Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-11-06
Lesson Of Love
"a Fairy Story.)

Once upon time there lived little
girl whom everybody petted simply be.
cause she was so beautiful. She had
whole rooms full of toys, drawers and
closets full Of lovely clothes, servants
who ran to crafty all her wishes, and
so much money that she could not be-
gin to spend 1t.
But little Nolita was not happy, and
she made everyone around her miser-
able. She would slap her playmates
and snatch her toys away if they did
not play just as she wished, and was
as rude and saucy to grown people as
a child could be. No one corrected
her, because she was pretty, so daintily
dressed and SO rich. Every day she
grew more selfish and fretful until at
last the Good Fairies in pity took the
case in hand.
After some consultation. one night
they covered little Nolita's beautiful
face with dreadful wolf mask which
had great glazing eyes and cruel red
jaws.
"Now," said the Fairy Queen sadly.
little Nolita must wear this wolf
face until someone loves it away"
In the morning when Nolita awoke
she found everything changed. The
servants who had humored every
within now fed from her, taking with
them all her treasures and leaving
only one blind, deaf and dumb old
woman to care for her. The friends
who had petted her when she was
-boo,,4iP,,J Ala NIT ooro poor lor Hor
playmates screamed and ran when
ever she came in sight.
At first Nolita was very angry and
cried for hours; but no one approached
to pacify her. She cried all one day
and all one night; no one coming to
comfort her. So it went on, until at
last she began to think of the
naughtiness that had brought her so
much evil, and resolved to be good
and gentle.
But no one believed in little Nolita
now. No one gave her any credit
although she tried hard to be kind.
Before, no matter what naughty things
she did, people petted and praised her
just the same. Now, no matter how
sincerely she tried to be good, she
got only cold looks and few words.
She gave all her toys away to the
children she had been used to play
with, but they were afraid Of her. No
child dared to let Nolita come near
to play with her.
Months and months slipped away in
loneliness. At last Nolita cried out
in despair:
at is no use! / can never make
people love me! but if only they would
let me love them, I would be happy"
AS these words fell from the wolf
lips, sudden brightness came into
the room. 1t was the smile of the
Fairy Queen whom Nolita could not
see; and a voice as soft as the south
wind spoke low in her ear:
you can love them although they
do not know Help others when they
do not see you, little Nolita."
So when all was dark little Nolita
began to go about softly from house
to house to find if there was some
thing she could do to "help." Many
a piece Of work left unfinished was
found completed the next morning by
the busy housewife, who smiled and
said the brownies had never been so
kind before Little children found on
their pillows the things they had
longed for; they always thought they
We're gifts of the Good FAIRIES. When
the babies cried in the dark, a gentle
hand rocked the cradle and low
voice sang them to sleep again with
out waking the tired mothers.
And so, at last, Nolita began to be
happier. One night in her rounds she
found little crying child whose father
and mother were dead. 1t was sitting
alone in the dark doorway of the
silent house. Nolita took the little girl
with her to her own home All the
night she tended her. but in the morn
ing she called the blind old woman
to care for her for fear the baby, too,
would be afraid of her.
No one claimed the baby girl and
she became Nolitas. Nolita made her
clothes and prepared her food. but she
had the blind old woman tend her in
the day time, and only came and stay
ed with her in the night. The child
grew fast and learned to laugh and
clap her hands when the darkness
came-for she loved Nolita best.
ut is because she cannot see me-"
said Nolita quietly to herself. "She
would never let me touch her again if
she once saw my ugly face"
One dark night. there came dread
full storm. The lightning blazed every
second and the thunder crashed as If
it would split the heavens The poor
little baby awoke frightened and sat
up in bed calling and reaching out her
arms. But Nolita did not dare to go