The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1896-06-20
THE MIRROR.

rors were unknown. They lad all been
broken and reduced to fragments by or
der Of the queen, and if the tiniest bit
of looking glass had been found i'll any
house she would not have hesitated TO
put all the inmates to death with the
most frightful tOrtures.
Now for the secret of this extraOr-
binary caprice. The queen was dread
fully ugly, and she did not wish to be
exposed to tie risk of meeting her own
image, and knowing herself to be hide
Gus it was "a consolation to know that
other women at least could not see that
they were pretty.
You may imagine that the young girls
Of the country were not at all satisfied.
What was the use Of being beautiful if
you could not admire yourself:
They might have used the brooks and
lakes for mirrors, but the queen had
foreseen that and had hidden all of them
under closely joined tlagstOnes. Water
was drawn from wells so deep that it
was impossible to see the liquid surface,
and shallow basins must be used instead
If buckets, because in the latter there
might be reflections.
Such a dismal state Of affairs, es-
p~ecially for the pretty coquettes, who
were no more rare in this country than
IN others!
The queen had no compassion, being
we'll content that her subjects should
suffer as much annoyance from the lack
of a mirror as she felt at the sight of
one.
However, in a suburb Of the city there
lived a young girl called Jacinta, who
was a little better off than the rest,
thanks TO her sweetheart, Nalentin. For
if some one thinks you are beautiful and
loses no chance to tell you SO he is al
most as good Is a mirror.
Tell me the truth she would say.
"What is the color Of my eyes,
They are like dewy forgetmenots."
And my skin is not quite black
lyon know that your forehead is
whittier than freshly fallen snow, and
your checks are like blush roses"
How about my lips"
CHERRIES are pale beside them"
"And my teeth, if you please?'
"Grains of rice are not as White
But my ears-should l be ashamed
of them
Eyes, if you would be ashamed of
two little pink shells among your pretty
curls."
And sc on endlessly, she delighted,
he still more charmed, for his words
came from the depth of his heart, and
she had the pleasure Of hearing herself
praised, he the delight Of seeing her. So
their love grew more deep and tender
every hour, and the day that he asked
her to marry him she blushed certainly,
but it wa not with anger. But, un-
luckily, the news Of their happiness
reached the wicked queen, whose only
pleasure was to torment others, and
Jacinta more han any one else, on &C
count Of her beauty.
A little while before the marriage
Jacinta was walking in the orchard one
evening when an old crone approached,
asking for aims, but suddenly jumped
back with a shrek as if she had stepped
ON a toad, crying, Heavens, what do l
see:"
what is the matter, my good wom-
al Ad 40 ~ Nou SScs z AlC
The ugliest creature l ever beheld."
Then you are not looking at me-"
said Jacinta, with innocent vanity.
Alas! yes, my poor child, it is you.
I have been a long time On this earth,
but never have l met any one SO hideous
as you
What! Am ugly"
"A hundred times uglier than l can
tell you"
But my eyes
They are a sort Of dirty gray. But
that would be nothing if you had not
such an outrageous squint!'
cnmp!exlon'-
1T looks as if you had rubbed coal
dust IN your forehead and cheeks"
my mouth
ut is pale and withered, like a faded
flower"
My teeth
If the beauty Of teeth is to be large
and yellow, l never saw any so beauti-
full as yours"
But, at least, my ears
They are so big, so red and so mis-
shapen under your coarse elf locks that
they are revolving. l am not pretty my.
self, but l should die of shame if mine
were like them After this last blow
the old witch, having repeated what the
queen had taught her, hobbled off, with
a harsh croak Of laughter, leaving boo,
Jaclnta dissolved in tears, prone ON the
ground beneath the apple trees.
Nothing could divert her mind from
her grief. II am ugly-I am ugly ~ she
repeated constantly. 1t was in vain tha'
Nalentin assured and treasured her witt
the most solemn oaths.
Let me alone! You are lying out O
pity. l understand it all now. You new
er loved me, You are only sorry for me
The beggar woman had no interest il
deceiving me. 1t is only too true-I an
ugly. do not see how you can endur
the sight Of me-"
To undeceive her he brought peopl
from far and near. Every man declare,
that Jacinta was created to delight tn
E~nr &hn vD.~~- ~~s -