Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1895-12-15

l breaths. as If inviting me TO my usual
haunts. I ran lightly through the
I gaze. across the bsrn-yard and climbing
the bars which led 70 the pasture-held.
was soon within the shadow Of the trees
upon the farther SIDE The moon was
fun and Just rising from behind the
g8ntly-rOling land away beyond the
farm house. and as / sank down upon
/ the grass, the scene was so delightful
/ that, boy though I was / drank it IN as
one quenches a glowing thirs, in some
cool spring.
"All at once. as I turned from watch
ing the clear round moon slowly swing
ing into view. and looked towards my
I beloved woods, ! heard a light. merry,
childish laugh, and moment later there
came from out the shadow Of the trees
into the mo0nshine q little figure, cloth
ed Ia white. enc hand catching up the
trailing robe she wore. while the other
! dimpled and white. shaded her eyes
from the level beams OF lunar Eight as
their owner looked straight into the
moons clear face. I sprang 20 my feet
In wonder. and ne the sound the little
figure, noticing my presence for the first
Cime. came toward me with one hand
OUtsTetched. the Other still ciasping the
trailing robe I went to meet her. ami
the fairy child. as / then believed her
placed one hand in nine pointed with
the other 90 The farm house. sharply
outlined against the Illuminated sky
and said.
Us that your home? I want TO go;
I'm lost
-f TfT r0- maxi. -,r,,fr-. h-,+ laa Tho
little visitor from wha- seemed the
shores of the unknown fairy realm
across the meadow 90 the house. and
burst iu upon my startled mother with
cry Of.
See. mother. I've brought a fairy
from the woods.
'Ay mother ran 10 us with an eX-
clama-iOD of surprise. and i'm q mo-
ment AN the household was about us.
and [ was relating my experience. My
mother asked my fairy her name, and
whence she came. bus tle little one
could not tell her much. He name was
Ethel, and she was lost. That was all.
After generous slice Of bread and q
bowl of milk had been DISPOSED Of. my
mother wrapped E,hel up and soon she
was tucked away i'm bed while I. sent
summamly % like repOsc. tossed abou,
half the night. va.nly seeking. in my
boyish brain. for an adequate explana-
ton Of what had taken place.
Early the next morning my father
SET of on horseback To see TO whom the
little stranger belonged. and within an
hour he returned with q lady. richly
dressed, and very like my fairy as TO
eyes and hair. She was from Q distant
city, visiting at neighb0ring farm. and
as she ClaSDei her little girl 20 her she
told my mother how the child had come
10 stray away. She had put the liule
one To- bed 3- an early hour. but instead
of going 10 sleep. Ethel had gone
Through an open door "-O watch The
pretty moon and wandering out into
the grounds. had toddled on and on Un-
OF the house was Tar behind, and hen
completely lost, she had passed through
the woods and come UDOn me, as 1 sat
I'm my private realm Of fancy. The
mother had not missed the child until
morning, SuppCs.ng her TO De safe in
bed. and then the Saarchers met my
father, who speedily brought their la
bOrS 90 an end.
81 was a, that time boy of ten. with
E5hel four years my Junior. / saw her
often after 1hat. During the weeks her
mother fingered at the farm there was
not q day but that Ethel and ! played
together / told her Of the beings I be
lieved iu, and together we wandered
along The edge Of my magic woods,
looking for tle fairies When autumn
came my fairy and her mother went
away, but li-le missives, written or
printed with ab0r0us care, in ragged
and unC0utl characters. passing TO and
fro between the farm and the city,
showed our childish friendship still re-
NAMED How eagerly l looked and
l0nged Tor the return of the summer
time. When DC came at last, Ethel came
With E., and for weeks we played to-
ge-ler. and talked OF tha fairies. as be-
fore. Three years were passed III this
manner. and then 1 left Jhe Old farm for
q Students Hfe in the city schools. and
from thence 20 college. and l saw E,he.
but at periods far apart. Each summer.
however, we met a- the Old farm, 8rl
at these times we never missed a Wis
10 the forests edge. where we had fir
met In such a peculiar manner
AS the years followed each Other
and Ethel developed into wOmanh0Oi
she became more and more dear 10 me-
How ] rej0iced when, az twenty-tw0
I found myself free from studies. and
throwing my books aside. 1 has.enei
home % the farm. finding E-hel there
with my mo her 90 give me greeting.
and 20 say how pleased she was at my
success and liberty That evening
again perfect one June rye strOlled
once more To- see -he Cid-time fairy
realms. and twas there my Ethel once
more placed her hand i'm mine as con-
fdentiy as she had a dozen years be-
fore
"HCw glad that summer was to both?
And when tle autumn came it brought
our wedding day. In November we
were married. Long ago it seems. and
long ago it is-and ye- how we'll l re-
member how she '0okei-hCw like that
other ureht. so long before. when ] first
beheld her come one from me wood,
holding her milk white robe from Off
the grass and looking a- the rising
moon and me.
Ethel Is dead: and as 7 muse upon
our meeting past so long ago. I see the
full moon rising through che trees. and
g'1nciug 3r the sky. there comes TO
mird that simple saying @ the child
"Js 1at your hcme2 I want 10 go:
I'm LOST"
W. c. BEANS.
cTT YEP TPTNEETS FOP HEP