Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1893-09-06
MERRY MARGOT AND HER LOST
BROTHER.

There never was such child 70
laughing as little Margot. All day
long YOU would hear her che erful
cackIe, as she went in and out OF the
tiny cottage where she and her brother
Jacques lived. 1t was on the borders
of the lovely forest of Foutainebleau.
And mere in spring the violets spread
carpets of royal purple for the irie5'
garden parties, and sweet-voiced
Bightingales sang specially composed
solos full of trills, rouIades, and all
that sort of thing, for these occasions.
Margot listened to them when she had
time. But there was much to be doLe
in the little house, though 1t was so
small, from getting jacques early
breakfast and him off to school (Which
Was rot easy, to sweeping the last
speck OF dust off the door steps-that
Margot, the neatest ani tidiest little
maid, was kept going. She and the
small brother Ii !ed all alone since their
motker died, and jacques, if it must be
told, was somewhat lazy. He would
wander along IN a daZed kind of way,
dragging one unwilling leg after an
other to the sohOolhouse. And would
ten stop at an old gate in the village
and look long at the bIll-pesters and
fu' ny advertisements which covered
II. II love not gr immar and geogra-
ply" Jacques would say to himself,
Int | want to be an artist and draw
horses like those on Mons. Chabot's
circus bill And then he would ssunter
home IN the afternoon and draw char
oOsl pigs and horses all over Margot's
milK-whit floor, until one day she lost
all pItience and cried: "A plague on
thee, Jacques, for spelling my boards.
| 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 till
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, and who but Jacques
stepped in2 Msrgot jumped from her
sest ith Il cry of delight; but her little
brother held up his hand with q warn
lag gesture.
Sister" he said, 'fhe fairies took
ne away that night as thou asked; but
MY three years are up to morrow,
and thou must rulease me. I've
stolen away to tell thee while
iLey are enjoying themselves aloft,
for the Man OF the Moon has a ball to-
night, and they are all doing skirt
dances mp there by now."
"Bul how shall fnf thee, dearest
brotheI?' asked Margot eagerly. ~
know not"
Take this, answered he, handing
her hazel-twig. Strike it three
times against the hearthstone at this
hour tomorrow, and thou shalt see me
again" Wit that he vanished
Margot rubbed her eyes. 'It is q
is lost, he cannot have been here"
hazel twig, and she knew he had been.
All next day Margot sang and laughed
once more, while she tIdied the little
room for her brothers home coming.
And at nine O. o'clock, when all was ready,
she struck three times on the hearth
stone. At the last stroke the ground
opened wide, and Margot found herself
in lofty hall, brilliantly lighted, where
hundreds of children were seated all
around. just as if they were at school.
cried sQuoaky little voice just over
her head
MArgot looked up, but could see
children whom ths fairies had stolen
from home.
81 want my brother, Jacques" she
said, boldly, "his three years OF ser
vice are finished to-day. Give him
back, oh good queen"
Upon this there was q great commo-
tion, the vast hall became suddenly
dark, but presently the same little
voice spoke as before: "Well, then, if
you can choose your brother, blind
fold, amongst the children he may go;
but if you mistake him, he must serve
another seven years." and wild, imp
ish laughter echoed along the raftered
roof.
Poor little Margot trembled. How
in the world was she to know her
brother, blipdfold from the numberIess
small boys she saw on all sides, But as
the thought little hands tied a bandase
over her eyes, the fairy light shown out
overhead, and q hundred children
clustered round. crying: CHOOSE me.
Merry Margot; choose me-" Half mad
with terror and anxiety. Margot spr cad
her hands ont and tried TO touch the
little faces. Just then she fancied a
faint cry Of SISTER" was uttered by
someone hurrying past, and, clutching
madly in that direction. Margot sud-
denly found herself b0ing carried up
wards, still afsspiHg q curly head,
while noise, confusion, darkness and
wild laughter whiTled round and round,
until suddenly the night air struck
cold upon her face, and, in an instant,
the fairy bandage tell away, showing
lovely stars shining out of the Summer
night above, and Jacques, breathless
and joyful, by his faithful sisters side.
Perhaps 1t was in the bargain of re-
lease. but jacques never spoke of
those three years underground. Ger
tain it was though that he had not
been allowed to waste his time; for when
Margot and he once more settled down,
he took to his pencil, and drew and
drew from morning till night-trees,
flowers, sunset, sunrise, eYen the char
coal-burners and their chubby children
everything in and sboutth old forest
until, by and by, he went to the
schools, and with hard work became a
great painter. Sc now Margot no
more sweeps a cottage door, but lives
with her brother in a great house in a
city. She - Just as bright and CHEEKY
as she can he, aud often speaks of the
old days when they were children, and
Ijvod In the little house by the fairy
forest al Fontsinebleau.
PIED PIPER.