Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1892-05-04
TIE STORY OF THE JAPAN
ESE FANS.

Three japanese fans hung upon a
lrawing-roOm wall. their handles tied
together with big yellow bow. They
we're very beautiful fans, ard every body
Who came to the house admired them
very much. They had painted ladies
upon them, and gentlemen dressed in
scarlet and gold, with pigtails as long
As railroat. And what did it matter
that they were a lifting on the top of
each otGer's heads? They smiled all
day long, so perhaps they liked it.
There vas a great jar of potpourri
lelow them that scented the whole
room. And there were screens of pea
cock feathers, aud Eastern draperies in
silver embroidery. But there was
nothing quite so beautiful as the Japan
Sc fans.
Little Lucy thought so, too. as she
stood underneath them every day, and
she wished that she could go to the
country whence the beautiful ladies'
and gentlemen came. They would
willingly have taken her, for they
were, OH 50 tired of sitting on the top
Of one anothtr upon the drawing-room
wall. And somehow the brownies got
to hear of then wish, aud came one
evening to see If they could do any
hing for the patient la lies and gentle
men with the gay clothes and the pig
tails.
Well. the ladies' and gentlemen told
the brownies how tired they were of
looking at the peacocks' feathers and
smelling tho everlasting potpourri.
And they said, too, how much they
should like to take little Lucy to their
own country, and show her its wonders
and delights. And the brownies were
50 tender -hearte and sympathetic that
tley went straight to the King and
Queen of japanese farmland, aud
begged them to release their faithful
subjects for one night. And the King
and Qneen consented, to the brownies
great delight.
Little Lucy was in dreamland that
night when she was wakened by a gen
tie touch upon her cheek, and rubbing
her eyes and looking up in wonder,
she saw dark haired lady with
almond-shaped eyes, bending over her,
and another dark haired lady was sit
ting upon the counterpane, tanning
herself languidly, and a third and a
fourth were exploring the wonders of
the toilet-table, putting their faces with
baby's powder, and rubbing lip-salve
on their ceeks for rouge. While q
whole row of tiny gentlemen nodded
at the sleepy child from the bottom of
the bed. doing it so vigorously that
their pigtails flew up and down in wild
confusion.
Come with us, Lucy" they cried in
soft chorus; eve are going to japan
farmland, and the brownies say that
We may take you too.
How pleased Lucy wes, to be sure.
She sprang out of bed, and began ask
ing excitedly for her clothes. But the
ladies' had thought of that beforehand,
aud, before she could say a word, they
put her into long silver skirt that
wobbled against her toes as she walked ;
examining her soft little body into a
queer round-shaped garment, all cover
ed over with wonderful crimson
pattern, popped curly shoes upon her
feet and tiny round fans into her hair,
and fioated away with her down the
staircase, into the dark stiffness of the
hall.
"How shall we go?" asked Lucy,
wonderiugly, but the little ladies and
gentlemen all said "HushP' together,
and then, where do you think they
took her?
Why, straight into the Jar of pot
pourri. They seemed to float rather
than to climb up its shining sides, and
to sink lightly down on to the soft
brown rose-leaves, as if they had been
so many balls of thistledown.
And then a very strange and wonder
full thing happened. The pot-pourri
Jar got up from where it had been sit
ting in its corner, and walked quietly
away, through the drswing-room door,
across the hall, and out into the wy
moonlight of the summer night. And
hen set of at comfortable log-trot
down the garden, swaying with soft
motion, the little ladies aud gentlemen
lying among the cushiony leaves.
Lucy was quite excited by this time,
aud would very much have liked to
peep out of the jar, and see where in
the world they we're gong. She could
see nothing through the top of the
Jar but bit of moon and three stars.
The little ladies and gentlemen were
not so curious The jar knew the way,
they said For their own part they
were uncertain as to the exact route
it was so long since they had seen the
company's timetables. But Lucy need
not be anxious; the brownies would see
that they arrived safely at their desti-
nation.
And with this Lucy had to be con-
tent. They seemed to come TO some
rising ground presently, for the jar
pulled and painted a little heavily, al
though it stumped along as calamity
as over; aud then; all of sudden, 1t
gave lit lie hop into the air and stood
qui'e still.
1--WE must get out here" said the
little ladies and gentlemen in a chorus.
And, as before, they fioated upwards,
through the mouth of the jar, and sank
gently downwards until they stood with
their feet npoD the ground.
Where were they? Why, standing
upon the borders of n moonlit lake.
The trees drooped dark and heavy
about it, and the shadows black ened
the ground where they stood. But,
right in the centre of the brightest spot
of moonlight, floated n little boat,
shaped like a beautiful white swan, and
rowed By twelve men who wore long
plgtails, fierce moustaches. and large
shady hats.
The7 beckoned the little ladies and
gentlemen to them, and so Lucy and
her quaint wee friends sprang into the
boat, and were rowed away into the
shining silver of the lake, while the jal
just waited to see that they were safe,
and then turned round, and trotted
contentedly home again.
Lucy had no time at first to notice
which way they we're going. she was
SO busy admiring the boatmen's short
Jackets and pale green baggy trousers