The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1899-08-02

In her dress of silvery white, Fairy
Mercury looked so much like silver,
and could move about so quickly, that
great many people called her Quick
silver; but that was not her real name.
That was the fairy, Mercury.
She lived in the queerest kind of
house. There were only glass ball
about as large as a pea, for the bnse-
ment, and q slender glass tube above
it for the second and third floors.
This odd little house was fastened
in frame, and hung outside the front
door of cottage.
The people who lived in the cottage
seemed very fond of the fairy Mer-
cury; at least they came and looked at
her every day. She imagined it was
because they thought her so pretty,
but you and know better, do we not?
The fairy Mercury was something
like worm in one thing; she could
stretch herself until she reached away
mp the glass tube, and could also
shorten her body until her head was
not far from the little ball. / think
she disliked cold weather, for when
winter came she never climbed very
high in her glass tube, and when it
was very cold, she drew nearer and
nearer to the glass ball.
Then the people seemed to think
more of her than ever, and the fairy
Mercury was often greatly puzzled t
know why they said such strange
things when they looked at her.
l.1
ingr' "What do they mean by that9"
said the fairy Mercury. DO they
think I'm freezing? Well, I'm not.
1t takes a great deal to freeze me, l
can tell them"
Then again, when it was very, very
cold, and everybody was hurrying to
get indoors, almost every one who
looked at her said, Zero" or Give
below" Even people on the street
ran up the cottage steps, took peep
at her, and went of saying the same
thing, Zero, "Three below" Give
below" 1t was very strange the fairy
Mercury thought, but as no one hurt
her she didn't care how often they
looked
When spring came, with its warm
breezes and blue skies, she grew live
lier, and crept up to the second floor
of her house, where she spent the
most OF her time looking out.
She enjoyed watching the birds
| build their nests, the leaves come out
on the trees, and the man planting
seeds in the flower bed before the
cottage door. As the weather grew
warmer, she climbed higher and
higher, and the higher she went, the
more people noticed her.
Then came the summer. 1t was
very hot, and so dry that the grass,
the lovely roses, and even the great
elm trees were all crying for water.
Gentlemen went past with large UNI
brellas over their heads; ladies sat on
porches, tanning, and all the children
wore their very thinnest and coolest
clothing to school.
The fairy Mercury kept on climbing
and was noticed more than ever. In
deed, there seemed always to be some
one looking at her; and they said just
as queer things as they did in winter.
For whole week she heard them say,
"Ninetyl" 'Ninety-two" or "Ninety-
fivel" and one very hot day they said,
"One hundred-two in the shade! how
can we ever stand It'll" and they
groaned and wiped their faces again
and again.
''These are strange people," said
the fairy Mercury; 'they really act as
if l had something to do with the
weather; but l haven't. Yet, sonie-
how, heat always makes me want to
climb, and cold makes me shrink"
When autumn came, with it's fruits
and nuts, she dropped down to the
first floor Of her little house, where
she had spent the springtime. Now
she looked out upon the leaves rs they
fell, and the gardener as he gathered
his seeds. One day she heard the
robins chipping Goodbye"
"Ah," said the fairy Mercury,
Summer has gone, sure enough. "
Then the days grew colder, and she
dropped lower and lower in the glass
tube, until another winter came.
So you see, that as both heat and
cold moved her, she went up and down
in her little house a great many times
each year. Did you ever see the fairy
Mercury or her glass house? Did you
ever watch her move? Do you know
what we call the fairy and her house?
From Cat-tails and Other Tales.