The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1909-06-24
The Magic Mirror.


81 don't care, it's mean of you to
take the last apple in the dish, you're
very, very selfish"
And you're cross, which is just
as bad"
"Children," called grandma.
The two pairs of bonnie brown eyes
dropped. 1t was pity to let grand
ma see how naughty they could be
on her first visit to them. But the
beautiful old face was peaceful and
smiling when the twins slowly cross
ed the threshold of the sunny, flower
scented sitting-room.
"Dearies, l have a story to tell
you, snuggle up close and let's away
with the fairies" and the girlies
snugggle close, for fairy-stories were
always 1ovely."
With an arm about each, grandma
began: "Once upon a time there was
a Fairy who was known as the Fairy
of Smiles. Wherever she went she
carried with her a tiny mirror framed
in gold, and when she saw little chill
dren with frowning faces and tear
| filed eyes, she would hold the mirror
before them and the cross looks soon
took wings and flew away, for no one
| likes to gaze at his own scowling re-
Fiction.
Zone day two little sisters were
disputing over a very small matter
and angry words were passed back
and FORTH" the twinnies looked very
sober, but grandma went quietly on,
''just as one wee sister raised her
hand to slap the other, tiny ladykin
dressed in quay white with curly
hair and sweet blue eyes came into
the nursery with the magic mirror
in her hand, and in tinkling voice
said: please glance into my mir
ror, girlies."
The small sisters peeped shyly into
the highly polished mirror and then
turned quickly away-did those
clouded faces with the angry eyes be-
long to them?
"You do not like to see yourselves
as others sometimes see you, do you,
dears?" and the Fairy of Smiles pop
ped the mirror into it's chamois bag.
81 never knew we looked like
that" said one little sister softly,
while the other one whispered, "I'm
sorry"
Then the fairy drew the mirror
from the bag and held it again before
the twin sisters. What a change. The
two faces were dimpled and sweet
and sunny-the eyes bright and dear
and loving.
81 like US better this way" said
the twin with the curly hair. $50 do
l." echoed the one with the brown
est eyes. Then they threw their
arms about each other and Rugged
tight and were as happy as two kit
tens.
"Dearies. how would you like a
magic mirror?" asked grandma.
| But there are no fairies," said
Beatrice doubtfully.
81 think, perhaps, could play at
being fairy" returned grandma
with a smile, "for I have mirror"
ooh, please show it to u.s. cried
| Tie tWlnS.
Grandma opened her trunk which
stood close by, and took from it a
small square box. When she removed
the cover, Beatrice and Barbara saw
a shining mirror, framed in gold.
ooh, oh, OH" burst from the red
lips.
Now, loves, I am going to give
you this mirror which I want you to
ask mamma to hang in your room
then when you feel tempted to dis
/ agree, before you say one angry word
go and look in the glass-will you
both promise to do this?" and grand
ma waited.
| eyes, grandma" the little maids
promised.
/ And that is why Beatrice and Bar
bara are better and happier little
girls, because when they feel cross
they run to the magic mirror and in
stantly the frowns and tears fly