Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1886-02-11
THE LAST OF THE FAIRIES.

FROM THE FRENCH OF JULES sANDEAU.
was sixteen years old when she APP
peared to for The first time. | re-
member well that it was a beautiful
evening in May. | had gone out of the
city alone. i was wandering aimlessly
across the fields dreamy and restless
without knowing why. had been for
some time of this humor, ana -
stantly took refuge i'll solitude.
saw the sun go down into sea OF
purple and gold, the shadows ascend
from the hills to the plains. The stars
shine forth one by one in the sky.
The frogs were croaking gently by the
ponds; the trills of the nightingale rang
out at long intervals. l heard the
leaves trembling in the night wind,
and the long grass blowing before the
breeze with gentle and lovely sound.
The moon, white and radiant, slept
on the pearl OF a cloud bank, whence
her rays fell in floods ofsilver through
out the night. The warm air was
laden with delightful colors, and along
the blossoming hedges l could hear
themurmnrs of the birds caressing
each otheri in their nests.
was walking on, my soul open to
all these sweet sounds and perfumes,
when saw group OF young girls
holding each others hands and sing
ing together on their way to the city.
They We're singing in chorus of the
spring and of love; their fresh voices
vibrated through the silence of the
sleeping fields like the distant sound OF
a cascade. i hid behind thicket OF
hawthorn, and watched them pass
like group of those white, misty
shadows that gathered at night on the
lake, moving lightly together in dance,
and vanish before the rays OF
the dawn. l could distinguish by
the starlight their brown or blonde
heads; ! could hear the rustling OF
their garments; inhalet deeply the
mysterious emanations they left in
their passage, which came to me sweet
er than the balmy scents OF the even
ing.
When they had disappeared / felt
myself seized with p strange agitation,
and seating myself on amound on the
edge of the plain which spread itself
before me like an ocean of verdure, i
L. Co.. -, l. Il
myself up to deep revery, listening,
striving TO understand the confused
sounds and flutterings that troubled
my senses.
| know not how to express what i
felt. My heart was oppressed and
ready to burst. There was within it
a concealed spring which sought an
outlet, like captive stream which
must find room COR its course. |
sobbed and wept; found knownot
what wild delight in my tears.
How long | remained thus l cannot
tell. When | arose | saw before me n
heavenly creature who looked at me
with a smile. A tunic whittier than
lilies fell-.in graceful folds from her
shoulders, and revealed on the grass,
which they scarcely touched, two bare
feet, as white as the marble of Paros.
Her blond hair floated freely about
her neck; her cheeks had the freshness
and brilliant color of the flowers that
crowned her head; in the rosy alabas-
ter of her face, her eyes shone like two
periwinkles blooming in the snow UNI
der ApriPs first kisses. Her arms were
bare; one of her hands lay on her
breast, while the other beckoned to
me in friendly invitation.
| stock a moment mute and motion
less, regarding her. Doubtless she
came from heaven, for her beauty had
nothing in it like that of earthly maid
ems, and saw shining about her an
atmosphere which enwrapped her like
radiant garment.
"Who are your" | cried at length,
holding out to her my eager arms.
"My FRIEND" she answered in a
voice sweeter than that of the night
wind, lam the fairy whom the King OF
the Genii laid asleep in your bosom
at the hour ofyour birth; this morning
was sleeping there still. | have just
awakened in your heart first tumult.
My life is made ofyours; lam your sis
ter, and shall be your companion till
the day when parted from you like the
fading flower from it's stalk. l shall
leave you in the middle OF the journey
of which we shall have made the first
half together. That day is not far dis
tant, dear friend. The rose which
blooms one morningis the image ofmy
destiny. To love me do not wait till
YOU have lost me, for neither your
tears nor your regrets will bring me to
life again when / am no more. Make
haste! My hand is furnished neither
with the magic wand or the enchanted
ring, and have no ornament but the
flowers woven in my hair; but l viii
load you with more trea sures than ever
O. friendly and prodigal fairy showered
on a royal cradle. will set q crown
on your brow that many king would
count himselfhhppy to be ablet to pur
chase with his own; / will gather fol
you a. retinue such as is rarely seen
In palaces or courts. Invisible, yet
present, / will follow you wherever
you 90; YOU shall feel in every place
my faithful influence; | will embalm
your couch at night; will give my
soul to all nature that she may smile
on you each morning when you awake
Only, my child, learn to recognize al