Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1878-10-10


One cold winter day, when the snow
Gakes were falling like feathers from
the sky, good queen sat sewing at q
window which bad a frame work Of
black ebony. And as she sewed and
looked through the black frame work at
the snow she pricked her finger with
the needle, and three drops OF blood
Sell upon the white linen. Then thought
the queen within herselE-s0. that ]
had q child as white as snow, as red as
blood, and as black as the ebony frame-
work II
Not long after, little daughter was
given to her that was as white as snow,
as red as blood. and had hair as black
~ ebony, and therefore was called Lit
tie Lily"
Soon siter. the good queen died: and
when year had passed away, the king
msrried another lady. She was beau
fiful womsns but vain and tyrannical,
and could not endure that there should
be any one IN the world that should be
thought to be more beautiful than her
self. Now she had q wonderful looking
glass, and when she went and looked at
herself IN II, and said:
'sClam, glass, that hangs on the wall,
Who In the land d fhirest Of ~
the looking-glass answered:
Lady queen, in shs land shoa ART fairest Of all. p.
Then she was content, fcr she knew
that ihe iooking-glass spoke the truth.
Now little Lily xrewA apace, mndAbe-
came every day more lovely, and when
she was seven years old she was as
beautiful as day, and more beautiful
than the queen herself. So it was that
when one day the queen asked her looks
ing-glass again:
''Glass, glass, that hangs on the wall,
Whe In the land 10 fairest Of all r.
Il answered:
Lady queen, thou art fair as fair may be,
But Lily's thousand times ialrer than thesi"
When the queen heard this. she be-
came pale with jealousy and anger,
From that hour forward, as often as
she looked upon little Lily, her heart
buraed within with hatred towards the
maiden. Her jealousy aad pride in
creased daily, and at last became SO
great, that she could not rest even at
nisht. Then she sent for q servant, and
said 10 him:
TAKE the child out with you into The
forest; | cannot bear The sight OF her.
And when you get to the forest, kill
her, and bring me back her lungs and
liver as 9 token that you have done
so"
The servant did as he was bid, and
carried little Lily away 10 kill her. But
when he had drawn his dagger, and
was going TO plunge il into the child's 8
heart, she began to weep, and said:
30, good man, spare my life / Twill
run about in the wild wood. and never
come home again."
Little Lily was so young and so beau
tiful, that The servant had compassion
on her, and said
run away, then. my poor child.
The Wild beasts will soon have eaten
thee up"
In his heart, however, he was right
glad he bad not killed the child; and
as young lawn Just then came bound-
ing past, he struck il down, took out its
lungs and liver. and broughs them to the
queen. The cook was ordered to salt
and dress them. and the wicked woman
etc them up, and thought she had eaten
little Lily's lungs and liver.
The poor child was now all alone in
the forest, and in such distress, that she
trembled all over. She looked and
looked at the leaves upon the trees, and
did not know how TO help herself. At
last she began TO run over the sharp
stones. and through the briers and
thorns but though the wild beasts
passed her on her way, yet they did her
no harm. She ran as long as her fees
could carry her, and night was about to
close in, when she saw little house,
aud went in 10 rest herself in the house
everything was smal-small. but pref
~ and neat, as nobody can tell. In Il
stood . little table spread with white,
and seven little plates upon II. every
plate with its spoon, and seven little
knives and forks, and seven cups be-
sides. Against the walls were seven
little beds ranged all along. aud seven
little sheets on them, white as snow.
Little Lily. being very hungry and
thirsty, ate out Of every plate little
crosses and bread. and drank out OF ev-
cry cup drop af wihe@~lor she did not
wish TO take the whole away from one
only. Afler that. because she was so
tired, she lay down 90 one Of the little