The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-05-21

., the flowers, or feel the geniai neat or e.,
smell the sweetness OF sum nel' Vi , MN
So, ereen lanes or beside sparkling
uoMn an tbnt they see is snow dnd r
III loot and the thick CLOUDS oVerh'id
ID .ba dreadful icebergs on the sea.
O. thew grow silent in their misery ana
,oroet how TO talk or TO laugh. 10 you
i've the land of ice and snow no"
ssN-o your Majesty" said Gustav be-
Inning IN cry. But his tears trole be
fore they could fall and bhster1u MS
ei. .T s,,nnose YOU would like to go home
again" the king remarked. Co.,
sYes. your Majesty" crleu JUSTLY
eagerly. ..rr,t,,, and N.
white bear by his side groWIeu as u "e
had understood. Then said the KING
"Dlscontented boys who come mere
never go home again. Look at all these
statues. once they were little boys
like you. but they complained ana they
1vere brought here to be frozen into ice
as q punishment. There they stahu'
and they will never return until their
barI hearts grow soft with pity ana
warm with affection. Then the Ice OF
their bodies will melt away In tears OF
penitence and they will be ut 70 go BACK
to the land of sunlight and happiness.
Gustav began to feel very much AFRAID,
and he waited anxiously Tor the next
words the King would say.
you will have to be frozen into
statue of ice also" were the words he
heard and Immediately a cold wind
struck him, and he found that his lips
were rigid and could not move, so he was
not able TO utter "A word. He saw the
King looking at him fiercely and steadily,
and the cold took hold of his feet and
crept higher and higher. soon ms legs
were like bars Of ice then his body began
TO get cold also. He could not move his
hands or arms, and the fearful numb
ness grew more and more intense every
moment. Soon ii reached his heart,
which seemed to be turned into ball
Of ice. and he knew that in another
moment he would be nothing but a hard,
cold statue like the others.
He determined to make desperate
struggle to get away. But how was this
possible? His arms were stiff as bars OF
iron. and the ice seemed to bind him like
chains TO the spot. Yet the desire 10
escape grew more intense for he was
horror stricken with the fate that
threatened him. Could he not move his
body a little? The more he struggled
the harder he was held. Then something
like a sob rose in his throat, and the un-
spoken words came into his mind: "Oh,
1 am so sorry 1 was not contented at
home"
And almost before he could have spoken
this short sentence, he felt a relaxation
of the tight hold upon him. a milder look
came into the Ice Kings eyes and the
cold, hard palace grew dim as If IL were
beginning to melt away. At the same
moment there was a loud crash, frag-
ments Of broken Ice whirled past him,
and he suddenly found the spell broken,
and he was free. lie sprang up with
a sharp cry and gazed around him.
For a few moments ne was utterly be-
wildered. He found himself in a dark
room alone and he could scarcely dis
tinguish any Of the objects around him.
He felt cold and uneasy, and when he
attempted 10 walk his feet seemed TO
have grown as heavy as lead. But as
he turned he saw something lying on
the ground motionless as if it had been
one Of the fallen statues Of fee.
Just as he was about 10 utter a cry
Of alarm the door opened and a servant
came in.
'Why, it's little Gustav" she said.
"We've been looking everywhere for you.
And see-what have you got on your
feetT
"a pair OF snow Shoes" said Gustav,
looking down and remembering all that
had passed. Il put them on and then
fell asleep; and oh, 1 am 50 cold"
mo wonder. poor lad" said the ser
want, when the window is open. And
look! the old coat of mail has fallen.
l expected it would some day, for it is
very heavy"
That's the noise that woke me up"
said Gustav. But 1 thought it was the
Ice palace tumbling to pieces"
ice palace" said the servant. "Why
you must have been dreaming There
is no ice, now, and the snow is almost
gone"
us the snow nearly gone" said Gus
tav, bending down TO take off the snow
shoes. "Oh, am so glad" And he flung
the magic shoes in a corner.-Boston
Beacon.