Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1882-04-19
In a Rose Garden.


The moon one night was flooding the
rose-garden with silver light. 1t was the
witching hour of midnight, the hour when
fairies and elves and goblins always do
their fitting about. Perhaps when you
have heard all of this little tale, you will see
why it is 30. Well, on this night the noon
light was particularly bright,-like the day
indeed. soft breeze was blowing spray
of the Wistaria vine against the window of
the nursery with "patpat," that came
into little Peggy's dreams till she stirred
restlessly and awoke. "Pat-pat !" against
the window where the blossoms swung and
Peggy, stealing softly along the path of light
on the floor, came TO the window and looked
out. What could that knocking mean
She soon discovered. There, astride a
stem whence the purple blossoms hung in a
great cluster, sat tiny little man swinging
in the wind and each time he touched the
open window, he tapped with little wand
on the frame.
"Oh, you're awake at last" he cried, in
a piping voice d" | thought you would never
come !"
"Did want me 2" said Peggy, timidly.
"Why yes, you little sleepy head you're
missing all the fun down there You said,
this morning, you wanted to go to the party,
and I've come to take you. Don't you hear
the orchestral Come on p
Piping, and humming, and singing, all
the insects in the world seemed gathered in
the garden below, to play for the dancing.
Peggy cast rueful glance down at her
nightgown, but thought of it no more as
unsuited to party, when she heard the
frog, who played drum, shout up hoarsely
what sounded like come-comel" The
little man was already sliding aud jumping
down the vine to the ground, and she felt
herself floating down after him. Just as
her feet touched, great bumble-bee came
bouncing up to her and seized her hand for
| a dance.
"But I'm too big I" cried Peggy.
"Don't let a little thing like that spoil a
good time - he called up to her. Aud she
didn't. Round and round she hoated and
stepped, and yet never stepped on any one
which was marvel, for the wee creatures
were in crowds beneath her.
"You darlings," she said, under her
breath, "you look somehow like the roses.
| "That's just what we are" said the little
man, in her ear, "we're their spirits, and we
only stay here while we blossom; when
we get done with that, we crawl back into
Fairyland, but you'll see, wait |"
| Peggy now saw graceful little lady, ia
blush rose-leaf gown, walking with tiny
damsel who was glistening in some radiant
garment like dragon-flies' wings. $50 it is,
she answered Peggy's thought,-"a hand
some fellow that dragon-hy was, too he ad
mired me so much he gave me his wings
The sweet looking lady in pale blush-color
gazed at Peggy so brightly that she thought
she knew her. "You must be-"
| "Lsdy Hermosa that blooms down by the
spring. so am" she said gayly, in answer
to Peggy's half-formed question. Just then
Madame Damask came by in gorgeous raj
ment, walking with Marechal Mel, a mill
tary gentleman in a buff coat and trousers
The ladies walked away, and Peggy turned
her attention to the remainder of the guests
| There were wee men, in cooked hats of rose
leaves, and tiny danes in satin-finished gar.
ments of flower petals, with dewdrops for
| jewels. Some had lace shawls of green
These Peggy thought must be OF the Moss
family.
Then she looked for her favorite Seven
Sisters. Winding in and out among the
dancers, she sought them. Once she almost
walked upon grasshopper, who was bow
ing politely to a yellow moth and again
she turned Just in time to avoid putting her
foot on a quadrille set, where four little
chaps with pansy hats and a thorn in each
belt for a sword were dancing with foui
lovely maidens in white, while three Other
white-robed ladies waited near by. Surely
these were the dearly loved sisters the chile
was seeking. Peggy was getting very much
confused with the noise and the myriads o.
little creatures about her feet, when the
seven whte-robed ones came focking sbou
her. They foated up to her face anC
touched her, and whispered that they loved
her, and often longed to speak to her as sht
walked in the garden with the other chill
dren. "And love YOU" said Peggy softly
"oh, so much I've longed to learn YOU
language, and now I'm so glad | shall al
ways know it. Why, what are they all do
ing ?" she cried in conclusion.
Sure enough, what did it mean 2 The
orchestra were filing away in line, the
grasshoppers jumping into the grass, and
every rose-spirit was climbing up his or hel
stalk and disappearing into rose-hower.
"Come away quickly" called the tiny
man, who called her, "the party's abou
over. Don't you see the moon going dowr
behind the trees Hurry, stupid III b.
caught if you don't, and then | can't ge
into any flower and back to fairy land, anC
in the morning my blossom will hang down
withered,-be quick, child !" But Peggy
broke away and fled after the Seven Sisters
al want to get into flower with you i
she cried, regardless of her size and he
white nightgown. Climbing up the arbo
after the maidens, as the last white rob,
disappeared in its flower she hastened Il
enter too. Through the petals and into tn
blossoms she followed, and then,-where 4,
you think she found herself? Where-bu
on her own little bed, opening her eyes to
wards the sunlight that was stealing in a
the window
Mamma, to whom she told her last night
adventures, said it was /" a pretty dream, my
dearl" But Peggy always insisted that i
was all real and many a time, down in tn,
garden she whispered TO the Seven Sister
how she loved them, and what deli ghtfu
time she had that moonlight night at tn,
party. She always thought that they nod
ded recognition, as she walked by after that
and always, when she found witherec
blossom hanging lump, she would kiss it anc
whisper softly to it; "Never mind,-b,
only good little spirit, and perhaps Goo
will let you go back next year."
Now do you guess why the fairies com