The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-08-16

that you have fairy godmother,
/ whether you have ever seen her or not
: Every little child in the world has
fairy godmother working miracles Tor
/ him in some disguise or other. Just
watch for the miracles to happen, and
! you will see If it is not true.
/ Peter had a fairy godmother too, but,
! like some of YOU he did not know 1t.
He thought fairy godmothers were only
! for princes long ago, and for Clinde-
fella ladies'; and he was only an every
day little boy, living in the middle or
A great dark forest, In little hut
with his father and mother. lie was
very lonely. for his father cut wood
in the forest all day, and his mother
sat ever at her wheel. working and
working. and Peter, with no work to
do and no one TO play with, grew very
unhappy in his loneliness and I'M
happiness he built a wish In his heart,
adding TO it day after day, but never
hoping that II would come true.
Wishing SO hard ane being so lonely
made him very restless and cross, and
his mother grew tired OF hearing him
complain.
What can I play, mother: what can
I play?"
So she shook her head. and said i'm
patiently
Run to your playing, and leave me to
my working"
Peter turned Hadiy away and walked
out to his favorite oak tree In the
woods. and cuddiiug down between It's
roots. he fell 10 wishing his great wish
once more.
Then suddenly there came his fairy
godmother, He knew her at once, she
was so beautiful. Her face was wrink-
!
wreathed with white. nodding curls.
and her eyes were blue, like the blue
velvet hood that covered her head and
/ the long cloak that fell to her feet, and
she bent Just a little, not as II she
were lame. but as If she were bending
over TO take care Of things.
Fairy godmother" whispered Peter.
"Oh, no" she chuckled. you know
me. do YOU Yet you have never given
me thought before now, and I
/ shouldn't be here this moment If had
mot seen full-blown wish ready TO
a wish on. whispered Peter
again.
Eyes, out with IT. said the fairy.
/ Il am dying to grant "a good wish, so
don't disappoint me What were YOU
wishing Just row, my Peter boy
Peters eyes loked straight into the
! blue eyes Of the fairy sodmother
/ u was wishing" he said rather shy
~, that I lived IN beautiful big
house with hundreds Of nttle boys and
girls and singing testers and Ministries.
would sit In my room and hear feet
rushing to my door, more always COM
ing. and MY door would burst open.
and they would all come In and play
with me; and ] would never be lonely
any more"
The fairy godmother bent Just a little
more in caring for-things sort of way
Dear little Peter, so you have been
I lonely" she said. We'll. YOU shall have
/ your wish, If YOU will help to gain II
Yourself Take the path that lies
You reach the edge of the woods, the
big beautiful house will be there. En-
I ter Its gate. and you will find your
room waiting for you. and there will
he hundreds OF other rooms full Of boys
and girls and testers and minstrels
This much I can give YOU the rest You
+ must do for yourself" Then she shiv-
cred like puff of blues moke in the
wind, and was gone, Peter SAT- still
70 wonder only one minute and then
he rose 70 his feet and sped over the
path toward the rising sun.
On and on he ran, till the woods
grew thin and the light OF the world
/ glmmered between the tree trunks, TIL
the tall forest became low under
growth; till the underground became
smooth gardens, and then ne stood he
fore the big. beautiful house. He en-
! tered into the doorway and found him
self in a long halt, quite empty, but
ringing with laughter and songs, which
seemed TO come from behind the hun
dreds OF closed doors which he saw
. "a NO haH Jvl G
opened. a white door. into little white
room. and on the door was written in
gold letters Peter"
Peter laughed with Rlee It was all
just as he had wished. He ran into
the room and sat on the little white
chairs. and touched the white cushions
on the bed, and ate an apple from the
( basket on the white table. and then
he sat down 10 wait for the rush OF
feet which should bring the boys and
! girls and minstrels to his door For
a while he heard only the echoes OF
laughter in the hall, and then a door
topened somewhere. and a voice called
Here ! come
Peters heart gave n glad little
bound, while he wondered If boy or
a girl or singing Jester might be
coming Footsteps drew nearer and
nearer-and then TO Peters horror they
E passed. ms ADOTt tttS RRAft, NAaI mao
bounded. sank again. All day long
rushing feet sounded through the hall
land all day long Peter hoped they were
coming to his door. but they always
went by.
Perhaps" he thought. they don't
know I am here" SO he opened his
door wide. aud sat down again to wait
Vary soon a sound of piping came
down the hall, and a minstrel came
by with train of boys and girls fol-
lowing afteri but they all passed Peter $
| open door, some without looking that
way aud some with curious glance;
and Peter was more lonely than he
had ever been before.
He rose ana tiptoed to the door The
hall was empty again. for the merry
company had passed into some other
room, He walked softly down the cor
ridor, and at last he came to the door
where the minstrel and the children
had entered. TO his great surprise II
was open. and within sat the minstrel
and the children. Peter looked in wist
fully, and, as he looked he nticed that
this room was not white and bare like
his own, but the walls were painted
with pictures of flowers and birds and
there were curtains Of painted silk at
the windows
lie turned away and went back along
the hall AS he went he passed more
open doors, and he saw that every room