Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1898-03-27

pretty belief that their Easter cggs. are brought to them by rabbits. These dainty little creatures know all the children and are perfectly aware which of the youngsters deserve tastefully decorated eggs and which of them should have eggs which are merely eol- cred, or perhaps, entirely plain.
 This belief that the rabbits bring the Easter eggs is as strongly rooted in the minds of the creole children as are any of our good old notions concerning Santa Claus and Christmas stockings, and that there is good ground for the simple faith of the little ones will be proved by the following story:
 There were two rabbits, great friends, who lived in a grove of wild oaks not far from a 4own One of these was a young rabbit, named Papinto, and she was very much excited one morning because the next day would be Easter, and her companion, Lapingro, had told her that in the early morning she should carry an Easter egg to some good child. It was yet many hours be- fore Easter morning, and the two rab- bits had not provided themselves with an Easter egg, nor had they decided to what child they should give it. Lapin- ita knew where there was a hens nest. Sine had examined the eggs, and she was quite sure the old hen would give her one, but they were not very large, and they were not very white, and she ard Lapingro wanted a very fine egg indeed.
 The two rabbits were still wandering through the woods, talking earnestly about the business in hand, when they saw a beautiful figure approaching them. At first they thought it was a woman, but they soon knew it was not, for even had 1t been a woman-even the most quiet andtimid of all gentle ladies they would have been frightened. But this charming figure, which moved gayly under the live oaks, seemed scarcely to touch the ground as she tripped along, did not frighten them at all. They sat upon their little launches with their little forefeet l pressed against their little breasts, and with the tops of their little noses trem- bling and wrinl1ling in expectation.
 The figure bounded toward them and sat down on the ground. "Oh, you dear little rabbits!" she said. How glad am to see you! You are the first friends l have met since I came to these woods. know you are friends because yout noses wrinkle so affectionately. Dd gou know who l amp"
 No, we do not, said Lapingro, "but we should be very glad for you to tell us who you are"
 ''fs'ery well, then,' said she, with a charming smile, Il am a Dryad; one of those beings who live in oak trees"
 "In these oaks 9" asked Lapinita, wondering.
 No, not in these oaks" said the Dryad. T have never seen any oaks like these. l am @ stranger in this country, and these trees are not at all like the oaks of my own land, which is France. The branches of my oaks are ever so much higher from the ground; their leaves are larger, and they have no long boards hanging from theil lilnbs"
 That is moss" said Lapingro. 'It is the goats that have boards, not the trees."
 q am glad to have you tell me that!' said the Dryad, tbecause I know sC little about this country. This is tn, way I happened to come here; 1 liyeG in tall oak, which was cut down by some people who were sending tn, trunks of trees to foreign lands. Gen erally, when a tree with a Dryad in i is cut down, she gets out and goes tC some other tree, but 1 have alwayi wished so much to see foreign land that I thought it would be fine fun tc stay in my trunk and go wherever tn people took it. And that is the wa, I happen to be here. Everything is s' beautiful that I am glad to meet yol two dear little rabbits! Where are yol going? May I go with you? l an looking for an oak tree to live in, but don't want to find one yet"
 Then Lapingro told the Dryad tha they wanted to get an Easter egg t give to same good child early the mex morning, but they had not found an egs yet which was good enough for them and they did not yet know what ehil, they would give it to.
 And I am to give it to the child! cried Lapinita, the top of her nos trembled with delightful anticipation ''I have never yet given an egg to an. child. It will make me so happy!"
 The Dryad was very much interested and when the rabbits told her tha they were trying to find very larg and white hens egg, she said she dit not think much of such eggs fo Easter.
 "Oh, if you could see the Easter egg that I have seen!" she exclaimed. < remember one that was brought to rich little girl who lived near the edg Of my forest. It was big-well, it wa as big as that" and the Dryad helc his hands about foot apart.
 "oh, what birds they must be il France!" exclaimed Lapinita.
 But it was not a real egg" said tn Dryad. ''It was make-believe egl