The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1904-12-15

LAW OI tue 4 CREST alone restrained
her from going forth In search of ad.
venture.
While this mood lay heavy upon pref
ty Necile it CHANGED that the great
Ak visited the Forest of Burzee and
allowed the wood nymphs, as was their
wont. to lie at his feet and listen to
the words Of wisdom that fell from
his lips Ak is.the Master Woodsman
of the World; he sees everything and
knows more than the sons Of men.
That night he held the Queens hand
for he loved the nymphs as father
loves his children, and Necile lay at
his feet with many of her sisters and
earnestly hearkened as he spoke.
eve live so happily. my fair ones.
in our forest glades." said Ak, strokins
bis grizzled beard thoughtfully, ':that
we know nothing of the sorrow and
misery that fall to the lot OF those
poor mortals who inhabit the open
spaces of the earth. They are not of
our race, it is true, yet compassion we'll
BELTS beings so fairly favored as our
selves. Often rs pass by the dwell
ing of some suffering mortal l am
tempted to stop and Danish the poor
things misery Yet suffering, In mod
GRAFTON, is the natural lot Of mortals
and it is not our place to interfere
with the laws Of Nature"
Nevertheless" said the fair Queen
nodding her golden head at the Master
Woodsman, 1T would not be a vain
guess that Ak has often assisted these
hapless mortals."
sometimes" Ak replied, ''when they
are very young-'children, the mortals
call them-I have stopped to rescue
them from misery The men and wo.
men I dare not interfere with; they
must bear the burdens Nature has i'm,
posed upon them. But the helpless i'll
fants, the innocent children Of men,
have right to be happy until they
become full grown and able to bear
the trials of humanity. SO feel am
justified in assisting them. Not Ions
ago, a year, maybe, found four poor
children huddled in wooden hut, slow
~ freezing to death. Their parents had
gone to neighboring village for food
and had left fire to warm their little
ones while they were absent But q
storm arose and drifted the snow in
their path. SO they were long on the
road. Meantime the fire went out and
the frost creDt 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
upon it until the fire blazed again and
warmed the little room where the
children lay. Then they ceased shiv.
ering and fell asleep until their parents
came"
II am glad you did thus" said the
good Queen, beaming upon the Master
and Necile, who had eagerly listened
to every word echoed in whisper,
Il, too, am glady'
"And this very night" continued
Ak, ''as I came to the edge of Burzee
I heard a feeble cry, which I Judged
came from human infant. looked
about me and found, close to the for
est, helpless babe, lying quite naked
upon the grasses and wailing piteous-
~. Not far away, screened by the for
est, crouched Shiegra, the lioness, in
tent upon devouring the infant for her
evening neal"
"And what did you do. Ak?" asked
the Queen breathlessly.
HNOt louch hoiro In, b,,rr1v rr~oo4
my nymphs. But I commanded Shi-
egra to lie close to the babe and to
give it her milk to quiet its hunger
And I told her to send word through.
out 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 a
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 mighty Burzee. when she paus
ed to gaze curiously about her. Never
until now had she ventured SO far, fol
the Law of the Forest had placed the
nymphs in its Utmost depths.
Necile knew she was breaking the
Law, but the thought did not give
pause to her dainty feet. She had de
cided to see with her own eyes this
infant Ak had told of, for she haG
never yet beheld child of man. AL
the immortals are full grown; there are
no children among them. Peerin@
through the grass, Necile saw the chile
lying on the grass, but now it was
sweetly sleeping, having been com
forted by the milk drawn from Shi
egra. 1t was not old enough to know