Little Falls transcript., 1879-09-04
sOtjLA: A FANTASY:
BY FANNY bRtsCoth.

heavens. and all the hedges were gold
with buttercups; the tall trees threw long
shadows on the grass; the silver rills
FLASHED and gurgled; the warm, loving
sun made glorious sunrises and sunsets
above the mystic hills, and the moon
hung low at night like great lustrous,
milky pearl.
And through the warm ssweetness the
bees went booming, carrying homeward
at night stores Of honey; the humming
birds flashed among the blossoms like
restless gems; the butterflies, blue, and
gold, and purple, sailed and sailed; and
q bright breasted bird now and then eent
out long, sweet, thrilling note from its
happy heart.
Nowhere else III the world we're such
tranquility, aid peace, and loveliness;
| for this was the court Of the fairies, aid
all night long they danced and refeled
beneath the stars.
Mortals seldom found this Elysian, for
then it would not have been Elysian;
they would soon have made it battle
| Held of love, and bate and despair. and
ealousy, and scorn, and envy. The flow
ers would be trampled, and the bees and
binds dead with fright; the sun would
not be SO bright and shining, nor the
moon so fair and peaceful; this quiet spot
would be blood stained and filed with
turmoil. All, mol the mortals seldom
came.
The butterflies sailed through the long,
sweet, languid hours, chasing each other
| in the, blue ether, dancing In the sun
| light, slumbering in the fragrant heart ot
some tender bloom, with none to mar
the extatic delight Of every perfect mo-
ment, for storms and dtoughts never
touched this spot.
But nowhere, not even in Fairyland,
4 do things remain long the same. Change
is the invinsible giant that conquors sll
the earth.
There were two butterflies hero, so
dainty SO e1quisitely graceful, that the
fairies delighted in them more than all
others. One with broad wings and royal
raiment of purple and gold; the other
white and unreal as dream These two
were seldom far apart; always floating
together across the fields Of burning,
passionate roses, and down through the
cool, silent, shadowy valley. The pale,
straw tinted butterflies, the black and
brawny ones, the fragile blue ones flying
in the sunshine, would always rest to
watch these two when they dtifted SLOW
l'ly down ON the wings Of some thy ythetnic,
moving 1ehpyt. The fairies clipped their
tiny hands ID delight, and their gleeful
laughter rang out far and wide.
One day mortal came slowly into the
enchanted spot,-a mortal so beautiful
that even the fairies paused in wonder.
Her limbs wero white and fawless as the
lilies, her mouth was like scarlet flow
er, her eyes We're purple as the dewey
yiolets in the hollows, her hair, yellow
ana silken as the tassels of the corn, fell
down to her feet.
She went straight to the pool that was
hidden aihong the brakes, and, throwing
off her white, tilmy robes, she plunged ID,
plashlng, and laughing, and throwing
the water around like a;naughty, frolic-
some child, and her lat1gh was like mti-
sic.
She cat1e forth niore beautiful than
Aphtodite. with the water dripping from
bet bafcd carved limbs that CLEANED like
ivory. And the timid fairies hid their
faces when their Queen said sternly:
"A beautiful wanton. Come away;
children"
The two butterflies came floating down
through the sunshine as the strange NOR
tai went slowly along the trailing path
her white garments after her, her beauty
filling all the day. The roses looked pal
lid and old, all the sunshine seemed to
have fallen on her hair, and left the world
cold and pale. There were smiles on her
lips and in her eyes. Her movements
were like the swaying Of the lily-buds in
the wind. Her eyes were so s,seeL and
1mperious that men had lost their SOILS for
them. The white flower like hands were
more cruel than death; the red lips more
ruthless than hate. She was soulless,
this beautiful creature, but who could
know? Men only saw the ssrcery Ct her
face, and were willing to die tor it.
The gold and purple wings futered
weakly for moment, and then, with a
swift sweep forward, lit on the golden
hair. The white wings sailed slowly
back toward the sea. And the iairies
looked and wondered.
Every day the mortal with the glorious
face wandered down the enchanted paths.
Sometimes she plucked blossoms by the
handful, buried ber face in them a mo-
ment, and flung them beneath her feet
unbeeded. Sometimes. she decked her
self with them, only to tear them to pie
ces carelessly in a while. One day she
caught q paae-green phantom-fy in her
soft, white hand, and crushed 1t, laugh
ing.
The fairies were wroth at this and
stormed and menaced with angry faces,
but the Queen said, gently:
t.Wait!''
And wherever the mortal strayed. there
foated the gold and purple wings circ-
ling about. the falr yellow head, like a
Narcissus-fower, nesting in the folds of
her scented robes, and even when she
lay down and slept, like tired child on
the ground, softly resting on the fringed
lids, or the scarlet blossom of her mouth,
while the white wings drifted away in
the dist;tce, weary aud alone. And the
FAIRIES looked and wondered.
One. courtrday when all the faries were
assembled, in sudden pause the gold
and purple wings were waited to the
| throan.
'Make me mortal. o just Queen, give
me the form and soul Of a mortalp'
There was rustic through the assem-
bly,, and pause, death like, awed, ex-
pectant- : 81: J.. = :a|y:.' 80
The Queen sighed. tThe 1mortals arc
always sad,'. she said. ".The happiets
are without SOULS" 2 --' ,'ss-
""Givei me immortal pain,' the soft
voice pleaded, "but give. me soul.''
And after moment the Queen STONED
down and touched the gold and purple
wings softly with her wand, and there
rose up from the throne and went forth q
I tall, slim youth with . face like girl.
and dark, slumbrous eyes, and mouth
like woman's.; s>f:e >..=
That day as the falr7faeed mortal sat
! indolently with her white dimpled feet
in the brook, watching the water break
over them in little ripples, youth came
throug the trees, and. ipeeling down
beside her, kissed the hem Of her dress.
and said: Bes 2og Il sS5s##s E4o,2ata :
:. II am Soula. 7 love you SIS
She looked up at him, upem barrassed.
studying his fimpassioned, beautiful face