St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1882-06-24

80, my she said; ''wot dance that
was! | must a-looked like hand-organ
girl, only their clothes is most alwis
nicern mine,' looking apologetically
| down at her ragged dress.
With bated breath and palpitating
heart Mary Jane climbed up the stone
| steps. She intended to ring the bell, but
it was so high up that she couldn't reach
it. am ever so glad that this was so,
for if it hadn't been, Mary Jane Nigh:
never have seen Fairy land. and had her
| three wishes, after all
You must know that in this Fairy
land were several ogres. dressed in
black, who would have sent Mary Jane
| out again bad they seen her come in.
Sucn ogres are u great help to the fairies
sometimes, though | think they often
display more authority than the fairies
have ever said they might.
The massive oaken door was slightly
ajar. Mary Jane gave it a push, and
crcpt softly in. She looked around her
in wonder and awe. Such Il great, hrh
room, with a hard, shining floor. that re-
tiected Mary Jane diminutive figure
and everything around her; with crystal
lamps shining like clusters of stars above
her
Mary Jane wondered if they were
"di' mons" Her idea of how diamonds
looked was very vague indeed. In Tim
my's stories diamonds always figured
conspicuously, and these must of course
be some.
Straight ahead was wide staircase,
which shone just like the polished floor,
Mary Jane was quite sure that it led up
to an enchanted castle
AS she looked at the marble and
bronze statues scattered about, Mary
James tender little heart ached with
pity. They had, doubtless, been poor
nnfortunates ir search of Fairy land, and
had fallen into the power of the ogre in
the enchanted castle.
But there was one which Mary Jane
looked at for full five minutes without
the least pity in her heart. 1t was a
marble statue of boot-black, with his
brush in his hand
"Ha! ha! | know who you ber' she
said, pulling the statues nose and max
ing horrible faces. Il guess you won't
hit me on the head with yer brush agin
fer nuthin', Jim Smith! I'm awful glad
the ogre got a-holt O your
Just then a step sounded upon the
staircase, and, with stihed scream and
a withdrawing heart, Mary Jane sank
down behind the statue of Jim Smith.
1t was al ogre in black, who looked ter.
ribly stern, and had fierce, bristlino
side-whiskers. With sigh of relief,
Mary Jane watched him disappear in
one of the open doorways.
As she crept out again she felt very
penitent for having treated Jim Smith
so shamefully.
cit must be awful to be as cold an
hard as a stu1o,' she said, with shud-
der. "Poor JimmyH'
The music had begun again. Peep
ing in at one of the doorways, Mary
Jane beheld scene that fairly took her
breath away. There were fairies and
fairies, all about her size, but oh, SO
beautifully dressed! dancing with as
many handsome young princes. There
was tall lady fairy there, too, who
watched the other fairies dancing, and
looked at them, oh, ever so kindly!
Mary Jane decided at once that this
must be the queen of the fairies.
go, this is fairy land, sure enough!'
cried Mary Jane.
She had not meant to say it aloud.
No, indeed; she had intended to only
think it. But the beauty and splendor
of it all had almost taken away her
senses. Her awed voice rose, sweet
and shrill above the music and the rust
ling of the dancers.
The music ceased with a crash; the
fairies and princes stopped dancing and
stared at the frightened little apparition
in the doorway. Then the queen-fairy
came forward. and, stopping down,
kissed Mary James scared, quivering
mouth.
Il came to visit Fairy-land," falt-
cred Mary Jane, IAN to get three wish !
es from YOU
How the fairies and princes laughed!
But they were so merry and ,gooG-na-
tured about it that somehow<Mary Jane
didn't feel bit embarrassed.
"What are the wishes, dear child?
Perhaps / can grant them:" smiled the
queen-fairy.
80, thank you, memn' cried Mary
Jane, her blue eyes shining; but, some
how, the three wishes she had counted
on her fingers so often in Granny
O'Brien's hut were not so easy to emu
when she really was in Fairy
land. "Well, then, should like to live
here forever an ever" began Mary
Jane, gazing about her in sort of rapt-
ure, "an' have Lame Jimmy with me.
That makes two wishes. An then-an'
you please ak the ogre to
change the slater of Jim Smith, out in
that big room there, back agin?"
The boys and girls-1 mean the
princes and fairies-laughed more than
ever at this; but there we're tears in the
eyes. Mary Jane thought
they were diamonds, and softly touched
one which had fallen on her hand.
"They amt di' mons, arter all'' she
cried, much disappointed.