The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1882-07-01
WHAT ILL FOUND IN FAIRYLAND.

Lii ran down the garden walk and
through the gate. She generally went
across the lawn and climbed the fence.
That was the pleasantest way, she
thought. She left the gravel walk for
the hop-toads, who paraded up and
down it, hopping in a stately manner,
at all hours OF the day and perhaps the
night. Lii did not know about that.
She did come out once in the middle of
the night and ran over the lawn in her
night-dress, just to see what things
were like out of doors at that time of
night, but everything was so still and
the moon stared at her so that she ran
back frightened, and cudded into bed
again. She did not remember about
the hop-toads. But to-day she went
down the walk because it happened to
be the shortest and she was in a hurry.
She was going to look for Fairyland.
She did not see why the fairies STAYED
at home now, and did not come around
managing people affairs as they used
to do. She knew all about that, for
she had read great many histories of
their doings, and she thought it was a
great pity that they had stopped attend
ing to things. She thought it was par
ilSC W nave I'LL lIc
wicked people turned into owls
or bears or something horrid,
and all the good people made
very beautiful, il they were not so
in the first place, as they generally were.
TO be sure, sometimes the good ones
were turned into ugly things by wicked
fairies, but Lii did not care so much
about that, because it never lasted.
They were always turned back again
before long. But how nice it would be
it, when that horrid Tom Wilson
snatched her lunch at recess and ate it
all up, as now and then happened, a
fairy should appear and point tiny
wand at him and say: "Go wallow in
the mud" and he should turn into pig
and run away and never come back
again! And there was Mazda Lawrence,
the incest girl in the world, Lii thought,
who was made unhappy twenty times a
day, though she tried hard not to mind
it, by illusions to her red hair and
freckled face. O. ..t
''Such big frecklesr' said Lii to her
self, as she ran. II don't see why the
sun and wind should hit people faces
in spots! If Maida's face was freckle-
color all over she wouldn't care half as
much. If find one single fairy I'll ask
her to make Mazda pretty the very first
thing. The way to Fairyland is always
behind an old stump or through hol-
low tree, and just believe | can find it.
mean to try, any way"
1t was astonishing how many stumps
and hollow trees there were in that old
piece of woods when Lii came to ex-
anime them all carefully. She gave il
up at last and threw herself down on
patch of fern-mOss to rest and think
whether there was any place she had
forgotten. A squirrel ran down on a
bough close above her head and chat
tered and scolded at her, and a robin
hoped almost on her arm, but Lii did
not stir; she did not mind squirrels and
robins. They did not mind her much.
either, they were so used to seeing her.
But presently she discovered that the
chatterng squirrel was saying:
"What are you doing here in Fairy
land 1 should like to know? No mortals
allowed herer,,
Lii started up and looked around. 1t
was the same old wood, or if it was not
she could not tell the difference, and
there sat Mazda Lawrence right in front
White moths? No, they must be fairies.
Lii could see their lovely little faces,
all turned toward Mazda. They patted
and stroked and touched her softly, as
if they loved her, and their wee fingers
seemed to have a remarkable effect on
Mazda In fact, now that Lii looked
more closely she was not sure that it
was Mazda. 1t looked like her, certain
ly, but there were no freckles and no
red hair and Lii thought the face the
most beautiful she had ever seen.
Could it be an angel, she wonderedP
One of the fairies nuttered close by her
and Lii asked the question aloud.
Every near it, said the fairy; sit
is Maida's soul, her real self. That is
what she looks like inside. Her face
won't always stay as it is now, but her
soul will stay beautiful and grow more
SO, because we make it more and more
lovely all the time"
"And who are youp" asked Lii.
81 am Unselfishness and my sisters
there are Truth, Self-Control, Helpful
ness, Gentleness, and a great many
more whose names you would not rec
ognize if l should tell you. Mazda
would not mind her freckles and red
hair if she knew they were making her
soul more beautiful. They bring her
my sisters Patience and Modesty, and
you see how lovely they have made her
already"
Lii walked all around Mazda, who
did not seem to see her, and wished she
had mirror to show her how she