The Washington times., 1913-10-27

4
pie and flushed with a golden glow.
How beautiful the clouds look" mur-
INJURED the girl fretfully And how dull
Is my life. What chance have I to do
any great deed or make any famous
name. Up there the clouds look so de-
lighSfully far away from trouble-like
great castles of fairyland, hurrying to-
ward the sun
And so they did High above one an
other they were piled till the whole Of
the west was full of its drifting
beauty. Vast ships, great steeds, huge
, armies, all seemed to be in the won-
drous shapes into which the clouds
rolled as they swept over the ocean of
the crimson west
Cara was surprised to feel her chair
floating. Very softly it rose In the air
and drifted out of the window. up. UP
ill she saw she was approaching a
great cloud, snowy white. which was
rolled UP into the appearance of n cas-
tie. On the walls appeared fairies of
every color, all radiant in the evening
flush which seemed to sweep the heav-
ems. AS the chair touched the shores OF
the pink mist. fairy sprang down from
the wall to greet the girl.
SO you are Cara?" said the fairy,
kindly. Welcome to Cloudland Castle
We saw you were unhappy and thought
we would bring you here for a few
hours Then, taking Cara hand. she
led the girl all over the magnificent
palace. Its furniture was of gold. mir
rors formed the sides of the rooms and
fountains of jewels sang in its snowy
la, ha ufr
prised to see hundreds OF fairies sitting
before a large loom, which is a machine
on which cloth is woven. The sprites
were very busy, singing as they worked
in the different colors. some using black,
others white. many gray, violet, gold.
and crimson.
This is the room in which the threads
Of life of you mOrtals are woven," ex-
planned the fairy. Here in this castle
in the clouds we live and watch the
people of earth. Their lives are the web
which We weave. You see the dark
threads for those who are selfish and
cruel. the bright colors OF the gentle
and kind
Cara looked to where the fairy point
ell and saw above small frame the
name of Cara" Eagerly she examined
to see what threads the fairies were
weaving into her life, and sadly she
recognized black and gray as the most
conspicuous cOlOrs. She hung her head
in shame.
You see continued the fairy. your
life here is woven just as your deeds
make il on earth. No money or power
or beauty can earn a single golden
thrCad-Onlv kindness and unselfishnesS
can do that. Here is the frame of a
poor widOw-sce how radiant the cloth
is' with its glittering threads" Cara
looked and saw that her mothers name
was in bright cOlurs above the weaving
fairys head.
The fairy led the girl to the edge of
the cloud castle and told her to look
down upon earth. Strange to say. she
could see right down through the roofs
of houses. Around the table in some
rich homes were gathered groups of
uuarrcling. unhappy people. while in
some poor cottages were the smiling
faces of c0ntented parents and children.
At her own home she saw her mother
patiently mendinG a dress which the
girl had torn the day before and sell
fishlv left for her mother to fix.
Cara : eyes lllIed with tears.
81 have learned the lesson" she said
in voice trembling with pain. II
have been signing for wealth to do
great things and leaving undone the
simple duties at home, which are the
really great things Of life. How un-
kind | must seem to mother, who is
go good to me
cara" called voice at her elbow.
cara opened her eyes. not in her
castle in the clouds but in the par
lor in which she had taken a nap.
"IIcre is the money for your mother"
said the lady. And If you care to
teach my little boy an hour on three
afternoons Of week | will pay for
YOUR music lessons this year"
with a joyful heart the girl accent
ed and ran home different child
fro,r the one which had left II an
hair before Working hard 10 maxi
her mother happy, she soon become
one nf the happicst girls herself
Tomorrow story: Why Chestnuts
Have Burrs.