The Cairo bulletin., 1904-12-21

loves MS ellllareH, ana Neflip iaN ~
his feet with many of her sisters and
earnestly hearkened as he spoke.
I'VE ike so happily. my fair ones,
in our forest glades' said Ak, stroking
i his grizzled beard thoughtfully, that
! we know nothing Of the sorfoM and
| misery that fall To the lot of those
poor mortals who inhabit II the open
spaces Of the earth. They are not of
our race il is trne. yet compassion well
belts beings so fairly favored as orr
selves. OFTEN as | pass by the dwell
ing of some suffering mortal ! am
! tempted to stop and Danish the poor
! things misery. YET suffering, in mod
Grafton. is the natural lot Of mortals,
/ and il is not our place to interfere
with the laws Of Nature"
Nevertheless, said the fair Queen,
nodding her golden head ut the Master
Woodsman. "it would not be a vain
guess that Ak has often assisted these
I hapless mortals.'
Sometimes" Ak replied. when they
are very young children the mortals
them from misery. The men and wo-
men dare not interfere with; they
must bear the burdens Nature has inn
posed upon them. Bnt the helpless IN
fants, the innocent children of men,
have right 10 be happy until they
become full grown and able to >-bear
The trials Of humanity. SO | feel ] am
/ justified in assisting them. Not long
ago. II year, nlaybe.I found four poor
children huddled in a wooden hut, slow
ly freezingfo death. Their parents bad
gone to .neghborlng village for food
and had feft 4 hre,io warn theiit little
ones while they were absent But n
storm arose and drifted the sn9w in
tlieir path, 50 they were long On the
road Meantime the fire went out. and
the frost crept into the bones of the
waiting children
Poor things murmured the Queen
softly "What did you do?"
Il called Nelko. bidding him fetch
wood from my forests and breathe
IAHpon-it until the fire blazed agffif and
warmed the little room Where the
children lay Then they ceased shiv
ering and fell asleep until their parents
came"
Il am glad you did thus said the
good Queen, beaming upon the Master,
and Necle. who had eagerly listened
TO every word, echoed in a whisper,
II, too. am glad"'
"And this very night" continued
Ak, las | came 10 the edge of Burzee
| heard feeble cry. which ! Judged
came from human infant. / looked
about me and found, close TO the for
est. helpless babe. lying quite naked
upon the grasses and waiting pite0us
ly Not far away screened by the for
est. crouched Shiegra. the iioness. in
tent upon devouring the infant for her
evening meal"
"And what did you do, AK asked
the Queen breathlessly
) mot much. being IN a hurry 10 greet
my nynphs. But | commanded Shi
egra to lie close to the babe and to
give il her milk to quiet IT'S hunger
And told her to send word through
out the Forest 10 all beasts and reptiles
;hat the child should not be harmed
IL am glad yop did thus" said the
good Queen again IN tone of relief.
but this time Necil" did not echo her
words. for the nyinph. filed with a
strange resolve had suddenly stolen
away from the groun.
N.,-fffl,- hoo. Ift1ta F,rtss 4. rt,I fftwutfsrI
The forest paths until She reached The
cdge of mighty Burzce. when she paus-
ed 10 gaze curiously about her Never
until now had she ventuFed 50 far. for
Tho Law Of The Forest had placcd The
nymphs IN is innost depths.
Neeiie knew size was breaking the
Law bet the thought did not give
pause to her dainty feet She had de
cded "a sre with her own eyes This
infant Ak had told or for she had
never yet bcheld Il child Of man All
the immortals are full growE there are
no children among them Peering
through The grass. Neciic saw the child
lying on the grass but now Il was
sweetly sleeping. having been tom
forted l,y the milk drawn from Shi.
ezra. II was not old enough to know
what peril means. II il did not feel
hunger If was content
Softly the nympil stole io the side
OF the babe and knelt upon the sward.
her long robe III rose leaf toior spread
ing about her ike gossamer -clond
Her lovely countcnanec Expressed curl
osity and surprise. bni. m.sSt Of all.
irusier. womanly pity. The bale was
newborn. chubby and pink. u was
entireiv helpless While ihe nyInph
gazcd tie infant opened its eyes. smil-
cd upou her and stretched oui twoaiim-
pied arms In another instant Necile
had caught II to lier breast and was hur-
rying with il through the forest paths.