American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1878-07-27
An American Fairy Story.

Once upon a time there lived upon
the banks of the Ohio River young
and comedy Prince, who wore a helmet
hat, and whose father owned pork
house. And this Prince of the Helmet
Hat was of goodly mien and degree, and
was celebrated far and wide among his
people for the prcwess with which he
welded the billiard cue and the skill
with which he tied his cravats.
Now it happened that, on a certain
evening, this Prince went to grand
Charity Ball, where there were hun
dreds and hundreds of mas1uers and
thousands and thousands of dazzling
lights, all red, and green, and blue and
streaked. But the most effulGent lu-
minaty OF al was young and ravish-
ingly beautiful maiden, who moved in
the mazes of the dance as airily as
sylph, and wore blonde bangs. No soon
err did the Prince of the Helmet Hat be-
hold her than he rspt1rorsle exclaimed,
al GANNYi" and swore that thence
forward and forever she was the light
of his eyes! He obtained an introduce
ton to her, and when his arm encircled
her waist in the waltz he felt, through
and through, just like placid pond of
water looks after yoi lave thrown
stone into it. He took her into supper,
and helped her to salmon salad, and
ambrosia, and pickles, and things. And
when she looked up and met his ardent
gaze, and blushed, and eoyly asked him,
''Ain't you goin't' eat moth
In ?" he sighed and amoroiisiy muir
INJURED: don't talk to me of mundane
provisions noso; I'm feasting ON your
blonde bangs"
Audthen she knew that she had caught
Prince-caught him with her blonde
bangs.
On the following evening he escorted
her to the theater, and while she divided
her attention between him, the stage,
and the audience, he had eyes only for
her and his peanuts. Alas! however,
the peanuts did not taste as did peanuts
of yore. He had lost his relish for their
delicate flavor, and the Prince of the
Helmet Hat was compelled to acknowl-
edge that he was Incidentally in love.
Aud yet he did not feel as those who
love in vain. Her ways were sweet and
gentle, as became a modest maiden, but
they were SO demure, so suggestive, SO
shyly encouraging, that he could not
doubt that she returned his love.
And as he looked upon her in her radi-
ant and innocent beauty, a lovers queer
conceit entered his mind, and he wish
ed and wished again that he was the
ivory fan with which she idly toyed and
pressed to her glowing cheeks and touch
ed her carmine lips and rested on her
opulent bosom. "Ah, me! All, mei''
he sighed, "1 would were her ivory
fani"
Now it happened that the Princes
fairy God-mother was at the theater that
night, she having been engaged by the
manager to take part in the play, in
tights, a wand, and wings.
At the close she stepped up to the
Prince of the Helmet Hat and gave him
a shoe-string.
"Young man." she whispered, you
have been at your wishes again. Tie
this charm around your neck tonight,
and when you awake in the morning,
you shall be her ivory FAM
He followed her instructions, and
when he awoke he had gained his wish.
He was her ivory fan, lying in per-
fumed rosewood box.
All the long, long day did he lie with
in the box, and not once did he see his
fair enslaver. But when the evening
came, and the stars came out, and the
frogs began to sing, she came and lifted
him from the rosewood box, and car
ried him in her own soft, rosy palm
down stairs into the parlor. And in the
room was a strange young man with
red mustache, and she sat down on the
sofa and conversed with him, and fam
ned herself with her ivory fan, which
was the Prince of the Helmet Hat.
"Why don't she press me to her lips,
ct ceteraf" thought the Prince. Amy
way, she's tanning with me, though
though it is not exactly comfortable for
fellow to be held by the head and have
his legs flung around in this-this style,
even to raise the wind for his darling.
Gadz! she's about to smother me and
dislocate every bone in my body-and
I'd like to know who that Red Mus
tache is, anyhow!"
And then the Red Mustache says to
the maiden:
"Look-a-here, Lucy, whom thunder
was that milk-eyed Teller with you at
the theater last night?''
"Oh ''-giggle-''that was the Prince
of the Helmet Hat, Charlie. Wasn't he
noodle.''
"And what does he want a-foolin'
roun' you, I'd like to be informed
Giggle. "Why, Charlie, couldn't
you see he was dead in love with me-
Oh, the jewelry, and gloves, and ice
cream and things III get out of him be-
fore you and marry!''
And then the Red Mustache caught
the hand of the maiden which held the
Prince, and the Red Mustache squeezed
that hand and the poor Prince until he
thought his time had come, and he
would have said in his anguish, ''By
Guillibuck!" if he had had the breath
And the Red Mustache and the maid
en- talked softly of the "happy day. and
shirt-buttons; and she cast down her
tender eyes, and blushed family, and
gnawed nervously the head of the I'M