Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-06-01

her almost lifeless body in her arms and
hastened to her home.
"See, mother" she cried, "see what 1
have found. Now l can always have a
playmate. How beautiful she is; shall
love her dearly"
The mother having the same golden hair
and blue eyes as her daughter, arose from
the coral chair, and after looking a moment
on the sweet face of little Annette, said
'She is certainly beautiful, nv child; but
you must not keep her. Our home, lovely
as we think it is, would not suit her, and
she would not be happy with us. So heed
your mothers words, my daughter, and
carry the little girl back into the forest,
where the people from the castle can find
her."
Sorrowfully the nymph obeyed the
mothers commands, and carried Annette to
the wide road leading through the forest,
and after kissing her many times, said:
'Goodby, little sister; 1 shall watch for YOU,
and maybe you will come again some time -
Soon after the Count and Countess, riding
by in the royal carriage, were much alarmed
and astonished to see their daughter living
80 still and pale by the roadside. They
lifted her up tenderly and hurried to the
castle, where she soon recovered and told of
her walk in the forest. But when she talked
of the lake and the water lilies they believed
it to be only a childish story, for no one
knew of either. Annette would often speak
of fairy creature who had carried her under
the water, but her mamma said: you must
have fallen asleep in the woods and have
dreamed about the fairies"
Every day the little water nymph sat on
the shore of the blue lake and watched for
her little sister, as she now called Annette.
But no one came, and the fairy grew quiet
and sad. She no longer enjoyed the sports
among the waves, and the beautiful shells
and coral trees had lost all their charms for
her. She thought only of the little countess
who had been once at her home. Finally
she went to her mother and said: ''If my
sister will not come to me, can 1 nottgo to
her? know where the castle is, and could
easily find my way there"
The mother looked sadly at her daughter,
and then replied: "My dear child, why are
you not happy in our fairy home? 1t grieves
me to see you so sad. But if you think it
will afford you pleasure 10 see once more the
little stranger, you may go to her. At the
next full moon when the harvest is gathered
the peasant people will hold festival in
the village. The Count and his beautiful
wife, and little Annette will be there. You
NAV join them; but you must say nothing of
your last visit
And now the nYmph was happy again.
She played with the fish and gathered shells
as before. How eagerly she watched for the
next fall moon; and when it came. she
wished at once to start for the village, The
mother then took from under large rock a
costly dress, such as a princess would wear.
and strings of pearls and coral. Arrayed in
these, the nymph fastened away. Everyone
wondered at the beautiful stranger who
spoke to no one, but all evening stood near
the Counts daughter and gazed upon her
with loving glances. Annette returned
these looks with those of admiration, and
when the evening was drawing to a close,
she whispered: care you a fairy princess?'
"Oh, no." answered the Princess, forget
ful OF her mothers commands, 81 am only
the water nymph whom you saw on the
lake, and l live where the water lilies
grow"
She then fed, and was soon lost to view.
W hen she reached home and told of her
evenings pleasure, her mother said: You
have dlsobeyed me, and can never again
leave the shore of the lake"
Ihe little nymph now became more un-
happy than before, and sat listlessly on the |
sanoy shore listening to the songs of the |
waves, or hummine sad melodies to herself |
As she thus sat one day a woodland fairy
came to her and said: "what ails you, |
pretty nymph? Why do you wear such a |
countenance?''
When the nymph had told her sorrow. the
talry cried: "oh, l can help you; ,or very
much dislike the proud Count and Won
shall, If you want to, have his daughter for
playmate. Here by the lake grow thou-
'ands OF violets; they are nv magic plants:
md if you will make chain of them lone
,nough to reach to the castle, and place one
md here on the shore and the other in An
lette's hand, she will at once follow the