The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1891-05-08
A MODERN FAIRY TALE.
The Talented Young Man and the
beautiful Maiden
Boston Globe.


Once there lived a young Man who
started out TO seek his fortune. bis
people were poor and had nothing more
tangible To give him than their love
and blessing, so he set out with only
pen, Jlotter and bottle Of ink.
The pen was coarse thing-steel-
with a clumsy wooden handle which
he himself had whitfield when lad.
But there was really something won
derfrl about this ordinaIy-looking pen;
the Fairies had tipped the steel point
with q magic diamond, 80 that al words
that IL ygrote were pure, and bright, and
sparkling.
1t 50 happened that the young Man
was so lucky as TO find the road to his
fortune ~ once, and soon he was max
ing fine lot Of money, 50 that he was
both comfortable and happy.
Now, there also lived a beautiful
young Maiden, very sweet and good,
brit poor-so poor. indeed. that she Wa5
obliged 10 work al day a. = queer M
chine, upon the keys Of which her
white fingers went plunketv-plunlk and
10! there appeared arrayed IN all nc1t-
ness and order the words which the
magic pen had written.
And as the Maiden sat At her work
she co1Dprehcnded the thoughts which
We're behind the words, which. alas.
many OF those who wUrl. upon like ma
chimes fail TO discover; and rlor-o-er.
when the pen had hurried over vsord
70 the dire confusion Of the letters
therein she did not substitute IN it.
place word from her own vocabulary
or one II Ler own coming, but went
StralgEtway 70 the young Man and
asked EiLa If il should be thus and thus.
Livery BODY knows thai = mans chi
rogrcphy becomes more and more be-
Z-IIGc-4ug IS his fame or his success ia
lie increases. Now it may have been
from that reason or il may nave been
but Why speculate-tEc TACT was that
the illcgiJIc words became more and
more frequent and the Mans dark locks
often brushed the blonde brliGs of tac
Maiden - they puzzled lo.g over some
word which seemed hope!essly in
vClved-
And since she was sweet and good,
and true, and he was Young and hand
some, and romantic, they fell deeply IN
love with one another, and they plight
ed their faith over the plunlzety-plunk
machine; and he was very, very happy,
and the magic pen wrote mere wonder
fully than ever before.
Soon his name was in every ones
mouth, and his verses and stories
brought him more of money and fame
than he had ever dared dream Of. And
now that he had reached what is vul-
carly known as the top notch" that
something which is called Society
reached out IT'S many arms TO welcome
him. and it embraced him and pctted
him until he was dazzled by its aattery
and intoxicated by its praise.
And he grew half ashamed Of his love
for the Maiden and dissatisfied because
she, poor thing, had neither position
nor wealth to bring hin-nothing but
her pure, beautiful self.
And so he told her one day that lie
feared that they had been too hasty in
becoming betrothed, and that he felt
that he was doing her an injustice in
keeping her bound 70 him by her prom.
Use, when she might meet some one far
more worthy of her love than he, and
he said that perhaps il had been all Z
miStake-their little castle in the air
and he hoped she would always con-
slider him her best friend, etc, etc.
And the Maiden looked into his face,
at first with a startled, hurt expression
n her beautiful gray eyes; then IS be
went on, her glance turn to scorn and
when he had done speaking she saio
quite calmly that he was right, and
that il had been only a mistake which
tncy need think no more about, and
then she shut her machine and wen
home.
Now the Fairies have way Of find
ing out things taGt happen among
nortals which Is a great deal ouickel
than our telephone or telegraph @.
even or mcssenger-boy system. and il
was not many moments after tn,
Maiden left her work before a Fair
stole unseen into the Mans desk an,
took the magic point from his pen
leaving only the blunt and rusty tap; S,
that when the Man took It up 70 writ.
his daily task the words which N
wrote were no longer bright, but wer
very dull and stupid
All the sparkle was rone from hi
verses, and ~ the wit and life from III
paragraphs. So poor were they, Il
fact, that the Man swore roundly Z
himself as he read them and tore then
up.
Now, the maiden did rot return Z
her work the next day because she wa
nl-so III that the people in the hous
went about softly and spoke in whis
pers a. they asked each other IL shl
were still unconscious and IL the doc
tors SAID that there was any hope.
And it 50 happened that upon IN,
night of this very day the Man attende.
quite the swcilcst function that h.,
been a-iy,n IN afscia-- g.. ... -
somehow thr honeyed words and tn,
hattcry w..ch- he heard were like
Apples o! Sodom as he mentally con