New-York tribune., 1902-12-21
6be Christmas Fairy.

DO ye put things in stockings and not the
faries?' cried Tim in disappointment
Sure and there's fairies ever saw" answered
his mother nor you. any wid mortal eyes. as
! ever heard Of. But get back into Yer bed Tim
mayourneen It's no better ven make oiack
Christmas be catching yer death O cold
Il was a very sorrowful little boy that crept
back TO the heap OF straw and he couid not sleep'
though after while his mother did, and Tim
wondered how she could when he heard her heavy
regular breathing No fairies Christmas. or
worse yet-a black one-and yet his mother could
sleep! Tim could not understand II, ,,,. ,,,ov,
Presently he sat up aud looked our OF the "IiqoM.
The moonlight streaned in through the dngy
paues Oh there must be fairies outside there IN
Tim ti8foed 10 the door and lifted the latch. But
there were fairies dancing there n the moon n
the right stretched the road that led TO Illingiae
Tim Knew for he had sometimes earned pennies
by holding horses for them But the road was
S We!e neither folk nor fairies awake in the world
that night light wind hurried INN SIo4aS e across
crept up around the cold steps where Tim stood.
Slipping back through the half-opened door. when
a low laugh sounded around the corner of the cabin
Size Of his own baby sister danced up to him.
There were sparkling jewels among her soft fIrs
dinples in her pink checks and sunlight and blue
'!rhe saints be good to u.s. whispered Tim ITS
a fairy, For sure it is,'
WHY YES, I'm Fairy" said the wonderful little
creature before him. but how did you know:
Sure. and wouldn't / know ye were 100 pretty
for ANYTHING else answered Tim. with true Irish
gallantry. And ye can come right inside; tne
stockings IS all ready for ye. oh, its true, II $
true: and there's fairies after ALI! he cried. mug
ging himself with delight
But before the fairy could answer there were
sounds Of carriage wheels and footsteps and cries or
Fairy. Fairy, where are YOU?
Here | am laughed the little girl and mere =
A hoy that knows me, but I don't know him. And
then she was caught up in the arms OF Il tall man
and hug2ed and kissed by handsome woman, and
lastly petted and scolded by fat woman S4'h as
Tim had never seen before, with very black face
and very white teeth that glistened in the moon
light. 49,, .,
Honey and saying over and over again some
thing about thinking the blessed darln was
sieer and that she nersef would ''nebber sleep no
mo- for thinkin of dis night Then they all
sank. The fairy going away and the stockings
But I want to tell the boy goodnight. cried
ont the tiny creature just they were ifting her
hand to the forlorn little boy on the steps
How did know my name! she said
'Oh. ye will come in wont ye ana hlt the Stock
ings?" pleaded Tim. -,
woman in the carriage, Let her give him some
thing" And from under the seat the man pulled
an armful of parcels of all sizes and shapes. .
we can get her things before morning
the woman saying. and before Tim could more
than blink his eyes his arms were iuil OF lhlhBs
and in his hand shone IA bit Of gold
And all the next day the children never weared
Of hearing Tim tell of the fairy that had come TO
the door the night before They had no ears for
The foolish things their mother and the neighbors
carriages and straying children and negro nurses
Hadn't Tim really and truly seen the fairy, with
his own eyes? OF course there were fairies in the
world Christmas time