Arizona weekly enterprise., 1889-05-18
TIE CHINA FAIRY.


 respectable street near Camden Town Rose, Toms wife, was a perfect little household fairy. Tom could only give her thirty shillings a week out of his salary, but she did wonders with it. The little sitting room was always bright and cozy and clean, and there was always something nice for Toms tea when he came home Jagged out with the work and worry of the office. Of course they were obliged to be very economical and to deny themselves many things they would have liked, but one treat they al ways allowed themselves every week, and that was visit to place of amtise ment. Tom and Rose were both very fond of the theatre, and by waiting till play had had good run and by getting to the doors early they generally man aged to get good place in the pit.
 Being so fond of the theatre, Tom and Rose naturally took great deal of inter- est in the theatrical items of news and gossip, without which, nowadays, newspaper is not considered to be fully adapted to there quircments of the pub lic
 Poor little Rose used to give a sigh of envy sometimes when Tom read out to her the paragraphs about the enormous incomes which dramatic authors were making. "Oh, Tom,' she would say, fancy making hundreds of pounds a week like that, just for writing play! Fancy if you had been able to do it!'
 Ut would be fine, wouldn't it?'' Tom would reply, and then they would begin fancying what they would have done with the money. They would have had beautiful house and a carriage and d pair for Rose; and when she went to the | theatre on the first night to see her hus band come on the stage and bow amid the tremendous applause of crowded house, she would have worn the loveliest dresses. and her diamonds would have been the envy of all the ladies.
 "Oh, how beautiful it would be, Tom, the young wife cried one day as they conjured up visions of splendOr together; mo getting up at:lIalf past in themorn ing for you, dear; no turning out in all winds and weathers; you would be able have your breakfast nice and comfortably -Ss.f! Iae and take plenty of time over it. and you would -scor-SS-.- lT-If S'S-5Tk in your study. and could bring my -sesg- ing and sit with you, and when you'd finished we should be able to have din ner together, and go out every evening to some place of amusement. Oh, Tom. dear, couldn't you write play?'
 Tom shook his head. I'm afraid not Rose.' he said. There's q peculiar knack about it. l expect"
 "l suppose it is very difficult, sighed Rose.
 You may be sure it is, my dear" an swered Tom, "or there would be grea; many more people doing it, and the au
 thors wouldn't be getting such prices fol their work as we read about in the news
 papers,"
 One Saturday Tom and Rose went tC
 the morning performance of a play thai
 had been acted 200 times straight off i.
 London, and the author of which was re
 ported already to have realized el0,00(
 by it.
 On their way home they passed an ole
 curiosity shop and stopped to look in a the window. Among the odds and end.
 there was a pretty little china fairy, tt which Rose took a great fancy. "Oh, Tom, dear" shc cried, Hook a i that little china figure. Isn't it pretty , That is just the sort of thing 1 should
 like on my mantel shelf. should never
 be tired of looking at it. Do go in anC
 see how much it is"
 Tom went in and asked the price, ant ] returned with the information that i was 10 shillings.
 , "Oh, dear" said Rose, "that's mucl r more than we can afford. Come along , Tom"
 { But though Rose said Come along, she didn't move. She stood looking lov
 ingly at the little china fairy. All a , once she gave a start. "Oh, Tomr sh
 exclaimed look at that fairy's lips F they're moving"
 V "What nonsenser' said Tom, laugh n ing; you've been staring at it; it's al < optical illusion"
 { "1om. would it be very wicked if VI z z bought ity I'd save money out of m.
 housekeeping.
 - "We!lS Sit's lot of money, but dar 7. say il won't ruin Us. see you want ii
 dear. and. you shall have it." "a a And before Rose could stop him Tor ,, had stepped into the shop, and present. ' he came out with the little china fair Is carefully wrapped up in paper. Ros - put it in her muff-it was quite littl
 fairy-and they bore it off home in tri
 umph.
 r It looked so lovely on the mantel shel
 Rose couldn't take her eyes off it, bu
 kept going up to it all evening and say T ing, "Oh. you little dearr and she woul r. have it that the fairy's eyes. were lookin Q at her.
 ,'' Tom laughed. but he confessed that hh really was very llelike little iigur " The face was quite real, and the wonde sr ful thing about it was that it's expressio d seemed to change.
 e Being Saturday night, the young coup ~ sat up rather late. Tom smoked his piI to while Rose read to him. and they we b so comfortable and so happy that tho
 never noticed the time till Tom Ina r pened to look at his watch; and then Ie cried out, Good gracious, Rose, it's ol n minute to 12r'
 d Rose closed the book--Ghe had reacht i- i the end of the chapter-lit the bedroo D. candle, and then Tom turned the g
 out. As he did 50 the big clock dow !. stairs struck i2.
 \ Just as the last stroke died away 2 sweet, soft, silvery voice exclaime q "Thank you so much for buying me-" T Rose was so startled that she dropp' 5. the candle. which fell on the floor al
 went out. Tom turned around with