Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-08

habit the open spaces of the earth. They
are not of our race, 1t is true, yet com,
passion well BELTS beings so fairly favored
as ourselves. Often as l pass by the dwell
ing of some suffering mortal / am tempted
to stop and Danish the poor things misery:
Yet suffering, in moderation, Is the natural
lot of mortals. and it is not our place TO
interfere with the laws Of nature.
Nevertheless" said the fair queen, NOD
ding her golden head at the master woods
man, ut would not be a vain guess tnat AK
has often assisted these hapless mortals.
Ak smiled.
Sometimes" he replied, when they are
very young-'children,' the mertals cali
them-I have stopped to rescue them from
misery The men and women dare not IN
terfere with; they must bear the puIuens
nature has imposed upon them. But the
helpless infants, the innocent children Oh
men, have a right to be happy until they
become full grown and able to pear aLls
trials of humanity. So feel 1 am justified
in assisting them. Not long ago-a year,
maybe-I found four poor children huddled
in a wooden hut, slowly freezing to death.
Their parents had gone to neighborlns
village for food, and had left fire to warm
their little ones while they were absent
But a storm arose and drifted the snow
in their path, so they were long on the ROAD.
Meantime the fire went out and the frost
crept into the bones of the waiting chill
dren."
Poor things!' murmured the queen soft
ly. What did you do?"
II called Nelko, bidding him fetch wood
from my forests and breathe upon 1t until
the fire blazed again and warmed the little
room where the children lay Then they
ceased shivering and fell asleep until their
parents came"
Il am glad you did thus" said the good
queen, beaming upon the master; and Ne
Gle, who had eagerly listened to every
word, echoed in a whisper: Il, too, am
gladi'
and this very night" continued Ak. "as
1 came to the edge of Burzee 1 heard
feeble cry, which 1 judged came from
human infant. l looked about me and
found, close to the forest, a helpless babe,
lying quite naked upon the grasses and
wailing pfteousIy. Not far away, screened
by the forest crouched Shiegra, the ltoness,
intent upon devouring the infant for her
evening meal
And what did you do, Ak?' asked the
queen, breathlessly.
Not much being in hurry to greet my
nymphs. But l commanded Shtegra to lie
close TO the babe, and to give 1t her milk to
quiet its hunger. And l told her to send
word throughout the forest, to all beasts
and reptiles, that the child should not be
harmed
II am glad you did thus said the good
queen again, in tone of relief; but this
time Necile did not echo her words, for the
nymph, filled with strange resolve, had
suddenly stolen away from the group
Swiftly her 1.-THE form darted through the
forest paths until she reached the edge Of
curiousy about her. Never until now had
she ventured so far, for the Law Of the
Forest had placed the nymphs in its Utmost
depths.
Necie knew she was breaking the law,
but the thought did not give pause to her
dainty feet She had decided to see with
her own eyes this infant Ak had told of,
for she had never yet beheld a child of
man. All the immortals are full grown;
there are no children among them. Peer
ing through the trees Necile saw the child
lying on the grass. But now 1t was sweet
ly sleeping, having been comforted by the
milk drawn from Shiegra. 1t was not old
enough to know what peril means; If it
did not feel hunger it was content.
Softly the nymph stole to the side of the
babe and knelt upon the sward, her long
robe Of oakleaf green spreading about her
like gossamer cloud Her lovely counte-
nance expressed curiosity and surprise,
but, most of all, tender, womanly pity
The babe was new born, chubby and pink.
1t was entirely helpless. While the nymph
gazed the infant opened its eyes, smiled
upon her and stretched out two dimpled
arms. In another instant Necile had
caught 1t to her breast and was hurrying
with it through the forest paths.