The Penn's Grove record., 1893-09-01
MERRY MARGOT AND HER LOST
BROTHER.

There never was such o child fl
laughing as little Margot. All day
long you would hear her cheerful
cackie, as she went in and out of the
tlpy cottage where she and her brother
JACQUES lived. 1t was on the borderI
of the lovely forest OF Fontainebleau
And here in spring the violets spreaG
carpets of royal purple for the + tries
garden parties, and sweet-voiced
niehtineales sang specially-composet
solos full of trills, roulades, and al
that sort of thing, for these occasions.
Margot listened to them when b hao
time. But there was much to be done
in the little house, though 1t was SC
small, from getting Jacques early
breakfast and him off to school (Which
was rot easy, TO sweeping the last
speck of dust of the door steps-that
Margot, the ncatest AMI tidiest little
maid, was kept gong. SHE and tie
small brother Il ed all alone since their
mother died, and jacques, if Unjust be
told, was somewhat lazy. He would
wander along IN a da4ed kind Of way,
draggi z one unwilling leg after an
other to the schoolhouse. And would
often stop at IN old gate in the village
and look long at the b~ill-pesters and
funny advertisements which covered
it. II love not gamma and geogra-
ply" Jacques would say to himself,
but 1 want to be an artist and draw
horses like those on Mons. Chabot's
circus bill And then he would saunter
home in the afternoon and draw char
ooai pigs and horses all over Margot's
milk white floor, until one day she lost
all y thence and cried: "a plague on
thee, jacques, for spelling my boards.
l wish the fairies would take thee, thou
lazy boy" That night Jacques mys-
teriously disappeared. No one could
tell where or how. Margot searched
high and low, and mourned him IL
her laughing eyes were shut up from
CRYING; and she was no more called
Merry Margot. About three years
after this, as she sat before the fire
one cold evening in early spring, the
door opened, aud who but Jacques
stepped in? Mar2ot jumped from her
seat v it'll n cry OF delight; but her little
brother held up his hand with q warn
ing gesture.
"Sister," he said, ''the fairies took
me away that night as thou asked; but
my three years are up to morrow,
and thou must release me. I've
stolen away to tell thee while
Ikey are enjoying Themselves alof',
for the Man OF the Moon has a ball to-
night, and they are all doing skirt
dances up there by now"
"But how shall | iai thee, dearest
brother?' asked Margot eagerly. 81
know not"
"'Take this, answered he, handing
her a hazel-twig. 'FStrike it three
times against the ~hearthstDne at this
hour TO- morrow, and thou shalt see me
again" Wit that lie vanished.
MarRot Rubbed her eyes. sit is q
Dream" she thought; ''little Jacques
is lost, hs cannot have been here"
But then her eys fell on the magic
hazel twig. and she knew be had leen.
ALI next day Mnrgot sang and laughed
once more, while sho t,died the little
room for her brothers Homecoming.
And at nine o'clock, when all was ready,
she struck three times on the hearth
stone. At the last stroke the gruunl
opened wide, and Marpot found herself
in a lofty hall, brilliantly LIGHTED, where
hundreds OF children were seated all
around, just as if they we're at school.
"Wliat seek you, merry Margot2'
cried a squeaky little voice Just over
her head.
Margot looked up. but could see
nothing, only all about the faces Of the
children whom the fairies had stolen
from home.
81 want my brother, jacques" she
aid, boldly, "his three years of ser
vice are finished to-day. Give him
back, oh good queen"
Upon this there was n great commo-
ton, the vast hall became suddenly
dark, but presently the same little
voice spoke us before: "Well, then, ii
you n choose your brother, blind
fold, amongst the children he may go:
but if you mistake him, he must serve
another seven years." anl wild, imp.
ish laughter echoed along the raitered
roof.
Poor little Margot trembled. flow
in the world WAS she to know her
brother, tliDdlold from the numberIess
small boys h saw on all sides? But as
the thought little hands tied q bandaac
over her eyes, the fairy light shown on
overhead, and q hundred children
clustered round, crying: Choose me
Merry Mnrgo!; choose me" Half mac
with terror AID un2l, ty. Margot u Ell,
her hands out and tried to touch thu
little faces. Just then she fancied +,
faint cry of "Sister" was uttered b,
someone hurrying past, and, clutchinc
madly in that direction, Margot sud,
denly found herself being carried up
wards, Still sfaspi-g q curly head
while noise. confusion, darkness an,
wild laughter whirlcd round and round
until suddenly the night air struct
cold upon her face, and, in an instant
the fairy bandage tell away, Showing
lovely stars shinluA out of the Summei
night above, and Jacques, breathlesI
and joyful, by his faithful sisters side
Perhaps 1t was in the bargain of re
lease. but jacques never spoke o
those three years underground. Ger
tain it was though that he had no
been allowed to waste his time;fo whel
Margot and he once more settled down
he took to his peEcil, and drew an,
drew from morning till night-trees
flowers, sunset, sunrise. eyer the char
coal-burners and their chubby childrel
everything in and aboutthe old fores
until, by and by, he went to tn
schools, and with hard work became
great painter. Sc now Margot n
more sweeps a cottage door, but live
with her brother in a great house in
CITY. She !s Just as bright and cheer
as Fhe a be, aud often speaks of til
old days when they were children, an,
ivod In the little house by the fair
forest at Fontsinebleau.
PIED PIPER.
~ W r III. "