girl?" asked Jack, wonderingly.
~Oh, never you mind her" answered |
the sprite, laughing merrily. ''Tll take
care of her. You were very good,
and did all you could for her I'll
wait Just outside the door while you
are thinking--it is so warm in here;
and when You are ready, just tap
upon the hearth, and he it ever so
lightly, + shall hear you, and come"
1t did not take Jack a moment to
think what he wished most; and it
was what he knew that his mother
wished most; and that was that his
father might come home again alive
and well, and that the story Of the
Orient might prove to be all untrue.
So he tapped never so lightly on the
hearth, and in Il breath the little SNOW
sprite WAS before him again.
Il wish," spoke he, eagerly, THAT
my father may come back to us again,
alive and well.
"And where is your father ques-
toned the small body
'Alasr' answered the little boy,
sadly, II suppose that he is at the
bottom of the sea-
II can not bring back the dead
said she, land / wouldn't if | could;
but. nevertheless, you shall see your
father alive and well, before tO-mor
row morning. And now you may |
wish another wish, for this, although |
it shall he granted, will not be exact
ly of my giving, you know; and while
You are wishing, l will wait just out
side the door again, and when you
are ready, tap, as before.
And Jack was trying to think what
he should wish, when the voice ofhis
mother aroused him, and he found
that he had been asleep, with his head
still in her lap.
"Come, jack" said she, "we'll
have our supper now.
''But wait till the little sprite comes
back" murmured he, rubbing open
his sleepy eyes, his dream still un-
broken.
..The little spriteY' said his moth
er, lifting him to his feet. "Why,
Jack, you're dreaming"
'Oh, mother" said he, now fairly
awake. ''and I've had such beauti-
full dream; and l know by the way !
feel that it will prove reality"
And he told his mother all about
it, describing the little snow-spsite
with great enthusiasm. And his
mother smiled sadly, never speaking, |