Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1875-05-07

money was all spent and the famine
was worse than ever.
"rhcn the princess took off all her
brilliant jewels and gave them to the
beggars. But the courticrs grum-
bled and said: 'Why should our
Princess lose her beauty for the sake
of these miserables? There is moth
ing SO priceless as beauty
Then the Princess answered.
Look on me, my people; the fairy
Selbtverlengnung* maketh amends
"And, as they looked, they saw
fairy wand waved over their Princess
and were obliged to confess that her
beauty was more dazzling than be-
| fore
''But again the poor people came
in their tattered garments to ask for
bread. Then the Princess arose and
took one of the poor women with her
into an inner chamber, and exchang-
ed her own gorgeous attire for the
tattered clothing of the poor woman,
and returned again to her throne.
'But when the courtiers saw what
was done, they were more furious
still, end exclaimed: Shame on our
Princess, to insult her beauty thus.
There is nothing so priceless as beau
ty.'
"But again the fairy wand waved
in the air over her bent head, aud the
people confessed her beauty to be
more dazzling than ever.
"When next the beggars came, the
courtiers jeered at them and said:-
Go home, we knaves! Ye have
spoiled our Princess already. What
would We have of of her now?'
But the Princess lifted her snowy
arms and took out the pins that fast
ened her golden locks, till they fell, a
shower OF real gold, around her, and
flowed over the steps of the throne
to the very feet Of the beggars. Then
the Princess called for pairof shears
and clipped them all off, and the beg
gars gathered up the shining gold in
armfuls, and went away blessing her.
But the courtiers were furious now,
and would have pursued and beaten
the beggars had not the Princess
called to them in her gracious tones,
and said: "Look on me, my people;
the fairy Selbstverlengnung maketh
amends" And when they turned 10.
there was the wand waving over the
head of the Princess, and her beauty
was more dazzling than ever.
Again the beggars came in their
distress, and now the Princess was
puzzled for moment. But presently
she sent for clever dentist, who put
her under laughing gas, and drew all
her pearly teeth in twinkling by the
power of steam. Each tooth was a
separate pearl of great value. So
the beggars went away richer than
ever with their thirty-six precious
pearls, and never came to beg OF
their Princess any more, but brought
corn, and copped their lands dill
gently, singing the praises OF their
beautiful Princess who had given her
very hair and teeth for them!
But when the courtiers saw the
dainty pearls fall from her ruby lips,
they were mad with anger, and ran
upon the beggars to kill them.
But suddenly the sweet tones of
the Princess checked them, as she
cried: 'Look on me, my people, and
confess that the fairy Sclbstverleugn-
ung yet maketh amends"
So they turned and looked on her,
and the courtiers had to shade their
eyes with their hands, so dazzling
was the brilliancy of her beauty.
Then they exclaimed with one
voice: "Hail to the fairy Selbstver-
lengnung! Hail to our peerless
Princess! Beauty is precious tor
beauty's sake, but the beauty of
Sebstuverleugnung is beyond all
pricew
"What a funny story" said little
Clarie. "What does that long word
mean?"
"It means self-sacrifce," said Tom,
"and it is the name of the good fairy
that makes the lovely lovelier far"
"I'm sure the Princess couldn't
have looked pretty" asserted Nellie,
"when all her hair was gone, and her
teeth, too. She must have been n
worse fright even than Madge'"
On hearing her own name, Madge
looked up from her intense gaze into
the fire, and glanced across at Tom
on the opposite settee. But, as their
eyes met, Il conscious blush passed
over her fair face, and the blue eyes
dropped again under his earnest gaze,
while little Clarie added to her con-
fusion by exclaiming, with sudden
happy thought:
Il do believe Mr.. Tom meant
Madge all along, and that she is his
beautiful Princess''
Upon this Madge rose, saying, 81
must go and look out for my guests
Tom presently followed her, and
found her standing in the quaint old
porch, cooling her blushing cheeks
in the frosty air, and waiting for the
children.
"Oh, Madge!' he said, in tone of
entreaty, twill you be my own beau
titul Princes, and teach me through
life your lesson of Selbtsverleug?"
Madge raised her glistening blue
eyes to his, and said, smiling through
her tears:
"Oh, Tom! how can be that when
you know I'm such fright?"
How Tom convinced her of the
contrary it is not our mission to en-
quire. We only know that the con-
siderate school-children gave them
time to settle the matter there in the
porch to their mutual satisfaction,
and that the said children received a
beaming welcome from the happy
pair as their reward when at last they
made their appearance, trooping up
hand in hand to thevicarage, singing
a carol rs they went.
Never had happier Christmas
ever been passed under that dear old
vicaragc than was sLent by the young
people on this particular occasion,
entertaining their merry guests. And
when the vicar laid his hand on
Madgc's head when she wished him
goodnight, saying, 'Bless you, my