The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-08-12
Authentic Fairies
for JJnbeievers.
70 you believe In fairies ?

=
Selma Logerlof will lead you where
you can see them with waking eyes
Indeed. this wonderful Swedish woman
, walks in fairy land and some good
| fairy has touched her with the magic
wand She was 40 before she began to
write. Within a few years she had won
the Nobel prize for literature and ever
since her stories have been delighting
old and young
The child Is cheated out Of bit OF
his heritage who has not followed the
Wonderful Adventures of Nils" and
! learned to call by name the dwarfs and
gnomes. and pixies, and trolls, and
fairies. and elves. that dwell in the
Land of the Midnight sun.
Her latest book, The Emperor OF
, Portiga,lia," which. by the way. is in
our public library. is the story OF a
dun Swedish peasant. whose life was
and rich and noble n any darling of the
gods because, forsooth. he had imagi-
nation.
Jan and Katrina had never n thought
beyond keeping the poor matched roof
over their heads and enough wood and
food to carry them through the bleak
northern winter. katrina's ewes were
always on her pots and kettles. Jan
never raised his above his hoe. Then
to these duh eyes and hearts came q
Jan. to whom she meant only one more
mouth TO feed. But when the wee hi,
was laid in his arms. sometime hap
rened. JAMS heart began to throh and
he suddenly knew what had been amiss
with him all his life. He whose hear,
responds neither to joy nor sorrow can
hardly be called human"
Jan thought no one less than tho
sun worthy to be godfather, and tho
baby was christened Glory Goldic sun
ny Castle. This child never failed her
father nor did he fail her. one day
in school, when the teacher asked
What do we call God?" Glory Jumped
to her feet cheeks aflame, ana said
I'VE call him Jan" The teacher ST
fenced the laughing school with: ut
was Father, Glory wanted to say. but
I hardly know of another child who has
so kind a father; so who can wonder
at her saving Jan when she must name
the hea she knowso"
When Glory was Is. Il brutal land
lord threatened to take their poor cot =
tage away from them. Something had
TO be done at once Jan and Katrina
looked hclplessly at Glory. who was
their source of light. She said: Il
will go to Stockholm, enter service, and
come homo October | with the hun
bred dollars for Lars Qummersau.'
Poor toil-worn Jan and Katrina
watched the little steamer carry their
child away. All the sunlight seemed
to go with her. No message came dur
ing the long weeks. October dawned
at last! The lonely parents We're at
the boat landing. All the passengers
came down the plank. Not Glory Goldic
Sunny Castle. But later a letter was
delivered by the village lawyer con-
tanning money to save the house.
JAMS yearning and disappointment
weakened him so that he could no,
work. He could Just drag himself dali,
to the pier to watch FOR the boat from
Stockholm.
No Glory came. No letters came
But stories did come and were wills.
pcfeu ABOUT the nInlct DS tflNeleTs
who had seen Glory C;oldie in Stock
holm. nrray"d in satins and jewels. lik'
a grand lady. All that this meant I,
! Jan was that his little Glory had be
come an empress. But he always knew
| that she would. and so. OF course. he
| father must be an emperor.
| After that all day. every day. Jal
| sat on the pier with his ever growin'
| dream. In calm and even tones h.
would say TO the waiting group: "On
day, you will see the Empress Glory o
| Portugallia. on this pier with a crow
| of gold upon her head, and with sevo
| kings behind her, holding up her roya
| mantl" and seven tame lions crouch
| ing at her feet. and seven and sevent
generals with drawn swords. going be
| fore her
| Gradually. Jan. in all his rags, be
gan to carry himself like true en-
pcror. He wore a high green leath'
cap and carried a silver mounted site
which his old master had given hin
He lifted his voice high in churc