THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 LOS ANGELES
 
 /CNJ
 
 GOING TO THE MIDSUMMER BALL.
 
 
 THE 
 
 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 BY THE AUTHOR OF 
 THE FIVE NIGHTCAP BOOKS, "AUNT FANNTS STCEIES," 
 
 ETC., ETO. 
 
 NEW YOKE : 
 D. APPLETON & COMPANY, 
 
 443 & 445 BROADWAY. 
 
 LONDON: 16 LITTLE BRITAIN. 
 1861.
 
 ENTEEED, according to Act of Congress, In the year I860, by 
 
 FANNY BABROW, 
 
 In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the 
 Southern District of New York.
 
 PZ 
 
 
 TO MASSA CHAELES, 
 
 - 
 
 WHOSE MOST LOVABLE QUALITIES WERE BUT FAINTLY 
 
 POETRATED IN THE 
 
 FIRST NIGHTCAP BOOK, 
 
 THIS 
 THE SIXTH AND LAST OF THE SERIES, 
 
 IS AFFECTIONATELY
 
 PREFACE TO THE CHILDREN. 
 
 DEAR CHILDREN, 
 
 Here is the last Night- 
 cap book, making six in all. The 
 story of "The Three Little Fishes" 
 was taken (but very much altered) 
 from a clever book for grown folks, 
 written, I b eh" eve, nearly two hundred 
 years ago; but all the rest is true, 
 " real true." 
 
 I have written them out with my
 
 6 CHILDREN S PREFACE. 
 
 heart full of love and good wishes for 
 you, and you, and YOU; and my only 
 desire in return is, that down in a cosy 
 corner of your dear little hearts, you 
 will keep warm, one kind thought of 
 your loving 
 
 AUNT FANNY.
 
 PAGE 
 
 THE FAIRIES' LIFE ; WITH AX ACCOUNT OF WHAT 
 
 THEY DID IN THE BEAUTIFUL HOLLOW, . 9 
 
 THE CHILDREN'S LIFE ; WITH THEIR JOURNEY TO 
 
 WEST POINT, 37 
 
 THE FAIRIES' LIFE; WITH AN ACCOUNT OF THE 
 
 MIDSUMMER BALL, 77 
 
 THE CHILDREN'S LIFE; WITH AN ACCOUNT OF 
 IDLEWILD, THE STAG DANCE, THE BATTLE OP 
 THE FAIRIES, &c., 145 
 
 THE DEATH OF CHARLEY, . . . .209
 
 
 . 
 
 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS 
 
 THE FAIKIES' LIFE. 
 
 IN the deep shadow of the Highlands, at 
 the foot of the old Crow Nest Mountain, is a 
 wild and beautiful hollow, closed around on 
 every side by tall trees, interlaced together 
 by the clasping tendrils of the honeysuckle, 
 and the giant arms of luxuriant wild grape- 
 vines. 
 
 The mossy edge of this magic circle is
 
 10 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 thickly embroidered with violets, harebells, 
 perfumed clover-blossoms, and delicate, 
 feathery ferns. A little brook, overhung 
 with grasses and whispering leaves, dances 
 and dimples in the bright sunlight and soft 
 moonbeams, and then trips away, to offer 
 the wild-rose leaves that have fallen upon 
 his bosom to his beloved tributary lord, the 
 great Hudson River. 
 
 Not a bat dare spread his unclean leath- 
 ern wings across this charmed place, and the 
 very owls that wink and blink in the hollow 
 trees near by keep their unmusical "hoot 
 toot " to themselves. 
 
 In the short young velvety grass, a starry 
 daisy, or a sly little cowslip, peeps up here 
 and there, but nothing else disturbs the
 
 THE FAIRIES* LIFE. 11 
 
 lawn-like smoothness, save a tiny mound of 
 green moss near the centre of the hollow, 
 shaped marvellously like a throne. 
 
 It was the night of the eighteenth of 
 June ; and evidently there was something 
 of importance about to happen in the beau- 
 tiful hollow, for presently a train of glow- 
 worms came marching gravely in, and ar- 
 ranged themselves in a circle around the 
 mossy throne ; while thousands of fire-flies 
 flashed and twinkled through the trees. 
 The soft, coquetting wind wandered caress- 
 ingly among the flowers, and the moonbeams 
 rested with a sweeter, tenderer light, upon 
 the little brook which murmured and rip- 
 pled, and gave back many a glancing, loving 
 beam.
 
 12 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 Suddenly a silvery tinkling bell was 
 heard, like music at a distance. Twelve 
 times it sounded ; and immediately after an 
 invisible chorus of sweet tiny voices were 
 heard singing : 
 
 " Hasten, Elfin ! hasten, Fay ! 
 From old Crow Nest wing your way; 
 Through the bush and dewy brake, 
 Fairies, hasten, for the sake 
 Of a mortal, whose pure breath 
 Soon will fade, and sink in death : 
 We for him sweet dreams will find, 
 We will fill with balm the wind ; 
 Watch his young life glide away, 
 Deck with beauty its decay 
 Till the closing earthly strife, 
 Opens into heavenly life."
 
 THE FAIRIES' LIFE. 13 
 
 Instantly the air seemed filled with 
 streams of light like falling stars ; the boom- 
 ing sound of humble-bees was heard, as fairy 
 knights and ladies came hastening to the 
 call through the moon-lit air ; the knights 
 pricking their chargers with their wasp-sting 
 spurs, and the ladies urging theirs quite as 
 fast, with their sweet, coaxing voices. 
 
 The grave, elderly fairies, came more 
 soberly. They crept out from under the 
 velvet mullen leaves, and gravely mounted 
 their palfreys, which were small field mice, 
 and held them well in, with corn-silk bri- 
 dles ; for elderly fairies are inclined to be 
 gouty, and don't like to do any thing in a 
 hurry; like other people, they are apt to 
 go too fast when they are young and to
 
 14 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 balance the matter, are very slow coaches 
 when they are old. 
 
 Several ancient ladies, who had been 
 napping in a secluded nook at the root of 
 an old tree, waited for their nutshells and 
 four to be brought up ; and as the coach- 
 horses were represented by hairy, white 
 caterpillars who were so short-legged, that 
 they took the longest possible time to get 
 over the ground and as the ancient fairies 
 had much ado to fold their wings, and ar- 
 range their crinoline in their carriages, you 
 may be sure they were very fashionably 
 late. 
 
 And now a strain of delicious music 
 filled the air, the glow-worms lighted up 
 brilliantly, and the dew grew heavy with
 
 THE FAIRIES' LIFE. 15 
 
 fragrance, as the Fairy Queen, with, a bright 
 train of attendants, floated past in dark 
 green phaetons, made of the leaves of the 
 camelia, and drawn by magnificently paint- 
 ed butterflies, harnessed and caparisoned 
 with gold. 
 
 The dignity and queenly presence of her 
 Majesty would have rendered her conspicu- 
 ous above the rest, even if her tiny golden 
 crown and sceptre, tipped with a diamond 
 that blazed like a meteor, had not indicated 
 that she was a monarch ; and the acclama- 
 tions that rose on all sides attested the at- 
 tachment her subjects felt for her person. 
 
 She was indeed most lovely; and kind 
 and generous beyond words to describe; 
 and she had called her court together this
 
 16 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 very night to do that which makes both 
 fairies and mortals lovelier and better, with 
 every new effort. Do you know what it is ? 
 It is, trying to add to the happiness of another. 
 
 And now the Queen and her maids of 
 honor gracefully alighted with the eagerly 
 proffered assistance of the fashionable young 
 fairy dandies ; and the court gathered re- 
 spectfully around, as the beautiful Queen 
 seated herself on her throne, and gently 
 waved her sceptre to command attention. 
 
 "My lords, ladies, and gentlemen," said 
 her Majesty, in a voice of perfect music, 
 " I have called you together three nights be- 
 fore our opening midsummer festival, be- 
 cause I know by my fairy power, that a 
 mortal a gentle, lovely boy will arrive
 
 THE FAIRIES' LIFE. 17 
 
 here to-morrow, across whose young life the 
 harsh wings of pain and affliction have 
 passed. For a month or more he has so 
 drooped and faded, that I fear, before long, 
 his pure life will be ended. His mother 
 watches over him with the undying, untiring 
 love, which only a mother knows. We can 
 help her, my beloved subjects, and we will ; 
 we can steal the venom from his painful 
 sleep, by giving him fairy dreams ; and on 
 our gala nights we will gently lift him from 
 his couch, and bring him here. His sweet 
 presence will cast no shadow on our festivi- 
 ties, so pure and lovely have been all the 
 thoughts, words, and actions of his short 
 life." 
 
 A murmur of pleasure rose from the as- 
 2
 
 18 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 sembled court, and the good and beautiful 
 Queen saw with delight, that her proposal 
 had given pleasure to all her subjects, with 
 one exception ; and he was her very honest, 
 but still more disagreeable prime minister, 
 who, being a sour, meddlesome old bache- 
 lor, hated children. His temper was not 
 particularly sweet just then, because he was 
 making wry faces over an attack of the gout 
 in his great toe, from indulging too freely 
 in May-dew wine, and eating too often of 
 roasted tiger-lily, which is a very highly 
 seasoned dish, and difficult to digest, unless 
 you take immediately after eating, half a 
 dozen lady-slipper pills, which my lord the 
 prime minister never would take, on account 
 of the name for of course, if he hated chil-
 
 THE FAIRIES' LIFE. 19 
 
 dren he hated the ladies also and as I was 
 saying, he felt very cross, and inclined to 
 find fault with any thing anybody else pro- 
 posed ; so making as low a bow as his stiff 
 back would permit, he began, with an abom- 
 inable nasal twang : " May it please your 
 Majesty, who is this child you deign to fa- 
 vor so highly ? " 
 
 " He is called Lame Charley ! " gra- 
 ciously answered the Queen. "He is the 
 darling of all who know him." 
 
 " Are there any other children in the fam- 
 ily, my liege ? " snarled the prime minister. 
 
 " About three dozen, more or less," an- 
 swered the Queen, frowning slightly, for she 
 was not quite certain as to the number, and 
 did not like to be questioned.
 
 20 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 - " Humph ! " grumbled the prime minis- 
 ter. Then muttering to himself, " Three 
 dozen children ! all eating dreadful pumpkin- 
 pie with cheeks like saddle-bags, and 
 voices loud enough to make a mummy jump 
 out of his skin in an ecstasy of astonish- 
 ment at the noise ! was there ever such a 
 foolish freak ? " whereupon, taking out his 
 beetle-back snuff-box, and giving it the tra- 
 ditional taps, he helped himself to such a 
 prodigious pinch, by way of consolation, 
 that he was obliged to retire precipitately 
 behind the honeysuckles, and nearly cracked 
 his left wing by a tremendous fit of sneez- 
 ing. For let me tell you that the pollen, or 
 dust of the snap-dragon, properly dried,
 
 THE FAIRIES' LIFE. 21 
 
 makes very powerful fairy snuff, and I ad- 
 vise you not to try it. 
 
 The maids of honor had great difficulty 
 to keep from bursting out laughing at the 
 flight of the cross old prime minister ; and 
 the Queen pretended to arrange her bodice, 
 made of the gossamer wing of the katydid, 
 to hide a smile ; but now, reclining on her 
 throne, and gracefully fanning herself with 
 her right wing, she indulged in a pleasant 
 chat with her favorites, about Charley. 
 
 " Dear Cowslip ! " she began, " I am so 
 interested in this lovely boy. Will you as- 
 sist me to watch over him, and keep away 
 all Larm from his loving brothers and sis- 
 ters? Particularly we will protect them 
 from the Kelpies, those hateful water-sprites,
 
 22 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 who would drag them down to their dark 
 caves beneath the wave, if once the children 
 ventured upon their realm. We will bid 
 their little mother to warn them from get- 
 ting into row-boats, or wading out into the 
 river ; the Kelpies shall content themselves 
 with water-rats and tadpoles for this time, 
 for too many lovely children have already 
 been sacrificed to their cruel spite." 
 
 " Ah, beloved Queen ! " answered Cow- 
 slip, " I, for one, will help you with heart 
 and will ; those damp, wretched little 
 goblins shall not hurt a hair of their 
 heads." 
 
 " And I, with might and main, will do 
 your behest ! " said the handsome young 
 Ripple, twisting his mustache.
 
 THE FAIRIES' LIFE. 23 
 
 "And I, gracious Queen!" cried the 
 pretty Lota, " for I dearly love children." 
 
 "And I, your Majesty," said Beeswing 
 with Eipple and Firefly, "will order our 
 regiment the seventh to encamp under the 
 sedges on the shore, half to keep watch, 
 while the other half sleep in the swaying 
 branches of the water- willows." 
 
 " Give us something to do for the dear 
 children, dearest Queen ! " cried Dewdrop 
 and Lilliebelle, two of the most famous 
 beauties of the court, and, what is far better, 
 as good as they were beautiful ; " let us also 
 help to make them happy." 
 
 " Well said, fair ladies and brave 
 knights ! " exclaimed the Queen ; " with 
 such true and loyal assistance, my labor of
 
 24 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 love will be most delightful. Come now 
 to the dance while they are preparing 
 supper." 
 
 She clapped her tiny hands thrice, and 
 immediately the fairy band commenced 
 playing the most enchanting dances ; and 
 the beautiful hollow was speedily filled with 
 couples, whisking away in such rapid evolu- 
 tions, that you would have thought they 
 would soon tumble head over heels, from 
 sheer dizziness ; but as the dances were, after 
 all, not very different from ours, I suppose 
 the fairies were quite as well used to the 
 rushing style ; and, in good truth, as they 
 were fairies, it seemed more in keeping, for 
 these rapid, gracefully undulating move- 
 ments, were the very poetry of motion.
 
 THE FAIRIES' LIFE. 25 
 
 Of course the elderly gentlemen fairies 
 lounged among the honeysuckles, and talked 
 politics, and quarrelled dreadfully about 
 who should be the next President ; for they 
 took an immense interest in the affairs of us 
 mortals; and the elderly lady fairies just as 
 much, of course, pulled the characters of 
 their best friends to pieces, without so much 
 as a single regret ; while the lovely young 
 Queen, with half-a-dozen of her favorites, 
 after dancing once, to set the fashion, ordered 
 her pages to shake down a perfect shower of 
 wild-rose leaves, on' the edge of the hollow, 
 of which they made soft and freshly per- 
 fumed couches ; and there they listened 
 to the exquisite music, and watched the 
 dancers, and gaily devised plans for the
 
 26 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 comfort of our dear little friend, Lame 
 Charley. 
 
 While they were thus conversing, a 
 queer little elfin sped down one of the 
 moonbeams, like a flash of summer light- 
 ning, and in an instant was on his knee be- 
 fore the Queen. 
 
 It was the fairy, Slyboots, the Queen's 
 favorite messenger, and the most mischievous 
 sprite in her dominions. 
 
 " Welcome, good Slyboots," cried the 
 Queen ; " by your bright eyes and unsoiled 
 wings, methinks you must have fulfilled our 
 commands faithfully. How fared you ? and 
 how did you find our dear 'Nightcap' 
 family?" 
 
 " Most gracious Majesty ! I hurried to
 
 THE FAIRIES 1 LIFE. 27 
 
 the great city, without folding wing ; merely 
 stopping a moment to torment a miserly old 
 landlord, who, the day before, had turned a 
 poor widow, with two little children, out of 
 his tenement house, because she was not 
 quite ready with the rent. I put a great fly 
 on his nose, and a great flea in his ear, and 
 ordered them to stay there, and buzz, and 
 bite him, till he went nearly into fits." 
 
 A chorus of sweet fairy laughter greeted 
 this mad-cap caper, and Slyboots embraced 
 the opportunity to whisper something to a 
 small brown spider, who had been listening 
 with all his ears, and staring at Slyboots 
 with all his eyes, of which he had more than 
 his share, and who immediately scampered 
 off with all his legs.
 
 28 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 " Then, your Majesty," continued the 
 elfin, " I hastened on, and flew through the 
 window into the room where Charley slept. 
 All was sweet, still, and hushed; and' oh! 
 how pure and lovely the pale boy looked, as 
 he lay there, his hands folded across his 
 breast. As I gazed, a radiant smile parted 
 his lips, and a faint color came into his white 
 cheek. He was dreaming his soul was full 
 of holy thoughts and the smile had come, 
 as he saw in his dream the Beautiful Home 
 above, for which he was preparing. 
 
 " The little mother, looking wearied 
 with watching, lay upon a couch near him. 
 As I hovered over her, a large tear crept 
 from under her closed eyelid, and a quick 
 convulsive sob broke from her breast, She
 
 THE FAIRIES' LIFE. 29 
 
 too was dreaming, dreaming of the sorrowful 
 time when her darling would be taken from 
 her. 
 
 M swept my wings lightly across her 
 brow, and bade her waken. She opened her 
 eyes, looked upon Charley, and rising, with 
 a sigh of relief, she murmured : * I have 
 thee yet, oh my child ! my darling ! ' and 
 hastening to him, she softly drew back the 
 golden curls from his forehead, sprinkled a 
 few drops of grateful, refreshing perfume 
 upon his pillow, and then, tenderly touching 
 his cheek with her loving lips, went com- 
 forted back to her couch. 
 
 " The rest of the children were in the 
 other rooms, fast asleep in two-story cribs, 
 and various dear little beds ; and I left
 
 30 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 some of them laughing merrily in their 
 sleep, by telling them one or two ridiculous 
 anecdotes about your Majesty's stuffy old 
 prime min " * 
 
 " Silence, Slyboots ! " cried the Queen, 
 trying not to laugh. " You shall not make 
 fun of our minister to our face. Go and 
 order the supper." 
 
 Slyboots grinned sideways at the maids 
 of honor, but bowed, with a great show of 
 penitence, to his Queen. Retiring from the 
 presence, he placed a tiny bugle, fashioned 
 out of a small honeysuckle, to his lips, and 
 blew a shrill, peculiar blast. 
 
 It was perfectly well understood, for in 
 an instant, a hundred small pink and white 
 mushrooms sprang out of the earth, making
 
 THE FAIRIES' LIFE. 31 
 
 the most delightful little tables imaginable, 
 quite equal to the finest satin-wood, upon 
 which the fairy servants and pages hastened 
 to place dishes of rose-leaves filled with 
 honey-dust, and golden buttercups of spark- 
 ling May-dew, which, having been bottled 
 up for six weeks, foamed and effervesced, 
 and gave out a most exquisite aroma. 
 
 This was for the young fairies, who cared 
 only for sweets. The elderly fays were to 
 be feasted upon broiled fly's legs, brought 
 up hot, and each one was rolled up in a 
 leaf of pepper-grass, which gave them a 
 very piquant seasoning. These were gar- 
 nished with small pearls, steeped and soft- 
 ened 'in crab-apple vinegar, sharp enough 
 and sour enough to draw squeals from a Ja-
 
 32 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 panese ambassador, who never smiles or 
 squeals at any thing. 
 
 When all was ready, the fairies sat down 
 at the tables, in pleasant little parties of 
 four and six, while the band played the 
 most admired fairy opera airs. But before 
 the banquet was through, I am sadly afraid 
 some of the gay young fellows forgot they 
 were in the presence of ladies, they laughed 
 so loud, and talked so much nonsense, and 
 one of them came very near upsetting the 
 table at which he sat, spilling his buttercup 
 of dew all over the new gossamer dress f 
 Lilliebelle, who was next to him. 
 
 But this was nothing to the uproar 
 which arose when the old prime minister, 
 who had been eating flies' legs, and little
 
 THE FAIRIES' LIFE. 33 
 
 pearl pickles, till lie could scarcely breathe, 
 attempted to leave his seat. The little brown 
 spider, sent by that mischievous Slyboots, 
 had been hard at work fastening his wings 
 together in a net, and then tying them in a 
 most complicated cobweb knot to the honey- 
 suckle vine just behind him. The old prime 
 minister fairly howled with rage ; he turned 
 and twisted from side to side ; he kicked and 
 made awful faces at Slyboots, who was 
 giggling and laughing, and shaking his wings 
 with glee at a safe distance. An impudent 
 mosquito came past, and sneered out in his 
 abominable nasal drone, "You don't seem 
 to like a net any better than I do ; " while 
 myriads of midges up in the air danced around 
 him, singing, Why-don't-you-get-out ? Why- 
 t
 
 34 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 don't-you-get-out ? Why-don't-you-get-out ? 
 to which, myriads of others answered, He- 
 would-if-he-could-but-he-couldn't ! He-would- 
 if-he-could-but-he-couldn't ! He-would-if-he- 
 could-but-he-couldn't ! 
 
 At last the Queen, who had been giving 
 some private orders, inquired what all the 
 noise and laughter meant ; and, in great an- 
 ger with Slyboots for thus turning her old 
 prime minister into ridicule, ordered the 
 saucy goblin to draw his sword and release 
 the old minister. The young fairy knights 
 hastened to help, for they all liked Slyboots, 
 and a tremendous slashing and cutting at the 
 cobweb net ensued, which speedily released 
 the poor old prime minister, who went off 
 breathing fury and vengeance.
 
 THE FAIRIES' LIFE. 35 
 
 But hark ! What is that ? A faint, far- 
 off tramp is heard ; the galloping hoofs of 
 the steeds of the morning were sounding in 
 the eastern sky, and the stir of their coming 
 rustled the leaves that crowned the tops of 
 the grand old trees. The first cock-crow 
 was heard in the distance, and the fairy sen- 
 tinels sounded the coming of the dawn loud 
 and clear on their great morning-glory trum- 
 pets, from the top of old Crow Nest. The 
 sky became dappled, and a rosy streak' 
 marched up to the zenith like the "banner of 
 a herald. 
 
 Up sprang the knights and ladies and 
 mounted their chargers ; the Queen and her 
 maids entered their phaetons; the elderly 
 fairies made what haste their dignity per-
 
 36 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 mitted to their nutshells and four, and field- 
 mice palfreys, and away they all sped; some 
 through the air, some through the velvety 
 grass ; banners flying, and music playing, 
 until naught was left but a shining trail that 
 melted into the first bright golden beam of 
 the morning.
 
 THE CHILDREN'S LIFE. 
 
 IT was early in the sweet summer time. 
 The young green leaves were bending over, 
 and tenderly caressing the budding fruit and 
 flowers, and the air was balmy with orchard 
 blooms. 
 
 Your old friends, the Nightcap children, 
 were as merry and happy and well as ever, 
 except Charley poor lame Charley. He 
 was much worse ; his sufferings had greatly 
 increased with the dreadful hip disease, and 
 a terrible cough racked his delicate and
 
 38 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 wasted frame. Death had "been coming 
 slowly on for a long time ; but now lie hasten- 
 ed his footsteps, and Charley knew that he 
 should never see another summer in this 
 world. He was not afraid to die oh, no ! 
 the guileless, holy life of the gentle boy had 
 robbed death of its sting. He well knew 
 that this life was but a small part of our 
 career, and the separation from those he 
 loved so well, would be short. His faith in 
 his Saviour was perfect and entire. He 
 would soften the pang of parting to those 
 left behind, and He would guide them with 
 unchanged love to their darling in heaven. 
 
 The good little mother was advised by 
 the doctor to take Charley into the coun- 
 try, somewhere up the beautiful Hudson
 
 THE CHILDKEN'S LIFE. 39 
 
 Elver, among those grand old Mils where the 
 air is so bracing and pure. 
 
 It happened, fortunately, that one of her 
 oldest frieds, who was an officer at "West 
 Point, was obliged to leave there upon some 
 government expedition for about three 
 months ; and he offered his pretty cottage to 
 his friend for that time. This was most de- 
 lightful, as Charley could have far more com- 
 fort living in this way than in a boarding- 
 house; and the rest of the children would 
 not have to be tied up by the leg to the bed- 
 posts, because their noise disturbed other 
 people. 
 
 So the little mother gladly and gratefully 
 accepted the offer, and was now very busy 
 making up dozens of petticoats and panta-
 
 40 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 loons, and coarse brown aprons, and great 
 sun-bonnets, buying copper-toed shoes, so 
 that the children might go where they 
 pleased, and do any thing they liked, except 
 tumble into the river, or fall down a well to 
 live with the bull-frogs. 
 
 A few days before they left, the grand 
 Japanese procession took place in New York ; 
 and Minnie said, " Oh, mamma, please take us 
 to see the Jackanapes? which made the rest 
 laugh. So down Broadway they all went, 
 looking like a boarding-school that took 
 boys as well as girls, with the little mother 
 marching like a captain at their head, and 
 turned into a fine store, opposite the City 
 Hall Park, that belonged to their uncle, 
 where they had such an excellent view, that
 
 THE CHILDREN'S LIFE. 41 
 
 their faces were a perfect picture of wonder 
 and delight while the procession was passing. 
 
 "Dear me!" exclaimed George, "I am 
 nearly crazy with joy ; I wish the Japanese 
 would come every day. How funny ! they 
 all look like old women in black night- 
 gowns ! " 
 
 " And their heads have little top-knots, 
 like Poland hens," said Henry ; " and see that 
 fellow sticking his foot on the edge of the 
 carriage look! his great toe is put in a 
 thumb!" 
 
 At this they all laughed, and Harry, 
 laughing too, cried out : " I don't mean that ; 
 I mean that they knit thumbs in their stock- 
 ings, and stick their great toes in ; dear ! 
 how it must tickle ! "
 
 42 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 It was a grand sight. Many of the stores 
 were decorated with numerous little Japan- 
 ese flags, which consist of a large red ball in 
 the centre of a plain white surface, and many 
 Japanese lanterns were hung around. The 
 soldiers looked and marched splendidly ; and 
 the fine music was enchanting. Guns were 
 firing in the Park, and smoking and flaming 
 like steamboat funnels : little boys were pop- 
 ping off squibs and crackers, and everybody 
 seemed perfectly happy. 
 
 " Dear me ! " cried Arthur, " I wish I 
 could hear the speeches they intend to make. 
 I suppose they will be stuck full of compli- 
 ments, not a word of which the Mayor will 
 understand; but, of course, he will bow a 
 great many times to show that he agrees
 
 THE CHILDREN'S LIFE. 43 
 
 with it a]l : and then he, in return, will make 
 a speech to the ambassadors, all flaming over 
 with fine words and flummery, and the Ja- 
 panese will bow all in a row like four-and- 
 twenty fiddlers and oh ! how nice it will 
 all be!" 
 
 When the children got home, they told 
 Charley about the grand procession, all 
 speaking at once ; and one of them put on 
 an old black gown of his mother's, and half 
 shut his eyes, and would have shaved his 
 head, if his mother had let him, to show 
 Charley just how they looked ; because he, 
 poor little fellow, had to stay behind he 
 could not have endured the fatigue of that 
 long day away from home. But his kind 
 little mother never forgot him ; she was de-
 
 44 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 termined lie should see something ; so about 
 eight o'clock that evening, two horses, with 
 a nice comfortable barouche, were driven up 
 to the door, and Charley was tenderly lifted 
 in, and two large pillows were placed behind 
 and at his side, and his mother and two of 
 the oldest children were driven slowly down 
 Broadway to see the illumination. 
 
 The street was crowded. Beautiful colored 
 lanterns were hung here and there, and little 
 Japanese flags fluttered in every direction. 
 As they came near the great Metropolitan 
 Hotel, where the Japanese were staying, the 
 crowd increased, and a burst of delightful 
 surprise broke from Charley and the rest, 
 as the beautiful blazing windows came in 
 view. ' In each of the several hundred win-
 
 THE CHILDREN'S LIFE. 45 
 
 dows were fine Japanese lanterns of different 
 colors and two little flags. Such a glittering 
 and a fluttering as they made ! and over the 
 door was the word " Welcome," in blazing 
 gas-burners, with the splendid flag of the 
 United States on one side, and a great Japan- 
 ese banner on the other. Everybody was 
 shouting and hurrahing, and every up-turned 
 face looked happy, but none so merry and 
 joyous as the children in the carriage ; their 
 eyes fairly danced with delight, and their 
 faces looked as if they had been illuminated 
 too. All they wanted was to have two little 
 Japanese flags fastened to their ears, and to 
 be placed in the windows, to have beaten 
 the lanterns and gas-burners all to pieces. 
 After they had looked just as long as they
 
 46 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 liked, and shouted and waved their hats, 
 when they saw any of the Japanese at the win- 
 dows shaking out their queer-looking black 
 pocket-handkerchiefs with round white spots, 
 the carriage turned round, and the children 
 had a fine drive home, perfectly delighted 
 with the unusual grandeur of a ride in a car- 
 riage at night ; that was almost the best of 
 all, to be out after bed-time. They thought 
 they could never admire the bright stars 
 enough, which, with their sleepless eyes, 
 watched the world below fit emblems of 
 the difference between the things made by 
 man, and the enduring works of God. Be- 
 fore long those glittering lights below would 
 fade and die ; while these heavenly lumina- 
 ries would shine on forever.
 
 THE CHILDREN'S LIFE. 47 
 
 The next evening the little mother thought 
 she would call upon Captain Porter, who had 
 the Japanese in charge. He was a brave, no- 
 ble-hearted officer, and an old friend, and ac- 
 cordingly she went with some other friends. 
 Captain Porter received them very kindly, 
 and amused them very much with funny ac- 
 counts of how the Japanese were stared at, 
 and sometimes annoyed by people who 
 ought to know better. While she sat there, 
 there came a knock at the door, and a mo- 
 rocco case was handed in : it was opened ; 
 and what do you think appeared ? You will 
 hardly believe it : some sets of false teeth 
 one set of them jet Mack, as a present! - The 
 little mother laughed, and wondered if the 
 dentist who sent them, thought the Japanese
 
 48 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 would want to have their own teeth pulled 
 right out, and these put right in. Then two 
 gentlemen came in, and wanted Captain Por- 
 ter to persuade the Japanese to buy a lot of 
 guns from them, very cheap, indeed. Then, 
 who do you think came in ? Why, " Little 
 Tommy," the young Japanese that everybody 
 was talking about. 
 
 He looked so very smiling, that the two 
 comical little triangular slits in his head which 
 served for eyes nearly disappeared, when 
 Captain Porter took him by the hand and in- 
 troduced him to the little mother. 
 
 "How do?" said he, and shook hands 
 with her ; then he took up Captain Porter's 
 sword and belt and buckled it round his 
 waist, and said, " Ver good sword, indeed ; " 
 then he tried on the Captain's naval uniform
 
 THE CHILDREN'S LIFE. 49 
 
 cap, with the gold band round it, and ran 
 and looked in the glass. It would not go on 
 very well, on account of Tommy's pig-tail, 
 which was fastened in a knot on the very 
 top of his half-shaven pate, and which stuck 
 up rather inconveniently: then the Captain 
 said, " Tommy, this lady wants to see the 
 portrait of your little Washington sweet- 
 heart ; come, show it to her." 
 
 " No SHOW," said Tommy ; which answer 
 made the little mother esteem him very 
 much, because it was plain that he had too 
 much self-respect, and too much respect for 
 the young lady, if she was a little girl only 
 twelve years old, to show her likeness to 
 every stranger. He was not going to be 
 made fun of. Not he ! 
 4
 
 50 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 Presently the little mother got up to go ; 
 and, shaking hands with Tommy, said, " Good- 
 bye Tommy ; I mean to send you a ' Night- 
 cap ' book. It is written by ' Aunt Fanny.' 
 Say, Aunt Fanny." 
 
 " Arnta Farnny. Yes ! I like it," answered 
 Tommy, holding the little mother's hand; 
 " but you," he continued, " I like you ; are 
 you Spaniss ? " 
 
 " No," said she. 
 
 "YouFrence?" 
 
 " No," said she, smiling. 
 
 "YouAngliss?" ' 
 
 "No," said she. 
 
 "Why, Tommy, she is an American," 
 said Captain Porter. 
 
 " Ah," cried Tommy ; " she so leetle she
 
 THE CHILDREN'S LIFE. 51 
 
 ver good good-bye:" then lie wrote his 
 name on a card for her, and she went home 
 very much pleased. But just before she 
 went, Captain Porter told her that the great 
 phrenologist, Mr. Fowler, who knows all 
 about you by merely looking at the outside 
 of your head, had been to see Tommy, and 
 had told him that he had the most tre- 
 mendous bumps for reading, writing, and 
 arithmetic, that ever were seen; a great 
 bump of trying on American clothes ; making 
 love to little girls ; eating sugar-candy, and 
 having a good time generally ; and scarcely 
 any bump at all for getting up early in the 
 morning, working hard, or taking medicine ; 
 in fact, that his cranium was as full as the 
 Metropolitan Hotel, of all sorts of good
 
 52 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 things; which flattering description de- 
 lighted Tommy so much, that he wrote Mr. 
 Fowler of his own accord, and without any 
 assistance from Captain Porter or any other 
 dictionary, the following note of thanks : 
 
 METROPOLITAN HOTEL, NEW YORK, 
 June 22, 18GO. 
 
 " DEAR SIR : I am much oblige to you 
 the history and head some paper and the 
 letter with it whole my head examination. 
 I shall take it to Japan, and esteemed much 
 doctor Kawasake is also much please have 
 been receive it. 
 
 " I am very true your friend, 
 
 "TATEISH ONAJEIRO (TOMMY)." 
 
 And now every thing was made in the
 
 THE CHILDREN'S LIFE. 53 
 
 way of " anti-tear-clothes," as the children 
 called them, and the express wagon was sent 
 for on the afternoon of the 19th of June to 
 carry the baggage down to the steamboat, 
 
 The express man stared with amazement 
 at the quantity of children whisking and 
 frisking, and rushing and brushing about in 
 the hall; and, still more, at the trunks, 
 boxes, and bundles, that were brought clat- 
 tering and tumbling down the stairs for him 
 to take away. 
 
 Just before he was leaving with the last 
 bundle, little Johnny rushed breathless down 
 the stairs with what looked like a horse's 
 tail, only shorter and smaller, in one hand, 
 and an old tin-box that had once contained 
 preserved tomatoes in the other, and screamed
 
 54 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 out, " Here ! say ! man, man ! take this ! 
 here, take it ! It's mamma's hair ! she's for- 
 gotten to sew it on her head ! here, pack it 
 up in this tin-box, and tie it with a rope, and 
 put it on board the steamboat will you ? " 
 
 Dear me ! how the poor express man did 
 bite his lips and swell his cheeks, and turn 
 very red, and try not to laugh : but it would 
 come out, and he laughed himself nearly into 
 fits, while the little mother felt for a mo- 
 ment as if she could have shaken Johnny into 
 fits, but only for a moment ; for, after all, 
 what was the use of being angry : he meant to 
 be so useful and thoughtful, and if her hair was 
 so thin, she had to buy some to put with it 
 why, it was nothing to be ashamed of; so she 
 laughed, too, at last, and all the children joined
 
 THE CHILDREN'S LIFE. 55 
 
 /" 
 
 in with such good-will, that the canary bird 
 over the way hearing such a pleasant noise, 
 set up his pipes and twittered in company, and 
 sang so shrill and loud, that all his feathers 
 stood out on end ; and, on the whole, it was 
 thought a very good joke. 
 
 And now a great hotel carriage, which is 
 about three times as large as any other, drove 
 up, and the children were packed in it, till 
 it was as full as an egg ; and they gave three 
 cheers, as it started, to the astonishment of 
 all the neighbors, and sang " John Brown 
 had a little Indian " all the way down to the 
 boat. 
 
 There had been so many berths engaged 
 for one name, that the Captain thought there 
 must be a colony going out west to set up a
 
 50 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 town for themselves. But when he saw the 
 family marching down the gang-plank two- 
 and-two, like the animals that went into the 
 ark, from the biggest to the smallest, he lifted 
 up his hands and exclaimed, "Dew tell! 
 what an orful lot of children ! I shud think 
 that old lady 'd want the patience of Job, 
 any how ! " 
 
 Ah ! the Yankee-talking Captain didn't 
 know what you and I know that these 
 children all " loved one another" and that 
 made every thing easy to the little mother. 
 
 There was no wrangling in that family. 
 They left all that to " dogs and cats," and 
 " bears and lions," as I am sure all good chil- 
 dren do. There was plenty of noise, to be 
 sure; but this the great power of love
 
 THE CHILDREN'S LIFE. 57 
 
 changed into sweet melody, so that, instead 
 of irritating you, as a rude blustering wind 
 would do, it charmed and delighted, because 
 it was first passed over 'the ^Eolian harp- 
 strings of love. 
 
 And now, before I forget it, let's have a 
 little laugh you and I, over that ridiculous 
 picture of our " Nightcap children " in " Baby 
 Nightcaps." I intended to have had a picture 
 of the little mother surrounded by lots of 
 pretty children playing about her ; but, in- 
 stead of that, I was presented with a family 
 that made my sides ache with laughter. 
 Such noses and such hats ! I want to tip 
 that tall-spook-of-a-boy's hat off his head ev- 
 ery time I look at it ; And such a baby ! Ap- 
 ple-dumpling face and squint eyes ! Never
 
 58 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 mind ! The funny printer wanted to make 
 us laugh, and I am sure he did one of us, 
 any way ; but don't you believe, for a mo- 
 ment, that our Nightcap children looked the 
 least like his. Not a bit of it ! 
 
 "When the family were all comfortably 
 settled, the splendid palace-like steamboat 
 the Alida started from the pier, and was 
 soon gliding so swiftly over the water, 
 that the magnificent Palisades rose in the 
 blue evening air, while the golden glory of 
 sunset was still lingering upon them. Char- 
 ley sat by his mother, with his curly head 
 pressed close against her breast ; his pure and 
 simple thoughts mirrored in his sweet face. 
 He was silently thanking God for the beau- 
 tiful changing picture before his eyes. All
 
 THE CHILDREN'S LIFE. 59 
 
 the children were enjoying the trip ; for 
 their mother had taught them to feel and ap- 
 preciate the beauty, goodness, and grandeur 
 of all God's works ; and, save an exclamation 
 of delight now and then, they sat quite still. 
 
 But the silence did not last long. Of 
 course not. If children are quite still for 
 more than five minutes at a time, you may 
 be sure they are either sick or in mischief; 
 so presently George exclaimed, 
 
 " Just see that sea-gull dipping his wings 
 in the river ! " 
 
 "That's the way he does his washing," 
 said Annie. 
 
 " Oh ! look at that row-boat," cried Har- 
 ry; "four gentlemen and three ladies rowing 
 with parasols."
 
 60 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 How the children laughed, and pretended 
 to see the parasols rowing, till Harry ex- 
 plained that he meant that the ladies had 
 the parasols, and the gentlemen were rowing. 
 His mother said she would have to give him 
 a dish of boiled grammar for his breakfast, if 
 he did not mind his antecedents better. 
 
 " Grammar ! " cried George ; " dreadful ! 
 Aren't you all glad school-days are over for 
 the summer ? " 
 
 At this blissful recollection all the chil- 
 dren clapped their hands at such a rate, that 
 a fat old lady jumped up in a hurry and gave 
 a queer little squeak, because she thought 
 the boiler was bursting ; and although they 
 were now in the very middle of the broad Tap- 
 paan Sea, she waddled off to order the captain
 
 THE CHILDREN'S LIFE. 61 
 
 to set her immediately on shore ; and a select 
 company of blue jays, who had Just started 
 from the Palisades to take tea with some 
 brown sparrows on the other side, turned 
 somersets and flew back again, almost trip- 
 ping each other up in their hurry. 
 
 "Yes, indeed," answered Annie, "glad 
 enough. Just think; no more hard sums 
 either. I do believe arithmetic is meant on 
 purpose to torment us, and that's the reason 
 Willie made that mistake with such a grave 
 face, when the lady asked him how far he 
 had gotten in his sums." 
 
 "So it is," cried Clara; "Willie said he 
 had got to distraction ; I, for one, wish that 
 all the people that make the arithmetic 
 books had to eat them with pepper-sauce
 
 62 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 the moment they were printed and that 
 would be the end of them." 
 
 " But compositions ! Just think of com- 
 positions ! " cried Harry ; " they are the 
 most hateful things. Just because I wrote 
 in my last one, that ' a mule is a beast of 
 burden which draws a rail-car shaped like 
 a zebra, and is sometimes used for carts with 
 two long ears and a miserable tail,' they all 
 burst out laughing at me, and I very nearly 
 cried I did cry." 
 
 " "Well, never mind, Harry," cried George ; 
 " it is all over now, and we are going to that 
 delightful West Point: I wonder if those 
 soldiers we saw parading with the Japanese 
 last Saturday came from West Point ? they 
 were such splendid fellows."
 
 THE CHILDREN'S LIFE. 63 
 
 " Yes, indeed," cried Harry ; " I dare say 
 they did ; they looked as if they were afraid 
 of nothing, but would be -really glad to have 
 an arm or a leg shot off in every battle, and 
 are so brave, that they would keep on fight- 
 ing the enemies of America, if they had only 
 an ear and one great-toe left." 
 
 Charley lifted his head and laughed at 
 this, for he could hear all the children were 
 saying; and he whispered to his mother, 
 " Isn't Harry a funny fellow ? The idea of 
 one ear, and a great-toe firing a gun ! " and he 
 laughed again a sweet, low laugh ; and Clara, 
 who was sitting nearest, took his small thin 
 white hand and kissed it, and patted it, and 
 murmured, " Oh, Charley, I'm so glad you
 
 64 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 are happy ; I'm so glad that cruel pain has 
 gone away." 
 
 All this time they had been passing many 
 beautiful villages and elegant country man- 
 sions, half buried in luxuriant foliage. They 
 were now leaving the Tappaan Sea ; and soon 
 after the little mother showed the children 
 Sunnyside, the lovely home of the great 
 Washington Irving. 
 
 " He does not live there any more," said 
 she ; " his home is now ' Eternal in the 
 Heavens ; ' but his fame, and goodness, and 
 renown will live in every land for many, 
 many years ; and I hope the beautiful Sun- 
 nyside will never fall into neglect or decay 
 as long as his memory lasts." 
 
 The children looked with mournful in-
 
 THE CHILDREN'S LIFE. 65 
 
 terest at the beautiful place ; but when their 
 mother pointed out the spot where Major 
 Andre was captured, there was quite a dif- 
 ference of opinion ; the boys were glad that 
 he, the spy, was taken and hung by the 
 great Washington, while the more tender- 
 hearted girls wished he could have escaped : 
 and Minnie said, " General Wassingter ought 
 to have forgiven him, because he would not 
 like to be hung himself would he ? " which, 
 I think, was the goldensrule way of putting 
 the case. 
 
 And now the banks seemed to close in, 
 and great dark mountains rose on either side. 
 
 " There's Anthony's nose," said the little 
 mother. 
 
 "Where? where?" cried the children, 
 5
 
 66 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 and looked with eager interest, as the profile 
 of a great Roman nose was pointed out on 
 the edge of a mountain. They were also 
 delighted with Sugar-loaf Mountain, and 
 wished it had really been made of sugar, for 
 they thought they would like to eat a hole 
 through it. As they were eagerly gazing at 
 the splendid view which had now darkened 
 and deepened "with twilight shadows, a saucy 
 puff of wind came round a jutting point, and 
 in an instant blew off Minnie's round hat. 
 
 " Oh ! my hat I my hat ! " she screamed ; 
 " get it ! get it ! quick ! before it goes across 
 the Atlantic Ocean, and runs up the big 
 mountains. Oh ! get it ! get it ! " 
 
 How everybody around did laugh, as 
 George jumped after the hat, which Minnie
 
 THE CHILDREN'S LIFE. 67 
 
 thought would walk on the Atlantic Ocean ; 
 and how Minnie jumped and laughed when 
 he caught it just as it was flying off on its 
 travels. I have no words to tell, but every- 
 body after that listened to the comical talk of 
 the Nightcap children, who caused so much 
 merriment, that they arrived at West Point 
 before they knew it ; but had to burst out 
 with laughter again as Minnie, gravely look- 
 ing up, said, "Is this West Point? Well, I 
 don't think it looks so very, very Pointy." 
 
 The first stars were peeping out, and the 
 little birds had sung their evening hymns 
 and were hushed into stillness, as the chil- 
 dren got into the stage, the strong horses of 
 which toiled up the short but steep ascent, 
 and they soon arrived at their summer home.
 
 68 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 " Oh, what a beautiful cottage ! " exclaim- 
 ed Harry, and George, and Clara ; " it seems 
 covered with roses ; it must be the Castle of 
 Perfect Happiness." 
 
 They all hurried in, in the most delight- 
 ful bustle ; and the children had a grand 
 time assisting the little mother to unpack 
 every thing. You would have imagined, to 
 look in at the windows, that the house was 
 full of fishes out of water ; they kept up such 
 a continual bouncing and fluttering about, but 
 they were not fishes, nor pollywogs, nor tad- 
 poles, nor any thing like them ; they were a 
 company of capering children, taking all sorts 
 of little boxes and bundles out of trunks, and 
 putting them in the wrong places, and then
 
 THE CHILDREN'S LIFE. 69 
 
 running to get some more, because they liked 
 the fun of helping. 
 
 The good-natured little mother did not 
 think them at all in the way : she only laugh- 
 ed softly to herself, and would not for forty 
 new bandboxes have given them any ear- 
 boxes for what they were doing. No, in- 
 deed ! she just let them trot about as much 
 as they liked with the pillows, boxes, bags, 
 and bundles, of which there seemed to be 
 about a hundred and fifty ; and when they 
 were tired of helping, she quietly arranged 
 the things in their proper places. 
 
 Oh ! how soundly the children slept that 
 night with the " fragrant stillness " all around 
 them, far away from the roar and whirl of 
 the great city. The moonlight, sweet and
 
 70 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 mournful, flooded the earth, and a white ray 
 stole into the room where Charley lay and 
 rested lovingly above his head. 
 
 The next day Charley was very ill in- 
 deed. Even the short journey from the city 
 had overtasked his strength. He lay in a 
 darkened chamber, for his mother had to 
 shut out the sweet sunshine, his head and 
 side were so racked with pain. 
 
 The children crept lovingly up to the 
 door of the room they were not permitted 
 to enter many times during the day ; to hope 
 in a whisper that he felt better, and went 
 about the pretty cottage on tip-toe all their 
 merriment gone. You would hardly believe 
 they were the same children that yesterday 
 had kept half the people in the steamboat
 
 THE CHILDREN'S LIFE. 71 
 
 laughing; so changed and still were they 
 become, through their love for their sick 
 brother. 
 
 The little mother sent for the doctor. 
 He belonged to the army, and, of course 
 dressed like the officers in military uniform. 
 
 When he entered, .the children gazed with 
 wonder and delight upon his bright buttons, 
 each of which had an astonishing spread- 
 eagle engraved upon it, and thought they 
 could never admire enough the beautiful gold 
 lace upon his coat -sleeves. Really, he was 
 quite a shining doctor. 
 
 He became interested with Charley at 
 once : the sweet, patient smile of the suffer- 
 ing boy won his heart. 
 
 " My dear madam," said he to the little
 
 72 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 mother, " this is nothing but temporary ex- 
 haustion; with some strengthening medicine 
 which I shall leave, and a good night's rest, 
 our dear little friend will be as well as he was 
 before he came up ; and I am in great hopes 
 that this bracing mountain air will soon make 
 him much better than he was before he came." 
 
 The children now approached the door 
 and begged leave to enter, for they wanted 
 to hear about Charley, and have a "good 
 look" at the "soldier doctor." 
 
 ""Well, my little friends," said he, in a 
 hearty, cheery voice, " so you've come up, I 
 suppose, to help the fairies amuse Charley 
 this summer." 
 
 " FAIEIES ! " exclaimed the children ; " DE- 
 LIGHTFUL ! Are there fairies here ? "
 
 THE CHILDREN'S LIFE. 73 
 
 "Lots of them," answered the doctor, 
 laughing " that is, if I may believe my man, 
 Patrick O'Neal. He declares he has seen 
 the fairy rings in the beautiful hollow at the 
 foot of Crow Nest mountain many and many 
 a time." 
 
 " Oh dear ! how perfect ! " cried the 
 children ; " only fancy the dear little fairies 
 dancing on the parade-ground in the moon- 
 light." 
 
 " Not exactly," said the doctor, laughing 
 again ; " fairies don't come so near the haunts 
 of mortals ; besides, the cadets want the 
 parade-ground for their own dances and 
 rings not fairy rings for those are made 
 with sparkling dew-drops, while the cadets 
 have to content themselves with tallow can-
 
 74 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 dies stuck into scooped- out turnips and 
 placed in a circle, and the lights throwing 
 the shadows up, make the long legs of the 
 cadets look like ever so many great goblin 
 black spiders, hopping harem-scarem over 
 each other ; but the cadets call them ' Stag- 
 dances.' " 
 
 " Stag dances" cried the children, " who 
 ever heard of such a thing ? Why ! do they 
 nail antlers on their foreheads and go on all- 
 fours ? Dear doctor ! how do they go ? " 
 
 " Some on their heels, and some on their 
 toes ; but /never saw one dance on all-fours ; 
 and, as to the antlers, without them they 
 prance : 'tis because they're all boys, that it's 
 called a * stag dance.' " 
 
 "Why, only listen,' 1 whispered George
 
 THE CHILDREN'S LIFE. 75 
 
 to Annie, " he is talking poetry how 
 queer ! " 
 
 "Isn't he a nice bright doctor?" said 
 Minnie ; " he shines so shiny, and he's so very 
 buttony I think his buttons are splendid." 
 
 The doctor heard this speech and burst out 
 laughing, and then seeing that Minnie looked 
 abashed, he took out his penknife, and in a 
 moment had snipt off one of the spread-eagle 
 buttons, and said, " Here, little lady-bird 
 here is a bright button, which you can fasten 
 up your cloak with to-night when you go to 
 the fairies' midsummer ball ; for, I suppose, 
 you will all have an invitation, and when I 
 come to-morrow, I expect to hear all about 
 it. Good-bye, Charley ; old fellows like you 
 and I (Jon't care to go to balls, but we won't
 
 76 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 object to hearing about the fairy festival, be- 
 cause that you know will be something par- 
 ticularly superfine ; " and he went away 
 smiling, leaving the delighted children chair 
 tering like a perfect army of magpies about 
 the fairies, and pretending to think that the 
 good-natured doctor was really in earnest.
 
 THE FAIKIES' LIFE. 
 
 IT was Midsummer eve; the moon in 
 regal splendor proudly sailed above; the 
 fair, lovely June flowers were sleeping, fanned 
 by the wings of the tiny zephyrs floating 
 past. A spell of enchantment was upon ev- 
 ery thing, for a deep stillness reigned around ; 
 the little brown cricket had ceased to chirp ; 
 the katydid no longer quarrelled in shrill 
 tones with her neighbor ; the wail of the sad 
 whippoorwill was hushed ; the rugged sides
 
 78 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 of old Crow Nest were rounded and softened 
 in the silvery moonbeams, adown which the 
 little brooklet sprang this night with a more 
 lightsome leap and a sweeter song. 
 
 Charley lay sleeping in his room, his 
 cheek resting on his hand, and his golden curls 
 lightly stirred by the soft west wind, were 
 floating upon the pillow : a faint flush rested 
 upon his sweet face, giving it a lovely, but, 
 alas ! deceptive hue of health ; his lips were 
 slightly apart, and now they were moving as 
 if he was softly and slowly answering some 
 question. 
 
 The window was wide open, and the 
 room was bright with moonbeams ; but now 
 a softer, tenderer light, shone through the 
 apartments ; the air was filled with delicious
 
 THE FAIRIES' LIFE. 79 
 
 fragrance, and low sweet music was heard: 
 afar off, a halo in the moonlight was seen ; it 
 came near and nearer ; now it was close to 
 the window, and one could plainly perceive 
 that it was a shining band of fairies, floating 
 on the moonbeams with their beautiful Queen 
 at their head. 
 
 They stopped at the window, for the 
 Queen, with a wave of her sceptre, gave them 
 to understand that she would enter alone. 
 
 She was radiant to-night ; a magnificent 
 necklace of many-colored stones cut from a 
 rainbow, sparkled like a wreath of prismatic 
 fire around her white and slender throat; 
 her wings were fringed with small diamond 
 dew-drops ; her robe was fashioned of the 
 royal purple velvet of the pansy ; and her
 
 80 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 crown and sceptre flashed with precious 
 gems. 
 
 " But, oh ! her beauty was far beyond 
 Her sparkling jewels : " 
 
 for the sweet loving expression that beamed 
 from her eyes, and the smile that played 
 about the corners of her beautiful mouth, 
 mirrored the pure, unselfish, spotless nature 
 of the Queen. 
 
 Softly she floated towards the couch, and 
 gently touched the boy with her sceptre. 
 
 Charley opened his blue eyes. In a sweet 
 amaze he slowly raised himself and leaned 
 upon his arm, gazing in bewildered delight 
 upon the radiant stranger. The little mother 
 still slept on ; but in the room was a young
 
 THE FAIRIES' LIFE. 81 
 
 kitten a daughter of Crocus, of whom you 
 read in " New Nightcaps," and whom Char- 
 ley so loved, that he brought her away with 
 him. She was lying at the foot of his bed ; in 
 a moment she bristled up her coat and tail, 
 and darted out her sharp claws in terror at 
 the sight ; but at a touch of the Queen's 
 sceptre she drew them into their velvety 
 sheath again, and laid quietly down. 
 
 " Dear Charley," said the Queen in a low, 
 sweet voice, " we do so love your innocent and 
 guileless nature, that while the pulses beat, 
 and the blood flows in your frail and fading 
 form, we will do our utmost to drive the 
 demon of pain far away ; tender and beau- 
 tiful influences shall surround you ; you shall 
 be a most favored mortal, for you shall be- 
 
 6
 
 82 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 hold the happiest scenes in fairy life; you 
 shall dream the sweetest dreams of fairy- 
 land ; this night is our great midsummer fes- 
 tival ; even now our subjects are hastening to 
 the beautiful hollow, where the fairy revels 
 are kept. Hark to the fairy call ! they are 
 inviting the fays from the beautiful green 
 island that is sleeping in the moonlight op- 
 posite to us." 
 
 Charley with all his senses quickened, 
 his lips slightly apart, his eyes dilated, one 
 hand raised in an attitude of intense listen- 
 ing, caught the delicious harmony of fairy 
 voices singing these words : 
 
 " Hasten fairies haste away ; 
 Hasten through the golden spray; 
 Hasten to the frolic play.
 
 THE FAIRIES' LIFE. 83 
 
 " Fly o'er water fly o'er vale ; 
 Ply the oar, and spread Ae sail ; 
 Hie ye to the moon-lit dale. 
 
 " Silver sweet the music swells 
 Of the snow-white lily-bells, 
 And the sounding pink sea-shells. 
 
 " Hither hither, haste away 
 To the fairies' frolic play ; 
 'Tis the festive fairy-day." 
 
 Brighter grew the eyes of the sick boy, 
 and his cheek flushed with excitement as he 
 listened. 
 
 " Oh, how beautiful ! " he murmured ; 
 " what dainty little rippling notes ! " 
 
 " Listen again," said the Queen, with a 
 gratified smile, for she liked to hear her peo-
 
 84 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 pie praised; "listen! the island fairies are 
 answering." 
 
 Was it magic that brought those tiny 
 voices so far over the water ? Surely it was, 
 for there rose on the air a clear tinkling 
 sound like the ringing of little glass bells ; 
 and Charley heard these words : 
 
 " Beaming moon shimmering fountain 
 
 Light, and deck the fairy dell ; 
 We are coming to the mountain, 
 
 From the isle we love so well : 
 To the fairy ball we hie ; 
 Thought-swift through the purple sky 
 We are hastening at the call ; 
 'Tis the great midsummer ball. 
 
 " Open lily blossom rose, 
 
 Shed around thy perfume light ; 
 Heliotrope thy sweets disclose 
 To the fragrant dews of night.
 
 THE FAIRIES' LIFE. 85 
 
 Dogwood grim we fairies banish ; 
 Purple nightshade ! fly ! evanish ! 
 We are hastening at the call ; 
 'Tis the great midsummer balL 
 
 " Chime hare-bells ! clearly, sweetly, 
 Joy our hearts with blithe accord, 
 
 As we fairies neatly, featly, 
 
 Trip it o'er the dainty sward. 
 
 Velvet sod thy carpet spread, 
 
 With small buds enamelled, 
 
 We are hastening at the call ; 
 
 'Tis the great midsummer ball. 
 
 " Oil ! " exclaimed the entranced boy, 
 " how I should like to see the beautiful fairies 
 dancing in the moonlight. May I, sweet 
 lady?" 
 
 With a loving smile the Queen bent over
 
 86 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 and lightly tapped Mm thrice upon each 
 shoulder-blade with her jewelled sceptre. 
 Immediately a pair of gauzy wings started 
 from his back. With an involuntary motion 
 he gently waved them back and forth, and 
 felt himself rising rising EISING till he 
 had floated out of the window into the moon- 
 beams. The poor little kitten set up a 
 piteous cry, but a fairy spell was upon the 
 mother, for she slept quietly on. 
 
 Oh ! with what delight was the enchant- 
 ed boy now welcomed by the waiting train 
 outside ! They pressed lovingly around him ; 
 they played with his golden curls; they 
 fanned him with their delicai^ wings ; they 
 looked down into the lambent depths of his 
 clear blue eyes, and saw his pure spirit within
 
 THE FAIRIES' LIFE. 82 
 
 so free from guile ; they touched with their 
 tender fingers his poor little thin white neck 
 and breast, and felt his heart beating fast 
 and faster with delight. 
 
 Up, up they mounted, and a joyous 
 thrill, like a sweet and sudden wind, shook 
 the leaves of the trees as they passed swiftly 
 by them. 
 
 And now they approached the beautiful 
 hollow ; they heard the stirring sound of the 
 fairy kettle-drums (which you know are 
 chestnut shells, divided in half, with mouse- 
 skin drawn tightly over). Quickly they 
 floated over the last tree-tops; the frisky 
 young fairies folding their wings and sliding 
 down the moonbeams for fun, just as you 
 slide down the bannisters.
 
 #0 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 They are there, directly over the beauti- 
 ful hollow, floating slowly downward with 
 a graceful waving motion; and Charley 
 looked on a most enchanting sight. Crowds 
 of fairies were assembled within an immense 
 circle of sparkling dew-drops, tricked out in 
 all their holiday attire. More were coming 
 in on every side ; some in their nut-shells and 
 four others flying through the soft air. In 
 the centre of the hollow the mossy throne 
 was this night surmounted by a magnificent 
 canopy of scarlet geraniums, looped up at the 
 sides by splendid clasps, formed of the backs 
 of the scarlet lady-bug, dotted with spots of 
 jet. The canopy was heavily fringed with 
 small scarlet fuchsias, or lady's ear-drops. 
 At the foot of the throne there appeared to
 
 THE FAIRIES' LIFE. 89 
 
 be a low seat of heaped-up rose-leaves, and 
 in a circle round it a double row of glow- 
 worms shed a soft clear light. Small mush- 
 room tables, filled with plates of dew-drop 
 ices, were already laid out ; and the fairies 
 only waited for the presence of their beloved 
 Queen to open the ball. 
 
 Suddenly the music quickened ; the fire- 
 flies sparkled and danced, and all rose re- 
 spectfully as the Queen touched the green 
 velvety floor. Bowing and smiling, she 
 gracefully seated herself upon the throne, 
 and tenderly placed the spell-bound Charley 
 upon the rose-leaf couch at her feet. The 
 rich color of the beautiful canopy threw a 
 rosy blush over the boy's sweet face ; and 
 the glancing fairies thought they had never
 
 90 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 seen a lovelier mortal. Although the soft 
 rose-leaves pressed .caressingly around him 
 and hid his poor deformed limbs, it would 
 have made no difference if they had been 
 plainly seen, for the fairies only looked in 
 hisjfotftf, where so much purity and goodness 
 shone ; and, seeing this, they loved him, and 
 were glad he had come. 
 
 u Where is Slyboots ? " said the Queen. 
 
 " At your feet, most gracious Majesty," 
 answered the sprite, dropping down all at 
 once from somewhere. 
 
 " And what is the last piece of mischief, 
 you comical imp ? " 
 
 " Your Majesty ! Mischief! I disapprove 
 of it ! but I have just been tying Peas-cod 
 and Bean-pod together by their long green
 
 THE FAIRIES' LIFE. 91 
 
 coat-tails, Because they are such grumbling, 
 discontented chaps." 
 
 " How do you know ? " asked the Queen. 
 
 "Please your Majesty," answered Sly- 
 boots, " I heard Peas-cod say that he hated 
 the sight of every thing and everybody ; that 
 all other fairies could wear different colors, 
 while he had to be green all his days ; then 
 he opened his mouth so wide, and gave such 
 a fearful yawn, I thought all his round bones 
 would roll out ; /think, your Majesty, he is 
 not only green he is i joUy' > green." 
 
 " Don't talk slang to me," said the Queen, 
 though she laughed a little ; " but go on 
 and tell me about Bean-pod." 
 
 " Oh ! Bean-pod is miserable because of 
 his shape; he says he is bigger round his
 
 92 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 waist than anywhere else, and that is so un- 
 genteel ; all your Majesty's maids of honor 
 laugh and make faces at him." 
 
 " Ah ! I cannot have that," said the 
 Queen ; " all must be happy here, especially 
 on midsummer night. Go, Slyboots, and 
 command them to come into my presence." 
 
 Off started the sprite, and presently re- 
 turned with the naughty fairies looking very 
 much ashamed of themselves, with their coat- 
 tails all curled round from having been tied 
 in a hard knot. Lilliebelle and Dewdrop 
 laughed behind their butterfly wing-fans, 
 while Ripple and Firefly curled their mus- 
 taches, and looked on with dandified airs. 
 
 The Queen began with a severe aspect: 
 u I regret to learn, Peas-cod and Bean-pod,
 
 THE FAIRIES 7 LIFE. 93 
 
 that you are indulging in discontent; it is 
 very wicked in any one to murmur or re- 
 pine at his lot in this world. Learn from this 
 mortal," she continued, placing her hand 
 tenderly on Charley's head; "almost since 
 his "birth he has led a life of suffering, yet no 
 repining falls from his patient lips; he is 
 willing to live, and he will be resigned to 
 die. I think my story-teller, Charm-ear, has 
 written down something that happened to 
 some neighbors of ours in the little brook 
 near by, which will serve as a warning to 
 you. Would you like to hear this story, 
 Charley?" 
 
 " Oh, beautiful lady ! " cried Charley; for, 
 being an American boy, he did not know he 
 must say 'your Majesty.' "Oh, beautiful
 
 94 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 lady ! a story would be so so fairy 
 nice ! " 
 
 The Queen smiled, and, waving her hand 
 to Charm-ear, the court story-teller, he be- 
 gan as follows : 
 
 THE THREE LITTLE FISH. 
 
 "Not very long ago, in our beautiful 
 brook, there lived three little silver trouts, 
 who were very great friends. For some 
 time they were happier than the day was 
 long, playing together, eating together, and 
 sleeping cosily together in the same little 
 cave scooped out of a stone under the water, 
 and wanted for nothing that good little fishes 
 ought to have.
 
 THE FAIRIES' LIFE. 95 
 
 " But after this I am sorry to have to tell 
 that two of the little trout became very sad 
 and discontented : one wished for this, the 
 other for that, and neither cared a shrimp 
 for any thing he had, because they were al- 
 ways foolishly sighing for something else. 
 
 " At last Neptune, the King of the Sea, 
 heard of these naughty little fish, and he re- 
 solved to punish them, by granting them all 
 "their desires. 
 
 " Accordingly he called them before him, 
 and told them they should have whatever 
 they wanted. 
 
 " Now, the oldest was a very proud little 
 fish, and wanted to be able to snub up all the 
 other fishes, by being set above them so he 
 said,
 
 96 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 "'Please your gracious goodness Majesty, 
 I do not like the place where you have put 
 me. Here I am poked into a mean, nar- 
 row river, where I can neither get down into 
 the ground, or up into the air, and yet I can 
 see well enough what fine times others 
 have; there are the little birds that fly 
 about over my head, and sing all day, be- 
 cause they have wings. Give me wings, 
 gracious goodness Majesty only give me 
 wings, and then I shall have something for 
 which to be thankful ; in fact, it will make 
 me perfectly happy.' 
 
 " No sooner asked for than granted. In 
 a moment the little fish felt the wings flut- 
 tering, and in another moment he had spread
 
 THE FAIRIES' LIFE. 97 
 
 them wide, and rose joyfully out of the 
 water. 
 
 " Ah ! what a delicious sensation. He 
 resolved to travel; then a thought struck 
 him. 
 
 "'One favor more, your gracious Maj- 
 esty.' 
 
 " ' Well, speak,' answered Neptune. 
 
 " ' Give me a wife, so that I may not fly 
 alone in the world/ 
 
 " ' Granted,' said the Sea King ; and im- 
 mediately a beautiful little silver trout swam 
 the surface, and then flew to his side. 
 
 " With joy the silver fish greeted his mate, 
 and forthwith they fluttered into a tree on 
 the banks of the Hudson River, and com- 
 menced building a nest. 
 T
 
 98 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 " In the due course of time a brood of lit- 
 tle flying fish, were peeping up in the nest, 
 and the papa and mamma had their hands 
 full (so to speak) in finding food for their 
 young ; they were very happy, and thought 
 this was the perfection of living, and heartily 
 despised their old companions in the beauti- 
 ful brook. 
 
 " But, alas ! in this world it is very often 
 the case that just as we have attained our 
 wishes, and are perfectly happy bang! it 
 is all over. This was literally the case with 
 our poor little trout, for a party of sports- 
 men crossing the river in a row-boat seeing 
 such a queer bird, one of them deliberately 
 took aim and shot the mother trout, just as 
 she was returning with food for her chil-
 
 THE FAIRIES' LIFE. 99 
 
 dren ; and the poor papa, who had been keep- 
 ing watch on the nest, in the extremity of his 
 terror, opened his mouth, and popped out his 
 eyes, and took to flight, and left his family to 
 be captured by the wicked sportsmen. 
 
 " But our little flying fish happened to 
 alight among desert-like sands and rocks far, 
 far away from the least thing to eat or drink. 
 Faint, weary, and unable to rise again, he 
 lay fluttering, panting, and beating himself 
 against the flinty stones. Oh ! how he 
 longed for one drop of crystal water out of 
 his own little brook only one drop. 
 
 " Gasping, wounded, and sore, he lay 
 there, wretched and all alone, till at length, 
 with a sob and a sigh, he breathed his last. 
 He was dead.
 
 100 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 " The second little silver trout was not so 
 high-minded as the first ; still he was dread- 
 fully conceited, and moreover, he was a nar- 
 row-hearted, selfish little fish ; for, provided 
 Tie was safe and happy, he did not care the 
 flap of a fin, what became of all the rest of 
 the fishes in the whole universe, or anywhere 
 else. 
 
 *' So,' said he to Neptune, ' may it please 
 your worshipful honor ; I do not wish for 
 wings to fly, for I do not care to poke my 
 nose into strange places ; I might get lost or 
 hurt, you know ; I was contented enough 
 until the other day, when I saw a great rope 
 come down into the water, and fasten itself 
 in some mysterious way about the gills of a 
 sweet little cousin of mine, and she was
 
 THE FAIRIES' LIFE. 101 
 
 hauled and dragged out of the water before 
 my eyes, wriggling and struggling witli fright 
 and pain. It scared me terribly, your wor- 
 shipful honor ; for I thought this dreadful 
 rope might some time fasten upon me. Now, 
 all I desire, is to know the meaning of this 
 rope, and of every single one of the dangers 
 to which you have subjected us poor little 
 fishes/ 
 
 "No sooner said than done. Neptune 
 opened the eyes of the little trout in such a 
 marvellous manner, that he understood in a 
 moment all about snares, nets, hooks, and the 
 lines, which he called a rope, artificial flies, 
 and every other danger to which little fishes 
 are exposed. 
 
 " At first he was perfectly delighted with
 
 102 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 his newly-acquired knowledge, and he took 
 precious good care from this time forth, not 
 to go into deep water, for fear a great greedy 
 pike or some other great fish might be there 
 and swallow him up at a mouthful. He kept 
 away from the shallow places in hot weather, 
 lest the sun should dry them up. When he 
 saw a shadow on the water, he said to him- 
 self, * Halloo ! here are the good-for-nothing 
 fishermen with their nets ! ' and immediately 
 he sculled away and got under the banks, 
 where he sat trembling in all his scales ; and 
 when he saw a tempting fly skimming on 
 the water, or a nice fat worm, he did not 
 dare to bite, although he was half-starved. 
 1 No, no,' said the little trout, 'I am not 
 such a fool as all that comes to ; go and
 
 THE FAIRIES' LIFE. 103 
 
 tempt those flats, the flounders; I know 
 better.' 
 
 " In this way the poor little silver trout 
 kept himself in a continual fright and flurry ; 
 and, of course, could neither eat, drink, nor 
 sleep, for fear some mischief might be at 
 hand. 
 
 " He grew poorer and poorer, and sighed 
 and frightened himself to skin and bone, un- 
 til at last ah me ! dear me ! alas ! he died, 
 for fear of dying. 
 
 " Now when Neptune came to the young- 
 est trout, and asked him what he wished 
 for, he said : ' Oh, your great big Highness, 
 you know I am but a very foolish and good- 
 for-nothing little fish ; I don't know what is 
 good for me and what is bad for me ; and I
 
 104 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 wonder how I came to be thought worth 
 bringing into the world at all. But if I 
 must wish for any thing, it is that you will 
 please to do whatever you think best; I 
 shall be happy to live or die, just as you 
 would have me.' 
 
 "When the precious little silver trout 
 had said all this so sweetly and modestly, 
 Neptune immediately felt an immense liking 
 for him, and determined to take great care 
 of this sweet little fish who had such entire 
 trust in his goodness ; so he watched tenderly 
 over him, and was a father and a friend to 
 him. He put a perfect fountain of content- 
 ment into his gills, and, consequently, happi- 
 ness into his heart. 
 
 " Thus, this dear little trout slept always
 
 THE FAIRIES' LIFE. 105 
 
 in peace, and wakened in gladness; and 
 whether he was full or hungry, or whatever 
 happened to him, he was still pleased and 
 thankful ; and he is now the happiest of all 
 the little fishes that swim in our beautiful 
 brook." 
 
 A delighted murmur of applause rose on 
 every side as Charm-ear finished this excel- 
 lent story ; and Charley was, if possible, still 
 more enchanted to find such a capital moral 
 in a story told by a fairy. Peas-cod and 
 Bean-pod looked very uncomfortable as the 
 Queen said, "Thank you, Charm-ear; you 
 have related the story well ; and I hope," she 
 continued, looking kindly at the discontent- 
 ed fays, " it will have a profitable effect. It
 
 106 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 is no doubt a great blessing to possess what 
 one wishes ; but it is a greater blessing still, 
 not to desire that which we can never pos- 
 
 sess." 
 
 Then the Queen, who ruled altogether by 
 LOVE, said: "Go, dear Peas-cod and Bean- 
 pod go join the dances ; I give you Lillie- 
 belle and Dewdrop for partners, and let me 
 hear no more of discontent." 
 
 The two green fairies brightened up 
 amazingly when they heard their Queen 
 speaking so kindly ; really, their green coats 
 became quite fashionable-looking and not 
 such a bad color either ; and though Lillie- 
 belle and Dewdrop pouted a little at their 
 humble partners, they dared not disobey the 
 Queen; but soon the inspiring music and
 
 THE FAIRIES' LIFE. 107 
 
 the pleasure of dancing, of which, like all 
 fairies and most young ladies, they were im- 
 moderately fond, caused them to forget their 
 annoyance, especially as Peas-cod and Bean- 
 pod were accomplished dancers, and hopped 
 about in the most surprising manner. 
 
 And Charley looked on in an ecstasy of 
 delight, and the flush deepened and bright- 
 ened in his cheek. It seemed as if a million 
 of tiny flowers of every color had been taken 
 from their stems and had gone on a pic-nic, 
 and were now at the very height of their fun. 
 Such laughing! such dancing! such eager 
 rushing for the ices and other goodies, just 
 as you do at your parties. In one corner a 
 small party of extremely fashionable belles 
 were promenading, each holding a parasol
 
 108 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 over her head made of a small green leaf, to 
 preserve her complexion ; for you must know 
 that moonbeams are very tanning. Among 
 the honeysuckles, the elderly fairies were 
 playing backgammon, talking, and pretend- 
 ing to admire each others' dresses, thinking 
 their own handsomer all the time ; while the 
 bachelor fairies were smoking poppy leaf 
 cigars, and ordering any quantity of butter- 
 cups of Maydew. 
 
 All at once a tremendous shout of laugh- 
 ter was heard, and Charley and the Queen 
 looking eagerly in the direction whence it 
 came, saw, to their unspeakable astonish- 
 ment, the old prime minister turning a 
 somerset in the air. He got up, walked a 
 few steps, and went head-over-heels again ;
 
 THE FAIRIES' LIFE. 109 
 
 while the fairies, ready for any fun, thought 
 he had become crack-brained and was doing 
 it on purpose, and screamed with laugh- 
 ter. 
 
 But, bless your little heart ! what a mis- 
 take they made ! Rising from his last leap 
 in the air, with a scowl on his face, breathing 
 forth fire and fury like a hippogriff or a fiery 
 dragon, he pushed his way through the crowd 
 and marched straight to the throne, where, 
 kneeling as well as he could for his bumps 
 and bruises, he demanded of the Queen in a 
 shrill, gasping, wheezing voice, like the wind 
 whistling through a broken bellows : 
 
 "Your Majesty ! ! your Majesty ! ! ! that 
 wretch! that Slyboots! confine him in a 
 nut-shell for a thousand years ! tie him fast to
 
 110 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 a hornet ! cut off his wings I oh ! oh ! oh ! 
 the impertinent little scamp ! " 
 
 " Why, my lord, calm yourself," said the 
 Queen ; while Charley looked on in bewil- 
 dered astonishment at the enraged prime 
 minister, and a great crowd of fairies gather- 
 ed around. 
 
 "Tell me what has happened." 
 "I need not remind your Majesty that 
 our state affairs are very much behindhand, 
 and not feeling inclined to mix with cox- 
 combs like Ripple, (here the Queen frowned, 
 and Ripple, who was just behind him, made 
 a grimace,) I went to one of the mushroom 
 tables, and sat down to finish my memorial 
 regarding the loan for the hospital for sick 
 bumble-bees, when this torment of a Sly-
 
 THE FAIRIES' LIFE. Ill 
 
 boots comes up, and looking over my shoulder, 
 exclaims, 4 What ! my lord ; surely you are 
 not going to stupefy the Queen with the odi- 
 ous sick bumble-bee memorial to-night, are 
 you? Say?'" 
 
 " ' Certainly I am,' I said ; ' what would 
 become of all the business in the Queen's 
 dominions if it were not for me ? Go away, 
 you ugly Ouphe ! ' At this, Slyboots rushed 
 off in such a haste, and with such a wicked 
 gleam in his eye, that I smelt mischief imme- 
 diately. ' After finishing my memorial on 
 eleven bees-wings closely written, I was hast- 
 ening with it to your Majesty, when I fell, 
 with great violence, over three successive 
 ropes that were stretched across the section 
 of the hollow where I had been writing,
 
 112 FAIEY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 crumpling and soiling my memorial, and 
 breaking off a corner of my right wing. I 
 know it is Slyboots that has committed this 
 outrage. Drive him out of your kingdom, 
 your Majesty! give him up to the water fai- 
 ries ! tell the snails to poke him well with their 
 horns ! ' and in a very torrent of passion and 
 anger, the prime minister was going on, 
 when the Queen interrupted him with 
 'Softly, softly, my lord; we will call Sly- 
 boots and hear what he says.'" 
 
 And now there was a great call for the 
 culprit ; and presently he came in the ring, 
 riding on a comical-looking bull-frog, and 
 making tremendous leaps, apparently in 
 great haste, as if he had been on a long jour- 
 ney, and had just that moment arrived. With
 
 THE FAIRIES' LIFE. 113 
 
 an inconceivably roguish air, he alighted, 
 and hastening up, bent his knee before the 
 Queen. The foolish young fairies came very 
 near bursting out laughing when they saw 
 him put on a demure, innocent look of sur- 
 prise, as he caught sight of the scowling face 
 of the prime minister ; but at that moment 
 her Majesty said in an angry tone : 
 
 " What shocking mischief have you been 
 doing?" 
 
 " I have been doing nothing, your Maj- 
 esty." 
 
 " And who helped you to do it, you saucy 
 goblin?" 
 
 " Only a little brown spider," said Sly- 
 boots, " and he didn't mean to." 
 
 " But between you two, the prime minis- 
 
 r s
 
 114 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 ter has had three heavy falls; and I am 
 afraid not without intention on your 
 part." 
 
 "Please your Majesty, if my lord, the 
 prime minister, loads himself with such a 
 heavy article as that sick humble-cum-tum- 
 ble-bee memorial, and then puts his eyes in 
 his pockets, no wonder he can't see straight 
 before him, and falls down and cracks his 
 crown. Why don't he be jolly, like the rest 
 of us? Your Majesty had better order an 
 unlimited quantity of dandelion feather-beds 
 to be put around in spots for my lord, the 
 prime minister, to turn head over heels in." 
 
 " Hush ! sauce-box," cried the Queen ; 
 while the prime minister gave him a furious 
 look. " Here, Trip (turning to a page), go
 
 THE FAIRIES' LIFE. 115 
 
 * 
 bring me the little brown spider; I must 
 
 get at the bottom of this business. 77 
 
 The little brown spider came and made 
 her obeisance, all in a fuzz of fear, for she 
 could not imagine why she was called into 
 the presence of the Queen. She shook so 
 violently, that her Majesty said, kindly: 
 
 " Don't be afraid, Brownie ; but tell me, 
 with perfect truth, what did Slyboots em- 
 ploy you about this evening ? " 
 
 " Please your beautiful Majesty," began 
 the spider, " Slyboots is my friend, and I 
 would not like to get him into trouble." 
 
 " That is neither here nor there," said the 
 Queen; "I command you to tell me what 
 you did for him." 
 
 " Well," said the spider, almost crying,
 
 116 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 " Slyboots came to my "house in the grape- 
 vine in the greatest hurry, and begged me to 
 scrabble and scratch with all my might and 
 main to a certain part of the hollow, and 
 spin three ropes, knee high, just as quickly 
 as possible across it, as some of the court- had 
 taken a prodigious fancy to tight-rope danc- 
 ing, and meant to give an exhibition before 
 the evening was over ; and he was to give 
 me, for doing it, just the fattest little fly I 
 ever beheld, which he had fast by the legs ; 
 it made my mouth water only to look at it ; 
 so, your Majesty may believe, I rushed down 
 and worked at the ropes for dear life, and 
 finished them to Slyboots' satisfaction, for he 
 gave me the delicious fly, and I've just finish-
 
 THE FAIRIES' LIFE. 117 
 
 ed eating it up ; and that is all I know about 
 it, please your beautiful Majesty." 
 
 It was all as plain as moonlight; and 
 after one moment passed in vainly endeavor- 
 ing to suppress their merriment, the whole 
 court burst into such a scream of laughter, 
 that the very leaves rustled, as if some mu- 
 sical wind had stirred them. Of course not 
 a fairy had ever heard that anybody had 
 taken up the profession of tight-rope dancing, 
 and Slyboots was at once convicted of having 
 told a dreadful fib, and had the ropes erected 
 for the express purpose of tripping up the 
 prime minister, to prevent his boring the 
 Queen on the great gala night with his sick 
 bumble-bee memorial. 
 
 There the naughty sprite stood with a
 
 118 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 penitent look out of one eye, and winking 
 ridiculously with the other ; and the fairies 
 having laughed till they were tired, now 
 waited in breathless silence to hear his sen- 
 tence pronounced. 
 
 Charley was really sorry for Slyboots; 
 he was distressed that the fairy had told a 
 falsehood ; but, as to the mischief, it was so 
 like the capers his own brothers and sisters 
 were always cutting, that he felt very certain 
 the comical little imp had not one grain of 
 malice in his heart, so he softly touched the 
 Queen's knee, and as she kindly bent down 
 to him, whispered " Oh, beautiful lady ! he 
 has a good heart, and he is very sorry; 
 please to forgive him." 
 
 " Slyboots," began the Queen, in a tone
 
 THE FAIRIES' LIFE. 119 
 
 which she tried to make very severe, " you 
 have passed all reasonable bounds in this last 
 prank ; you have outraged and insulted my 
 faithful servant and, worse than all, you 
 have told an untruth. If it had not been for 
 this last, I might have forgiven you after you 
 had made fitting apologies to the prime min- 
 ister ; even now I shall lighten your punish- 
 ment, because this pure and lovely mortal 
 has interceded for you. Listen to your sen- 
 tence. My power tells me that the great 
 wasp, Spiteful, has just entered the chamber 
 where little Minnie, Charley's sister, is lying 
 peacefully asleep, and within the hour he will 
 thrust his poisonous cruel sting into the ten- 
 der arm of the little child. With your 
 wings to dart here and there, you might
 
 120 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 easily conquer Mm ; but these must be fast- 
 ened together by your friend Brownie, and 
 within the hour you must bring me the 
 dead body of the wasp. You have heard ; 
 Brownie, to your work ! " 
 
 In the midst of a deep silence, the poor 
 little trembling spider began to spin thread 
 after thread round and round the beautiful 
 gauzy wings of the disgraced and now sor- 
 rowful fay ; one after the other the beautiful 
 tints of blue, and gold, and purple, first 
 faded, then were hidden under the misty 
 cloud-color of network. 
 
 The court looked on in sorrow, for the 
 elfin was beloved by many, but not a fay 
 dared murmur or question the justice of the 
 sentence.
 
 THE FAIRIES' LIFE. 121 
 
 At last his wings, of a dead dull gray, 
 were prisoned fast ; and the Queen, waving 
 her sceptre, said " Go, Slyboots ; if you 
 carry a right spirit to your work, you will 
 win the fight." 
 
 The fairy said not a word, but bowed 
 him low, and turned sadly away. The time 
 was short, and he must hasten and don his 
 stoutest armor, for the foe was deadly. A 
 friendly grasshopper offered to take him to 
 the foot of the window where he must enter. 
 "With a gleeful spring he mounted, and away 
 with great leaps they went through the ferns 
 and over the grass, scrambling painfully in 
 and out of bramble bushes, and pricking 
 themselves with the sharp nettles that lay 
 in their path. But the grasshopper (that
 
 122 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 friend in need) carried him bravely through 
 them all, and came at last to a little house 
 under a great mushroom, where Slyboots 
 kept bachelor's hall. 
 
 Here he alighted, and hastily fastened on 
 his acorn helmet, with its beautiful plume 
 from the humming bird's breast; then he 
 donned his close-fitting vest, made of the 
 skin of the prickly-pear the sharp points 
 bristling terror to invaders. On his left arm 
 he carried his trusty shield, made of the back 
 of the golden beetle, and his right hand 
 grasped his sharp blade, fashioned out of the 
 blue sword-grass. 
 
 Swiftly he bestrode his grasshopper steed 
 again, and in a few moments they were be-
 
 THE FAIRIES' LIFE. 123 
 
 neath the open window of the room where 
 lay the sleeping child. 
 
 Alighting, and thanking his friendly 
 courser, Slyboots clambered up by the luxu- 
 riant rose-vine fastened against the cottage 
 wall, and in a moment had dropped noise- 
 lessly into the room. 
 
 It was flooded with sweet clear moon- 
 light. Clusters of roses were peeping in at 
 the window, but none were half so lovely as 
 the little human rose-bud lying so quietly in 
 her tiny white bed. She might have come 
 out of Elfin land she was so fair and sweet ; 
 her merry blue eyes closed, her little song- 
 voice stilled, and a lovely flush on her soft 
 cheek from the kissing of the warm and
 
 124 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 balmy wind, which, danced in and out of its 
 own sweet will. 
 
 Hovering over her a malignant gleam 
 in his eyes was the wasp. Already was his 
 "body curved to inflict the mean and cruel 
 sting upon the defenceless child, when, with 
 a bound, Slyboots was upon him, cut him 
 sharply with his sword, and then scampered 
 out of the window and took refuge in a great 
 rose, apologizing to the little fairy whose 
 home it was. With his back against the 
 rose-leaves, and his shield on guard, Slyboots 
 waited for the fray. 
 
 Out came the wasp, breathing fire and 
 fury ; his usual snarling hum changed into a 
 fiendish roar of rage. Then did begin a 
 most tremendous battle ! ! The fairy's blows
 
 SLYBOOTS FIGHTING THE WASP.
 
 THE FAIRIES' LIFE. 125 
 
 fell thick and fast upon the horny head of 
 his enemy, who vainly sought to sting him ; 
 but the trusty shield was never off duty. 
 The wasp kept up a horrid din, as with mad- 
 dening ferocity and desperation, he tried to 
 find his foe, for he was now blinded with the 
 blows. Panting with pain, and roaring with 
 rage, he flew wildly round and round, return- 
 ing each time with fourfold fury to the 
 charge, till at last a well-directed stroke of 
 the elfin's sword cleft his head asunder, and 
 he fell prone to the earth, with one prodig- 
 ious kick of all his feet in the air together. 
 
 Down jumped Slyboots from the friendly 
 rose, and making sure of the death of his 
 enemy by sundry bangs and whacks with the 
 flat of his sword, quickly made a stout rope
 
 126 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 of corn silk, and fastening it round the head 
 of the wasp, began his joyful journey back 
 to the fairy hollow. 
 
 The good grasshopper had been a deeply 
 interested spectator of the battle ; his eyes 
 hanging out like a lobster's with anxiety, and 
 chirping a perfectly continuous rattle of en- 
 couragement to Slyboots, so that really he 
 was as hoarse as a bull-frog when it was all 
 over. "With cheerful alacrity he helped the 
 breathless fairy tie up the dead body of the 
 wasp, and willingly allowed the other end of 
 the corn silk rope to be fastened to one of 
 his long hind legs ; and then Slyboots mount- 
 ing him once more, he tugged and scrambled 
 along with his double burthen with so much 
 hearty will, that they arrived at the fairy
 
 THE FAIRIES' LIFE. 127 
 
 ground at least one minute and a quarter 
 within the hour. 
 
 Meanwhile harmony and order had been 
 restored in the beautiful hollow. The old 
 prime minister was fast asleep under a fern 
 leaf, with his precious bumble-bee memorial 
 under his head, and Charley was watching 
 with delighted interest the many happy 
 groups upon which the moonbeams lovingly 
 rested. Some were dancing the Fairy Lancers, 
 some eating and laughing at the little tables, 
 some having a childish game of cats-cradle 
 with the tendrils of the grape-vine, and all 
 were full of mirth and gaiety, as noisy and 
 happy as it was possible to be ; in fact, the 
 fairies were marvellously like you, little 
 reader ; you are both full of fun and noise,
 
 128 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 and have no idea of going through the world 
 slowly and carefully, as if you were stepping 
 on one feather-bed, and had your head tied 
 up in another. Not at all! they and you 
 just jump and tumble about with prodigious 
 talents for frolic, wearing out your shoes, and 
 tearing your clothes that is, you, for the 
 fairies' shoes and clothes have a patent trick 
 of always looking fresh and new. Charley 
 thought his dear brothers and sisters were 
 very like these little creatures in their fond- 
 ness for fun, and he did wish that they were 
 here this Midsummer night to have " a real 
 good time." 
 
 Presently the Queen said to him, " Char- 
 ley, did you ever blow bubbles ? " 
 
 "Yes, often, beautiful lady."
 
 THE FAIRIES' LIFE. 129 
 
 " And what have you seen in them ? " 
 asked the Queen. 
 
 " Oh ! the most lovely colors ! and some- 
 times a charming tiny picture of the room 
 where we were." 
 
 "Would you like to see some fairy bub- 
 bles?" 
 
 " Ah, yes ! I should like it of all things." 
 
 The Queen gently clapped her hands, 
 and instantly a page was kneeling at her 
 feet. 
 
 " Go, light- wing," said the Queen, " and 
 tell Fancy to come here with her basin of 
 foam and magic pipe." 
 
 The fairy rose from his knee, bowed low, 
 and sped away. In an instant he returned 
 in company with the daintiest, most ethereal 
 9
 
 130 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 little elf in fairy -land. Her wings were of 
 air her golden ringlets danced in the " trem- 
 ulous, singing wind," giving out the perfume 
 of the blossoming lily ; her tiny rose-bud of 
 a mouth opened, disclosing the whitest and 
 smallest seed-pearl teeth, as with a smile 
 beaming with love and sweetness, she said : 
 
 " Beloved Queen, most gladly have I come 
 at your bidding. Deign but to command, 
 and I will hasten to obey." 
 
 " Dear Fancy," said the Queen, placing 
 her hand tenderly upon Charley's shoulder, 
 "here is a lovely mortal who has suffered 
 from his infancy ; but all his pain has not 
 been sufficient to sour his temper, or conquer 
 his gratitude and love for the blessings and 
 mercies which remain to him. As flowers
 
 THE FAIRIES' LIFE. 131 
 
 spring from the dust, so have love, and truth, 
 and every noble quality, sprung from the 
 dark and bitter suffering of his life. For 
 this I love him, and will strive to make the 
 few days left to him on earth less sad, less 
 painful ; and I will do this by showing him 
 all our fairy life. I have sent for you to 
 ask you to exhibit, for his amusement, some 
 magic bubbles ; I would like him to look at 
 them now." 
 
 For answer, the little elf bowed grace- 
 fully, dipped her pipe in the foaming dew, 
 and began to breathe softly through the 
 stem. 
 
 Soon the thin bubble rose in the twink- 
 ling fire-fly light. At first it was all of a 
 gray-dark color ; but out of this dark, like
 
 132 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 the sun "breaking through, the mist, bright 
 golden and ruby tints began to appear. 
 
 It grew in size and splendor, till at last 
 the fairy gently waving the pipe, the bubble 
 slowly and gracefully floated away, and up 
 a little, and then poised itself, and rested just 
 before Charley. 
 
 It was like a moving picture in an oval 
 frame. Within appeared a large and hand- 
 some parlor ; a number of beautiful little chil- 
 dren were grouped about the room, evidently 
 waiting for some event to happen. Presently 
 a baby-boy entered a perfect bud of beauty. 
 His fine and snowy-white garment was dain- 
 tily embroidered and trimmed after a most 
 royal fashion, with ivy leaves. Upon his 
 beautiful head, crowned with light and lovely
 
 * THE FAIRIES' LIFE. 133 
 
 pale golden curls, was a wreath also of 
 ivy. 
 
 With his luminous starry eyes uplifted, 
 and the dimples peeping in and out of his 
 rose-pink cheeks, he went around and offered 
 a welcoming kiss to every one in the room. 
 It was his birthday. Two sweet, happy 
 years, had been unfurled in his little life, and 
 the children were now gathered together in 
 honor of the event. 
 
 Charley gazed with lips apart, intent and 
 eager. 
 
 All at once he exclaimed, 
 
 "Why! it is Howard! little Howard! 
 Why, yes ! and there is sweet little Carrie, 
 his sister, with the beautiful wreath of roses,
 
 134 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. * 
 
 and the roses on her dress ! Oh ! what won- 
 ders I am seeing ! '' 
 
 As he spoke, a lady entered, Howard's 
 loving and lovely mother, with an immense 
 paper bag, and proceeded to fasten it to the 
 chandelier in the centre of the ceiling ; then 
 some one else came in, and spread a large 
 white sheet upon the carpet immediately un- 
 derneath. 
 
 Then one of the little ones was blind- 
 folded, and a cane was put into his hands. 
 He was to try to strike the bag, but instead, 
 he made a tremendous whack at nothing 
 half a yard one side of the bag, which made 
 the children laugh merrily. 
 
 Charley laughed, too ; you could hear
 
 THE FAIRIES' LIFE. 135 
 
 him, but he could only see that the children 
 in the magic bubble were laughing. 
 
 " I know them almost all ! " he cried, in 
 a voice of delight; "there are Eva, and 
 Robbie, and Alice, and Hattie, and Minnie, 
 and Eddie, and sweet little Kitty and Mortie ; 
 and oh ! how happy they all look ! how per- 
 fect ! and what a nice time they must be 
 having ! " 
 
 After two or three had tried to strike the 
 bag, little baby Howard had the handkerchief 
 tied above his eyes, just for fun, because he 
 was too little to be .really blindfolded ; and, 
 armed with the cane, he grasped it with both 
 tiny hands, his eyes dancing with glee, and 
 a gladsome smile parting his sweet little 
 mouth, showing the pearly teeth within.
 
 136 FAIEY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 He gave the "bag a sounding thump, and in- 
 stantly it burst asunder, and a perfect cataract 
 of candies and sugar-plums poured down upon 
 the carpet. Quick as a flash every child in 
 the room was clustered together upon the 
 sheet helter-skelter, head-over-heels, laugh- 
 ing, screaming, dashing after the candies; 
 and then the bubble burst, and Charley saw 
 no more. 
 
 " Oh ! oh ! how beautiful ! how wonder- 
 ful ! " said the lame boy ; " dear, dear little 
 fairy ! I thank you ; but I should so like to 
 know what the children did after that." 
 
 Again the pipe was dipped in the foam- 
 dew, and the fairy blew out another bubble, 
 that floated away and rested as before. 
 
 This time a wide hall, with a table in
 
 THE FAIRIES' LIFE. 137 
 
 the centre, appeared. Upon the table the 
 colored waiters were quickly placing large 
 dishes of cakes, oranges, mottoes, and pyra- 
 mids of cream. A door, within which shone 
 a bright light, opened into this hall, and a 
 little dancing form flitting past now and then, 
 showed that the children were frolicking in- 
 side. 
 
 When the table was so perfectly covered, 
 that it very nearly broke down under the 
 weight of goodies, there was seen issuing 
 from the parlor-door, first, the beautiful little 
 king of the feast, carried in his father's arms, 
 his eyes sparkling, and his whole face radiant 
 with smiles. After him came, two and two, 
 all the lovely little band ; they marched en- 
 tirely round the table, and you may be sure
 
 138 FAIIIY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 they all looked one way and that way was 
 the table-way, of course, where such a grand 
 feast was spread out. That was the party, as 
 I once heard a little girl say, and who added, 
 " Oh ! I'm so glad ! the party has come look 
 what a lot of it!" 
 
 And now what a tremendous time the 
 boys had helping the little girls, and filling 
 their laps with every thing they could lay 
 their hands on, and then cramming their own 
 pockets till they stuck out all over like 
 balloons. 
 
 Just as they were in the height of eating, 
 and laughing, and presenting each other 
 with mottoes, on which were printed the 
 most beautiful poetry, declaring that they 
 would love each other as long as they lived,
 
 THE FAIRIES' LIFE. 139 
 
 and nobody knows how much longer ; and 
 Charley was looking on wild with delight 
 presto ! the bubble suddenly burst, and the 
 picture was gone. 
 
 " Oh ! can any thing be more perfect ! " 
 cried Charley. " I am so happy ! Dear little 
 fairy ! do let me kiss you for making me so 
 happy." 
 
 With a loving smile the beautiful elfin 
 fluttered her wings and flew into his breast, 
 where she lay nestling like a little white 
 dove. Charley tenderly lifted her up, kissed 
 her soft tiny cheek, touched her golden ring- 
 lets, and felt her breath, fragrant as the per- 
 fume of violets, fanning his face. He was 
 silent with happiness, painting over in his 
 mind Fancy's magic pictures. The beautiful
 
 140 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 l 
 
 Queen sat watching him, and enjoying his 
 delight, when a far-off sound startled them 
 both a sound of acclamation. Nearer and 
 nearer it came, till the air rang with tiny 
 shouts and joyful clapping of hands. The 
 voices were respectfully hushed as a crowd 
 of fairies advanced into the Queen's presence ; 
 and Charley saw that Slyboots was in their 
 midst, weary and breathless, his wings still 
 hidden in the spider-net, but exultantly 
 dragging the dead wasp by the corn-silk 
 cord. His wee face looked pale; but his 
 eyes shone with the old brightness, as the 
 Queen's glance fell kindly and approvingly 
 upon him. 
 
 " Did you arrive in time to save Minnie ' 
 from the cruel sting ? " she said.
 
 THE FAIRIES' LIFE. 141 
 
 "I did, please your gracious Majesty," 
 answered Slyboots. 
 
 " And did you waken her ? " 
 
 " No, my Queen ; I struck the wasp, and 
 drew him outside of the window, where I 
 took refuge in a rose, and from thence, with 
 my good sword, I gave him battle. Long 
 and fiercely we fought in the moonlight. The 
 little yellow butterflies crept under the 
 leaves affrighted ; the midges in the air 
 trembled, and whispered to each other that 
 an earthquake was surely at hand ; but at 
 last my enemy bit the dust, and I pounded 
 him till he was as dead as the prime minis- 
 ter's abominable bumble-bee's mem " 
 
 "Silence!" interrupted the Queen; but 
 she really had to laugh, for Slyboots looked
 
 142 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 at her with such a comical twist of his eye, 
 which changed to a beam of happiness as her 
 Majesty said to him : 
 
 "You have done your task aright, and 
 gladly we forgive you ; but remember, Sly- 
 boots, never let your love of fun carry you 
 so far again ; and put this piece of advice in 
 your pocket keep out of the way of the 
 prime minister the next time you have tight 
 ropes erected for your friends to dance on." 
 
 Slyboots' face grew as red as a scarlet 
 poppy at this allusion, and the laugh that 
 followed ; and the Queen, seeing his confu- 
 sion, said : " Quick, Ripple quick, Firefly - 
 release his wings." 
 
 In a moment the fairy knights had cut 
 away the gray network, and Slyboots joy-
 
 THE FAIRIES' LIFE. 143 
 
 fully shook his wings, now brighter than 
 ever. 
 
 Just at that moment a bugle-call sounded 
 from the sentry at the top of Crow Nest, and 
 a faint twittering of a little bird was heard 
 in a tree skirting the hollow. The dawn 
 was coming, lifting the dew-mist from the 
 lap of the earth ; a faint light was streaking 
 the east, as the Queen, gathering her shining 
 band, with Charley in the midst, rose in the 
 air, and flitted away to the cottage window. 
 Softly they laid him down, and the Queen 
 touched his eyes. The white lids drooped 
 heavily, then closed, as a grateful balmy 
 sleep wrapped his senses like a mantle. 
 
 Then the Queen softly detached the 
 gauzy wings, and handed them to her page,
 
 144 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 Lightwing, charging him to guard them 
 carefully. The little mother lay with her 
 cheek in her hand, never stirring, and the 
 kitten looked on this time with a friendly 
 purr; and just as the first day glimpse had 
 gilded the hill-tops, the fairy train had van- 
 ished into the sweet hazy mist of the MID- 
 SUMMER
 
 THE CHILDKEN'S LIFE. 
 
 MIDSUMMER morning broke in gorgeous, 
 glorious brightness. Light fleecy clouds 
 floated swiftly over the blue heaven ; a crisp 
 fresh wind curled the waters of the Hudson ; 
 and the beautiful little island opposite West 
 Point lay on its bosom like an emerald ; its 
 green banks clasped by the loving tide. 
 
 With the first drum-beat, the happy 
 Nightcap children were up and dressed ; and 
 having, with more gratitude than usual, 
 10
 
 146 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 thanked their Heavenly Father for so many 
 blessings, they went first to inquire how 
 their clear brother Charley had passed the 
 night. 
 
 " Hush ! " said the little mother, as they 
 came to the door, " don't chatter now ; Char- 
 ley is still sleeping ; do not make any noise ; 
 see how lovely he looks." 
 
 The children crept in on tiptoe, and 
 gazed lovingly at the sleeping boy. At that 
 moment a warm glow flashed suddenly into 
 his cheek, and his lips parted in a glad smile. 
 
 " Oh ! see, see ! " whispered the children, 
 " Charley is dreaming ; perhaps he is talking 
 to the fairies the doctor told us about ; when 
 he awakes we will ask him." 
 
 Then they went softly down stairs and
 
 THE CHILDREN'S LIFE. 147 
 
 out into the fresh delicious air. The birds 
 were chanting their morning hymns; the 
 lawn was golden green with the sun's rays, 
 and spangled with dew. Bees were dreamily 
 humming over the wealth of honeysuckles 
 and roses that covered the cottage-wall, 
 gathering their sweet and fragrant food at 
 their leisure. 
 
 The children felt the blessed influences 
 of all these lovely works of the great Crea- 
 tor in an increase (if such a thing were pos- 
 sible) of their happiness and joy. 
 
 You would have thought they were made 
 of corks, so lightly did they skip here and 
 there, running round the trees after each 
 other, the boys turning somersets on the 
 grass, and the girls declaring that they could
 
 148 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 get to the top of Crow Nest with only a hop, 
 skip, and jump. 
 
 " Oh, delightful ! " cried George, " to get 
 up a mountain with three steps ! you'll have 
 to borrow Jack's seven-leagued boots. I 
 wonder who lives on the top ? " 
 
 " Why, the crows, to be sure," said Har- 
 ry, " and they keep up sucJi a talking ; it is 
 like a hail-storm all the time; you never 
 heard any thing like the way crows can 
 scold. If one crow is caught stealing, all the 
 rest caw and croak at him, till he very nearly 
 goes into fits, and then they all fly at him 
 till he hasn't a feather left ; I read all about 
 it in my Natural History." 
 
 " Oh ! " cried little Minnie, " how I like to 
 hear stories about fishes ! tell another crow 
 story."
 
 THE CHILDREN'S LIFE. 149 
 
 While the children were good-naturedly 
 laughing and explaining to Minnie that a 
 crow was a bird, their mother appeared at 
 the cottage-door and said, "Breakfast, chil- 
 dren." 
 
 In they all rushed, quite ready for the 
 nice corn-bread, boiled eggs, and real milk 
 not milkmarts milk but they looked round 
 in some surprise for Charley. 
 
 "He is still sleeping," said the little 
 mother, " and smiling in his sleep ; this quiet 
 rest will do him so much good, I hope. Oh, 
 my precious Charley ! " she exclaimed, " if I 
 could only keep you a little longer ; " and 
 her eyes filled with tears. 
 
 The children looked sad and grave, and 
 two or three went round and kissed their
 
 150 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 mother, and patted her kind cheek, and said 
 they were sure Charley was better. After 
 breakfast they stole softly up stairs to look 
 again at their darling brother. 
 
 Charley was sitting up in bed as they en- 
 tered : a strange bewildered expression was 
 upon his face, and he had his hands behind 
 him, trying to feel his shoulders. 
 
 " Do come here, George," said he, " and 
 see if there are wings upon my back." 
 
 " WINGS ! ! ! " shouted the children in 
 amazement, " what can Charley mean ? " 
 
 " Yes, wings" replied Charley ; " the fairy 
 Queen fastened them upon my back last 
 night, and I went with her and her beauti- 
 ful maids of honor to the Midsummer ball. 
 Oh ! how delightful it was, and how I longed 
 for you ! "
 
 THE CHILDREN'S LIFE. 151 
 
 " Goodness ! " exclaimed the children, 
 " did you really go ? How perfect ! Did 
 you ever ? Why didn't they take us, too ? 
 Oh, Charley ! do begin at the very beginning, 
 and tell us all about it. Won't you ? Say ! 
 do, come ! " 
 
 Clustering around the bed, their eyes 
 fastened upon his face, breathless with won- 
 der and delight, and with no end of exclama- 
 tions, they listened to the enchanting ac- 
 count of Charley's adventures. The little 
 mother came in the room just at the end ; 
 upon which they all rushed at her in a body, 
 and told the amazing story over again, all 
 talking at the same time ; and the little 
 mother said quite as many " Ahs " and 
 " Ohs " and " did you evers " as they did.
 
 152 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 But she smiled lovingly at her lame boy, 
 and parting the golden curls on his white 
 forehead, and kissing him tenderly, whisper- 
 ed, "My darling knows that he has been 
 DEEAMING." 
 
 Was it a dream ? 
 
 Charley was so much better that day, 
 that the good doctor, when he came, was as- 
 tonished ; and when he heard that the fairies 
 had done him the honor to take him to their 
 Midsummer festival, he was delighted, as 
 well as astonished, and laughingly declared 
 that the elves had robbed him of his patient. 
 " Why, Charley," he continued, " if the fairy 
 Queen can put such a rosy color in your 
 cheeks, and such a sparkle in your eyes in one 
 night, she beats me all to pieces at doctor-
 
 THE CHILDREN'S LIFE. 153 
 
 ing. I shall have to give you up to her, and 
 only come here every day to make a social 
 call, so that you and I, two old fellows, can 
 have a talk about the state of the country. 
 But I may as well put my pills and powders 
 into one of the cannons, and fire them off at 
 some of the fine ladies who go about, sweep- 
 ing the parade-ground with their furbelowed 
 dresses, and think they are dying of dyspep- 
 sia, when all they want is some useful occu- 
 pation. I have lots of them to make bread 
 pills for, and I may as well let the fairies 
 have my dear little friend here." 
 
 Just at that instant the drums made a 
 prodigious clatter, and the children started 
 up to see what it meant. 
 
 " It is the call for the cavalry drill," said 
 the doctor ; " you had better run."
 
 154 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 Off scampered the children to the edge 
 of the parade-ground, their eyes dancing with 
 expectation and eagerness. 
 
 On their way they passed the encamp- 
 ment ; they gazed at the snow-white tents of 
 the cadets with the utmost interest, and in- 
 deed would rather have lived in these de- 
 lightful canvas houses, than in a king's 
 palace. 
 
 " Oh ! Harry ! " exclaimed Anna, " I won- 
 der if we mightn't just peep into one of 
 them." 
 
 "Certainly," answered Harry, who was 
 always ready for adventures, and he lifted up 
 the opening of the tent nearest. 
 
 " Oh ! what a perfect place ! " he cried ; 
 " come ! look ! " and he disappeared within.
 
 NAPOLEON BONAPARTE.
 
 THE CHILDREN'S LIFE. 155 
 
 The children all peeped in, their heads 
 looking like a bunch of grapes, all piled one 
 on top of the other ; while Harry, inside, 
 pretended he was a showman, and made 
 them a speech. 
 
 " Walk in, ladies and gentlemen," he 
 said, " and see the show all for sixpence ; 
 children half price. Here you have one 
 small bed, or humble cot, one camp stool, one 
 very small looking-glass, on the back of 
 which," he continued, turning it suddenly 
 over, "is a picture of the great Napoleon 
 Bonaparte, running away, with his drawn 
 sword in one hand, and a leg of mutton in 
 the other; while just below i. another of an 
 old cadet, poking a young one with his 
 bayonet."
 
 156 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 The children were laughing heartily over 
 these specimens of the fine arts, drawn by 
 one of the cadets, when 
 
 Bang! tr-tr-tr-tr-tr-tr. Bang! tr-tr-tr-tr- 
 tr-tr went the drums again. Off they hur- 
 ried to the parade-ground, and there, out in 
 the bright morning sunlight, which came 
 down like "nickering gold" through the 
 glowing air, galloped that fierce and brave 
 Colonel Hardie, who looked as if he should 
 consider it the merest trifle to fight a dozen 
 enemies at once, and kill them all, as a matter 
 of course. 
 
 And out galloped a regiment of cadets,, 
 while Colonel Hardie, wheeling round, await- 
 ed their coming. 
 
 With their drawn swords flashing in the
 
 THE CHILDREN'S LIFE. 157 
 
 glorious brightness, and the gallant Colonel 
 now at their head ; they wheeled about, and 
 turned about, dashed here and there, sud- 
 denly advancing, then as suddenly retreat- 
 ing, with their horses rearing and prancing, 
 and snorting and dancing, till you would 
 have been sure they were in the greatest 
 possible hurry to rush full tilt at somebody, 
 no matter who, and instantly run them 
 through with their sharp naked swords, 
 without giving them a ghost of a chance to 
 cry " Quarter." 
 
 The children looked on with great eyes 
 and a kind of delicious fear, and were almost 
 crazy after the drill was over, to run and 
 beg the cadets to lend them their horses and 
 swords, so as to practise the cavalry drill 
 themselves.
 
 158 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 They walked on the edge of the parade- 
 ground, looking all around them with the 
 most amused and delighted interest ; at times 
 fairly singing and skipping for joy, and ea- 
 gerly planning long walks and voyages of 
 discovery. 
 
 Minnie thought there must be a "day 
 party" somewhere, the people were dressed 
 so fine, and everybody seemed so very happy. 
 
 Numbers of elegantly dressed ladies 
 were walking about, and some fine-looking 
 officers were paying them all the compliments 
 they could think of. In the midst of a 
 group of gentlemen, high above them all, 
 towered the -majestic form of the brave Gen- 
 eral Scott, who has won so many battles for 
 us in Mexico, and who is Commander-in-
 
 THE CHILDREN'S LIFE. 159 
 
 Chief of all the soldiers in our country. The 
 children looked at him with the greatest ad- 
 miration ; and the boys made up their minds 
 that it was absolutely necessary they should 
 be soldiers when they grew up ; and they 
 would have given all they possessed to sleep 
 now in the canvas tents like the brave 
 cadets. 
 
 And now the children began to descend 
 a winding path, and wandered down a beau- 
 tiful road where the trees met overhead. 
 The air was fragrant with the woodbine 
 which curled round the trunks of the trees, 
 while, at their feet, tiny harebells and the 
 purple violet modestly peeped up. 
 
 Jumping, skipping, and gathering wild 
 flowers, they came at length to a lovely open
 
 160 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 space scooped out of the rock, as it seemed, 
 in the centre of which is a crystal spring, 
 which comes up sweet and clear into a stone 
 basin. 
 
 Upon this basin they read the name of 
 the great "Kosciusko;" and this was his 
 garden, where he used to sit for many hours 
 in the day reading his book, or admiring the 
 glorious works of God spread before him. 
 The children looked with love and admira- 
 tion upon the name and place where the 
 good and brave Pole had been; and the 
 boys audibly hoped that they would do some- 
 thing very noble and brave when they grew 
 up, so that everybody might speak well of 
 them. 
 
 As they drew near the house, they saw a
 
 THE CHILDREN'S LIFE. 161 
 
 lady sitting in the bowery porch with their 
 mother. 
 
 " Goodness ! " cried half a dozen of them, 
 " it's Aunt Fanny ! Did you ever 2 " And 
 thereupon they charged like a company of 
 cadets going to fire on the run, and shot 
 Aunt Fanny with a whole volley of kisses. 
 
 It was really a wonder she looked so well 
 after it ; fifty kisses in a minute is pretty se- 
 vere loving ; but Aunt Fanny only laughed 
 when she could catch her breath, and, taking 
 Minnie on her lap, asked what particular fun 
 and mischief they had been about lately. 
 
 Then didn't they have a grand time, tell- 
 ing about their journey ? and the wonderful 
 fairy adventures of Charley 2 And Charley, 
 who was sitting leaning against his mother, 
 11
 
 162 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 declared that lie could not have dreamt them, 
 because he remembered them all so well, and 
 he had felt so much better ever since the beau- 
 .tiful fairy Queen had taken him in charge. 
 
 " Why," cried Aunt Fanny, " I shall have 
 to go back to Idlewild, where I passed two 
 delightful hours this morning, right away, 
 and tell all this to the lovely children I saw 
 there. I am sure Edith, and Daisy, and 
 sweet little Bailey, would go straightway 
 down to their beautiful Glen, to hunt up the 
 fairies that no doubt live there hidden under 
 the ferns and mosses, so fairily fine and deli- 
 cate. 
 
 " O Aunt Fanny ! " cried the children, 
 " do tell us about Idlewild and dear little 
 Edith, and Daisy, and Bailey Idlewild."
 
 THE CHILDREN'S LIFE. 163 
 
 * 
 
 " That is not the name of the children, 
 you monkeys," said Aunt Fanny, laughing, 
 " any more than you are Harry and Minnie 
 Nightcap. It is the fanciful, dreamily sweet 
 name of the place; and the pure life and 
 neighborly love ever adorning and brighten- 
 ing that graceful and kindly house-roof, 
 make June sunshine all over the lovely place 
 the year round." 
 
 " Ah ! how delightful it must be," cried 
 the children ; " do tell us, Aunt Fanny, all 
 about your visit." 
 
 " Well, to begin at the beginning, I went 
 up to Cornwall upon some business, and I 
 staid all night at a house just this side of the 
 beautiful Idle wild Glen. In the evening I 
 was invited to go to a Sunday-school cele-
 
 164 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 ^ 
 
 bration ; I was very glad to get this invita- 
 tion, "because I love children so much. The 
 services were all very interesting, but the 
 best thing of all was a most beautiful story 
 which was told, to prove the blessed effect of 
 love upon the heart, and how much better it 
 was to govern by love, than by fear and con- 
 tinual punishment." 
 
 " We know that ! " exclaimed the chil- 
 dren, " that's the very way mother governs 
 us don't you, mamma ? " and they all had 
 to give her a kiss before they said, " Please 
 go on, Aunt Fanny ; do tell us the story." 
 
 " The teacher said it was true, every word 
 of it, but I do not know whether he got it 
 out of a book, or whether it happened to 
 some children he knew ; perhaps you have 
 read it already."
 
 THE CHILDREN'S LIFE. 165 
 
 " O dear ! no, we haven't, I'm sure," said 
 the children, " and if we have, your way of 
 telling it will make it new again. Come, 
 Aunt Fanny, tell the story." 
 
 "Well, then, here it is Once on a 
 time a good old farmer said to his wife, 
 1 Wife, you know poor neighbor Jones died 
 a little while ago, and hiy little son Johnny 
 is left alone in the world. Suppose we take 
 him ? One more will make very little differ- 
 ence. Shall we ? ' 
 
 " l O deary me ! no,' said the wife, 1 1 
 wouldn't have him among our children for 
 any thing ! Why, he's worse than a little 
 heathen ! ' 
 
 " ' So he is,' said the farmer, ' I'm a little 
 afraid to try it myself that's a fact ! '
 
 166 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 " Now while the old farmer was talking, 
 he was also busily engaged in eating his din- 
 ner of pork and greens, and his children had 
 kept their ears open, and had heard all that 
 was said. 
 
 " Presently one of the boys, whose name 
 was Luke, looked up and said, ' Father, you 
 know we send one good missionary among a 
 great many heathen. Now, why can't we 
 bring this one little heathen among a great 
 many good people ? I'll lend Johnny my 
 kite and ball, and we'll be so kind to him he 
 will never want to be bad. Father, WE'LL 
 
 LOVE HIM GOOD.' 
 
 " The good old farmer, who tried his best 
 to keep God's holy commandments, and es- 
 pecially to ' love his neighbor,' thought this an
 
 THE CHILDREN'S LIFE. 167 
 
 excellent plan ; so he brought Johnny home 
 with him the very next day. 
 
 "Sure enough, Johnny was worse than 
 any heathen. He broke the good little boy's 
 ball, tore his kite all to pieces, pulled little 
 Susie's hair, pinched the baby, kicked the 
 small children, and butted the large boys 
 with his head, and, in short, behaved so 
 badly, that they were all nearly crying: 
 still they would not give up Luke's plan, but 
 kept on trying to be kind to him. 
 
 " But it was all of no use ; Johnny was 
 really a dreadful boy. At last the old farmer 
 said, ' Well, we can't go on so with Johnny ; 
 he must have obedience knocked into him 
 like a nail in a plank of wood. I must try if 
 I can't whip him into better behavior : ' so
 
 168 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 he beat the bad boy, and whipped him, and 
 shook him till his teeth rattled in his head, 
 and his hair was all in a friz . about his eyes. 
 But, alas ! it did no good ; Johnny was as 
 bad as ever. 
 
 " Then the farmer said, ' Wife, this is a 
 very bad business ; whipping does not make 
 Johnny any better ; we must try if we can't 
 STAEVE the obstinacy out of him/ 
 
 " ' I don't like to do that,' said the wife. 
 
 " ' But it must be done,' answered the old 
 farmer ; ' it is our duty to try to make him 
 a good boy.' 
 
 " So they shut him up in the great garret, 
 where paper bags of dried herbs, and strings 
 of red peppers, and great cobwebs, kept him 
 company. They gave him nothing to eat
 
 THE CHILDREN'S LIFE. 169 
 
 and drink but dry bread and a cup of 
 water. 
 
 " Every now, and then the farmer's wife 
 would come, tap at the door, and say, 
 1 Johnny, will you be good now f ' and John- 
 ny would shout out in a fierce defiant voice, 
 ' No ! no ! I won't ! You may lock me up 
 forever and ever, and I won't be good.' So 
 the poor farmer's wife would heave a sigh 
 and go away. 
 
 " All the morning little Susie had been 
 very silent, with the tears just trembling on 
 her eyelids. She felt very much grieved 
 that Johnny was such a bad boy, and she 
 could not bear to think of him in the lonely 
 garret with no company but his wicked 
 thoughts: so, after dinner, she crept softly
 
 170 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 up to her mother, and said, ' Mother, I think 
 I can get Johnny to be good, if you will let 
 me try.' 
 
 " ' Well,' said her mother, smoothing her 
 hair lovingly, ' what is your plan ? ' 
 
 " ' Why, mother,' answered the little girl, 
 ' I will go and tell Johnny that I will be 
 locked up instead of him, and he may go 
 play with my dear little boat that brother 
 made, and named for me.' 
 
 "The mother looked at her a moment with 
 a loving tear swelling in her eyes, then she 
 said, * Very well, you may go.' 
 
 " So Susie took down the key of the gar- 
 ret, which hung behind the door, and went 
 up stairs, unlocked the door, and then tapped 
 gently. 'Johnny, may I come in?' said 
 she.
 
 THE CHILDREN'S LIFE. 171 
 
 " l What do you want now f ' grumbled 
 the bad boy. Susie went in, and going 
 softly up to him, she said ' Johnny, mother 
 says you may go and play with my little 
 boat this afternoon, and I will be locked up 
 instead.' 
 
 " I am ashamed to say that Johnny was 
 mean enough to accept this offer, and let the 
 little girl bear his punishment ; for without 
 even stopping to thank her, he started up 
 and made off, slamming the door behind 
 him, and locking it with a spiteful snap. 
 
 " He had a famous time sailing the pretty 
 little boat in the brook ; and only came in 
 at tea-time as hungry as a bear. 
 
 " After he had eaten a hearty meal of 
 bread and butter, baked pears, and a great
 
 172 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 piece of nice gingerbread, he noticed that 
 the farmer's wife commenced to clear away 
 the things, and then he remembered poor 
 little Susie. He sat silent a good while, but 
 at last he could not stand it any longer, and 
 he said ' Say ? ain't you agoing to give 
 that little gal up stairs any tea ? say ? ' 
 
 " ' Yes, Johnny,' answered the mother, 
 * you can take this to her,' and she handed 
 him a piece of dry bread on a plate. 
 
 "Johnny took the plate, carried it up 
 stairs, and began to kick and bang at the 
 door Thump ! bump ! thump ! 
 
 " ' Unlock it and come in,' cried Susie. 
 So Johnny did so, and went in; but when 
 he saw the dear little child sitting there so 
 patiently and smiling at him, a strange trem-
 
 THE CHILDREN'S LIFE. 173 
 
 bling came to his lips, and without saying a 
 word, he put down the plate, and darted 
 away. 
 
 " All that night Susie staid in the garret, 
 and slept as quietly and sweetly as if she 
 had been in her own little room. 
 
 " When the next day came, Johnny felt 
 very much like asking pardon for his bad 
 conduct, and begging that Susie might come 
 down from her captivity, while he took her 
 place ; but the sun was shining gloriously, 
 and Johnny thought of the little boat ; and 
 so, driving away the good thoughts and im- 
 pulses, he eat his breakfast, snatched up the 
 boat, and ran out to play. 
 
 " When dinner-time came, he was the very 
 first to come in, he was so hungry ; and soon
 
 174 FAIllY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 after the rest of the family, except one, took 
 their places. 
 
 " ' Where's Susie ? ' asked Johnny. 
 
 " ' She is locked up in the garret,' said 
 her mother. 
 
 " ' Can't she have any dinner ? ' 
 
 " ' Yes ; she can have some dry bread ; ' 
 and the farmer's wife gave him a piece on a 
 plate, as before. 
 
 "Johnny took it, and went slowly up 
 stairs. He opened the door. There sat 
 Susie, patient and silent. He put the plate 
 beside her, t>ut instead of going away, he 
 stood looking at her in silence. 
 
 " Presently he burst out with ' Susie ! 
 you're a fool, I say ! a perfect fool ! Before 
 I'd let myself be locked up, I'd I'd ' here
 
 THE CHILDREN'S LIFE. 175 
 
 Johnny stopped; a great lump came into 
 his throat, and was choking him. He drew 
 in his breath with a painful sob, and then 
 burst into an agony of tears, and rushing up 
 to Susie, he threw his arms about her neck, 
 and cried out 
 
 " ' O Susie ! Susie ! please forgive me. 
 I'll never be so bad again, never. They 
 might have whipped me forever, and starved 
 me forever, and it would just have made me 
 worse; but you (and here the great tears 
 came fast and faster) you have LOVED ME 
 
 GOOD.' : 
 
 " O h ! " cried the children, taking 
 
 long breaths, and wiping their eyes, " how 
 lovely ! what a good, good story what a 
 dear, darling Susie! She must have heard
 
 176 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 of mamma, when she wanted to love Johnny 
 good." 
 
 " Yes," said Aunt Fanny, " I think she 
 was very much like your dear mother, and 
 you children can hardly know what a blessed 
 lot is yours, in having a mother who rules 
 you by LOVE." 
 
 " Yes, we do ! yes, we do ! " cried the 
 children ; we know she is a perfect darling ; 
 and thereupon the little mother underwent 
 a series of caresses quite alarming to witness. 
 
 " And now about my visit to Idlewild," 
 said Aunt Fanny, when they were once more 
 quiet. " Soon after breakfast I commenced 
 my walk. I had to cross the wild and beau- 
 tiful ravine. I am afraid I looked a little 
 like a figure of fun, scrambling and scratch-
 
 THE CHILDREN'S LIFE. 177 
 
 ing down the slippery descent. I have no 
 doubt some of Charley's fairies were laugh- 
 ing at> me all the time ; and I am sure the 
 beautiful little waterfall did, as it came joy- 
 ously dancing down the great black rocks. 
 Really, some of the places were as slippery 
 as ice ; and I had to go a-sliding in the sum- 
 mer time, whether I wanted to or not." 
 
 " How nice ! " cried the children ; " that 
 would just have suited the old woman in 
 Mother Goose, who wanted her children to 
 slide on dry ground. You can't drown that 
 way, you know." 
 
 " Not exactly ; but at last I stood upon 
 
 the famous zigzag bridge, which is only a 
 
 single plank with a railing on one side, 
 
 made of a long, slender sapling. And now, 
 
 12
 
 178 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 upon ! The sun came in dimples and rip- 
 ples of light through the trees, and the 
 waterfall, with its soft white foam, talked to 
 me in a voice full of power and beauty, of 
 the greatness and goodness of God. 
 
 " When I got to the house, I was wel- 
 comed by its fair and gentle mistress with a 
 simple courtesy, that made me feel at home 
 at once. Very soon a sweet little maiden 
 came to me, and shyly offered her hand ; 
 she told me her name was Daisy, and then 
 she called her baby brother. He was afraid 
 of me at first, but when I said, ' Why, 
 Bailey, I know all about you. I know how 
 you fed the little birds last winter' " 
 
 " Oh," interrupted the children, " how
 
 THE CHILDREN'S LIFE. 179 
 
 did lie feed the little birds, Aunt Fan- 
 ny?" 
 
 " If you will put me in mind, I will tell 
 you by and by. Then Bailey looked at me 
 when I said that, with wide-open eyes ; and 
 I continued, ' I know all about the peacock, 
 too, so I do more, too.' 
 
 " Then he came right up to me, and laid 
 his dear little curly head in my lap, and 
 looking up in my face with his merry, bright 
 blue eyes, he said ' I've got a horse.' 
 
 " * Why, no ! You don't tell me so ! ' I 
 exclaimed. 'Why, I'm astonished! How 
 many legs has he ? ' 
 
 " ' Two, nailed fast, and two, kicking up in 
 the air/ 
 
 " ' My patience ! what a horse ! ' said I.
 
 180 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 " ' But come ! ' said the little darling fel- 
 low, pulling at my dress, ' come see my 
 horse ! come ! ' 
 
 " So Daisy and the mother, and Bailey 
 and I, went out of the room. Of course I 
 expected to be conducted to the stables ; but 
 we began to mount the stairs, and up we 
 went till we arrived at the third story, Bailey 
 holding me fast by the hand. We went into 
 a large room the children's play-room 
 from the windows of which there was a mag- 
 nificent view. Sitting at one of them, was 
 the kind, motherly-looking nurse, to whom I 
 was introduced as to an old friend. As I 
 pressed her hand, her eyes turned fondly 
 upon her mistress and the lovely children. 
 I looked around, and sure enough, in one cor-
 
 THE CHILDREN'S LIFE. 181 
 
 ner was a prancing charger, standing on his 
 hind legs, which were made fast to a spring 
 rocker, while the others were kicking up in 
 the air, just as Bailey had told me. 
 
 "Then the little fellow was lifted up on 
 his horse, and I said, " Get up, pony ; " and 
 then all of a sudden such a funny little shy 
 fit came over Bailey, that down went his curly 
 head on the horse's neck, and he very nearly 
 tumbled off. After that he dismounted, and 
 pulling down the prancing legs of the horse, 
 got between them, and holding fast, he had 
 a fine ride after an ingenious invention of his 
 own ; for, as the horse's legs rose in the air, 
 up went little Bailey, and then down he 
 came with a funny little stamp of his feet on 
 the carpet, which sent him into the air again.
 
 182 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 " Then the dear little fair-haired Daisy 
 showed me her birds, ' Buttercup ' and ' Prim- 
 rose,' and two others whose names I did not 
 hear ; and then we went down stairs again. 
 
 " In the charming library we met another 
 daughter, a lovely young lady, and a friend 
 who was visiting her. I knew this young 
 lady before, and loved her very much ; and 
 I was very glad to meet her ; and you may 
 be sure we were very merry together. 
 
 " Just then we heard Bailey's voice in 
 the hall, lifted up in loud wailing and weep- 
 ing. We all rushed out, thinking the sweet 
 little fellow had fallen down stairs. But he 
 was safe, though the great tears were run- 
 ning down his cheeks ; and he sobbed out, 
 ' Mamma ! mamma ! Edith won't come to see
 
 THE CHILDREN'S LIFE. 183 
 
 Aunt Fawny ! ' Dear little fellow ! It seems 
 that Edith was the shyest little maiden in 
 the world, and Bailey, in his loving endeavor 
 to get her to come to me, had first coaxed 
 her, then kissed her over and over again, and 
 at last, broken-hearted about it, had burst 
 into loud crying. Edith stood at the turn 
 of the stairs, ready to dart away ; and when 
 I said, ' Do come, darling come, little Edith,' 
 she fled like a frightened fawn, upon which 
 Bailey began lamenting again, and I had 
 hard work to bring the peace once more into 
 his little, loving, troubled heart. 
 
 "When we returned to the room, Miss 
 Laura, the young lady who was visiting the 
 family, told a funny story about Bailey. She 
 was walking in the beautiful glen before
 
 184 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 breakfast, and frolicking round <her were 
 Gouldy, and Caesar, and Bailey." 
 
 " Were they all boys ? or what ? " asked 
 the children. 
 
 " Not exactly, for two of them were dogs ; 
 but far better and gentler companions than 
 some boys I know. Gouldy was a dear old 
 fellow, that would not have hurt a hair of 
 your head for a thousand dollars in gold, 
 even if he knew about or cared for money ; 
 and Caesar Oh ! he was something and some- 
 body very extra indeed." 
 
 " What ! did he have horns on his head ?" 
 asked Harry. 
 
 " Not a horn ; but he once belonged to 
 the good and famous Dr. Kane, the great 
 Arctic explorer; and Caesar had seen as
 
 DR. KANE AND CEASAH IN THE AECTIC REGIONS.
 
 THE CHILDREN'S LIFE. 185 
 
 many icebergs and white bears as lie wanted 
 to, and a few over, I imagine ; for Dr. Kane 
 gave Mm to liis friend, the owner of Idle- 
 wild ; and the good dog tells his new master 
 every day by an extra flourish of his tail, 
 how happy he is, and how much he loves to 
 live in such a lovely place, and with such 
 lovely children. 
 
 " Well, as I was telling you, the dogs and 
 little Bailey were scampering here and there, 
 while Miss Laura walked in the glen, think- 
 ing how sweetly the rippling golden light 
 came down through the green leaves. After 
 a while she thought it was time to return, so 
 she called 'Come, Gouldy, come, Csesar, 
 come, Bailey. It is time to go home.' Up 
 bounded the two dogs at her bidding, but
 
 186 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 the darling little rogue, Bailey, pretended to 
 be very busy looking for something in the 
 grass. Then the dogs, seeing that he did not 
 mind, went leaping off, tumbling over each 
 other, pretending to bite, and growling at a 
 great rate. So Miss Laura walked a few 
 steps nearer Bailey, and called again ' Come, 
 Gouldy, come, Caesar, come, Bailey? The 
 dogs ran to her as before, but Bailey walked 
 as grave as any deacon, and looking side- 
 ways at her, with a merry twinkle in his blue 
 eyes, and a comical little chuckle, he said 
 ' Miss Laura, there is no dog of that name in 
 this place. 1 His face looked so full of fun 
 and mischief, that Miss Laura screamed out 
 laughing, and then Bailey laughed, and was 
 very glad he had been so funny."
 
 THE CHILDREN'S LIFE. 187 
 
 " What a funny little fellow," exclaimed 
 the children, " to make believe Miss Laura 
 did not mean him when she called. I do 
 wish he could come and play with us. He's 
 a darling ! Well, please go on Aunt Fanny." 
 
 " While we were sitting in the parlor, 
 Bailey brought me a superb book of engrav- 
 ings to look at. They were flowers. I only 
 wish you could have heard him telling me 
 the long names, slowly and carefully, in such 
 a sweet little voice ' This is the Rho-de-den- 
 dron,' and then giving a quick, satisfied sigh, 
 because he had gotten it all right. When 
 he showed me a picture of a splendid lily, I 
 looked at the beautiful flower, and then at 
 his innocent baby-brow, and in his unclouded 
 eyes, through which the immortal soul shone
 
 188 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 purer and whiter than any lily, and softly 
 said ' Consider the lilies of the field ; they 
 toil not, neither do they spin ; ' and as I bent 
 over to kiss this immortal lily, I heard the 
 gentle little mother murmur ' Yet Solomon 
 in all his glory was not arrayed like one of 
 these.' Truly the innocence of a little child 
 invests him with a greater glory than any 
 this world can give. Why may we not al- 
 ways retain it, pure and undefiled ? 
 
 " At last the carriage came to take me 
 away ; and they all bid me a kind adieu ; 
 and Bailey and Daisy kissed me so lovingly, 
 that I felt the kisses all the way to my heart, 
 where I mean to keep the memory of them 
 as long as I live. Wonderful to relate, some- 
 thing happened at the very last moment, that
 
 THE CHILDREN'S LIFE. 189 
 
 made Bailey dance with delight, for Edith, 
 shy Edith, ran to me and put up her sweet 
 pink and white cheek for a kiss ; and so I 
 left beautiful Idlewild, a very happy Aunt 
 Fanny." 
 
 The children were delighted with this 
 account, which Minnie called " a very nice 
 inscription? 
 
 " And now about the birds, Aunt Fanny. 
 You know you told us to put you in mind." 
 
 " Oh, yes. Well, I will try to remember 
 what I read in the Home Journal a year ago 
 about the dear little winter birds at Idlewild." 
 
 " There is a charming study at the north- 
 west corner of the house ; and the father of 
 Daisy, and Edith, and Bailey, began his beau- 
 tiful little story, by saying that he had two
 
 190 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 very sociable sets of visitors in his study 
 early every morning. First the little folks 
 jump out of their beds, and run in to him in 
 their slippers and nightgowns, just as Laina 
 the cook, with her kind dark face, comes 
 along with the tea-tray for him, and bread 
 for the second set of visitors. The children 
 crumble the bread very joyfully and care- 
 fully, and the window is quickly opened, (for 
 it is winter, and snowing,) and the bread-feast 
 is spread out over the roof of the portico. 
 
 " Then the children cluster round the fire, 
 and talk about the dogs and the peacock 
 and their lessons, keeping one eye upon the 
 window, near which the snow-white hemlocks 
 are bowing in the wintry wind. 
 
 "Presently 'Hush! There they are!'
 
 THE CHILDREN'S LIFE. 191 
 
 and the little nightgowns flutter softly to the 
 window, and gaze lovingly at fifteen or 
 twenty little birds, in only their' bare feet 
 and feathers, who have come with the first 
 peep of dawn, and are made happy with a 
 bountiful breakfast. They were dear old 
 birds, that had been before, and no doubt 
 some invited friends. Such a nice time as 
 they all have ! inside the window and out ; 
 and the children are so delighted that they 
 can soften the winter for those poor little 
 houseless ones out in the cold, who, remem- 
 bering the kindness of last year, came so 
 trustingly again. It was this confidence and 
 love that was shown by the dear little birds, 
 that made the children so glad ; and a rosier, 
 happier troop of little folk, could hardly be
 
 192 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 found than this early morning party in Idle- 
 wild study." 
 
 " Oh ! oh ! how sweet ! how lovely ! " 
 cried the children. " How we wish we lived 
 at Idlewild, or at any rate in the country, 
 where we could feed the little birds. We 
 wish it would snow like every thing this very 
 minute." 
 
 Aunt Fanny laughed, and said she was 
 delighted, the story had pleased them so 
 much, but was afraid she had not done it 
 justice, as it had been most beautifully told 
 in the Home Journal ; but she could not re- 
 member the exact words. 
 
 After tea that evening, the whole family 
 went out in a large row-boat. It was bright 
 moonlight. A light breeze stole through
 
 THE WICKED WATER FAIRY.
 
 THE CHILDREN'S LIFE. 193 
 
 the tree-tops, making soft music ; and it was 
 so still and sweet on the water, that every- 
 body felt a thrill of delight. 
 
 Charley had been carried down to the 
 water, and he sat in* the bow of the boat, 
 leaning his head upon his mother's breast. 
 He was in no pain, and soothed by the mea- 
 sured and musical drip of the oars, he closed 
 his blue eyes and fell into a sweet sleep. 
 
 In a few moments he was awakened by 
 a tap upon his arm ; opening his eyes, he be- 
 held, close by him, seated upon the back of 
 a flying-fish, an ugly kelpie, or water-fairy, 
 with a malevolent, evil aspect, who regarded 
 him with a look of hate. 
 
 " Come out of the boat ! come out of the 
 boat ! " he said, in a baleful whisper. 
 13
 
 194 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 Spite of his terror and shrinking, Char- 
 ley felt himself impelled to lean over and 
 look down into the moon-lit water. 
 
 Oh ! what frightful forms he saw ! Some 
 riding on crabs, some on great leeches, and 
 more on the backs of flying-fishes, who took 
 tremendous leaps in the air, while their 
 riders nttered frantic yells of delight. 
 
 The poor boy felt that some horrible but 
 irresistible power was dragging him down, 
 down into the deep water, where these 
 wicked imps would bury him in some dark 
 cave. He struggled to resist the impulse to 
 plunge, but it grew stronger and stronger, 
 till, with a faint moan of despair, he was just 
 yielding to his hapless fate, when the sound 
 of distant fairy music broke upon his ear, and
 
 THE BATTLE OF THE FAIRIES.
 
 THE CHILDREN'S LIFE. 195 
 
 raising his head, he beheld, riding swiftly 
 down on the moonbeams, in all the pomp 
 and blazonry of military equipment, a band 
 of armed fairy knights, with Firefly at their 
 head. On they came, with dash and hurry, 
 and soon the air was darkened with arrows 
 and javelins hurled at the hateful water- 
 sprites. 
 
 Fast and sharp they came, and in a very 
 few moments a still more brilliant light 
 gleamed from the eyes of the victorious 
 army, as the kelpies, after a short but furi- 
 ous resistance, sank yelling with rage and 
 disappointment beneath the wave, and the 
 water became still and glassy as before. 
 
 The agitated boy heard a tiny but hearty 
 shout of triumph, and then the brave little
 
 196 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 fairy soldiers, after kissing their hands and 
 waving their gossamer scarfs at Charley, 
 turned and flew on their light and winged 
 steeds, towards - the beautiful hollow from 
 which the good Queen had sent them, for 
 she -knew, by her fairy power, .the danger 
 her beloved Charley was in. 
 
 The music, faint and sweet, lingered till 
 the last lance had flashed in the moonbeams, 
 as it disappeared over the tall tree-tops, and 
 then it died insensibly away, so lingering 
 were the delicious notes. 
 
 Then the wondering boy looking round, 
 saw only the bright moon, the still water, 
 
 and the row-boat full of his brothers and 
 
 
 
 sisters. 
 
 " Why, Charley," said his mother, kiss-
 
 THE CHILDREN'S LIFE. 197 
 
 ing him, " you have had a nice little sleep ; 
 haven't you 3 " 
 
 " Sleep 2 Oh no ! " answered the bewil- 
 dered child. " Did you see the battle ? " 
 
 " BATTLE ! " screamed all the children. 
 " Why, Charley, you must be getting crazy ! " 
 
 " Not at all," said Charley, very earnestly, 
 " this time it really happened ; " and he told 
 of the battle of the fairies, while the children 
 opened their eyes and mouths so wide with 
 astonishment, that their faces looked all 
 holes ; and they stared with all their might 
 up at the moonbeams and down into the 
 water, in the hope that at least some one 
 fairy might have found it necessary to see 
 Charley safe on dry land ; but I am sorry to 
 have to relate that they were not gratified
 
 198 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 with a sight, though their very eye-balls 
 stuck out, so intense and eager did they look, 
 and so sure was Charley that he had not 
 been asleep. 
 
 Had lie been asleep f 
 
 And now, for more than a month after 
 this, Charley and the rest of the children 
 lived a most delightful life. They were up 
 at drum*beat every morning. They would 
 not have missed a parade on any account 
 whatever, that is, all except Charley, and he 
 enjoyed it almost as much as the rest. They 
 were so enthusiastic and glowing in their de- 
 scriptions. They even went to a stag-dance 
 at night, and almost killed themselves laugh- 
 ing at the cadets. 
 
 This stag-dance is performed on the
 
 THE CHILDREN'S LIFE. 199 
 
 green. A ring is formed, and a tallow can- 
 dle is stuck in a cut potato, and placed at 4n- 
 tervals round the circle ; and within this not 
 very brilliant illumination, the cadets dance 
 with each other to the excellent music of the 
 band. Those who personate ladies, take 
 hold of their little bob-tailed jackets, and 
 prink and mince, and take fine airs upon 
 themselves, and look so precisely like fine 
 ladies, that the real fine ladies looking at 
 them, want to give them a good shaking. 
 
 But the children went off into fits of 
 laughter at the long and quizzical shadows 
 on the ground. When the cadets dance a 
 figure, their shadows look like a company of 
 sickly, melancholy monkeys, which dodge 
 about in a distracting way, and look so irre-
 
 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 sistibly funny, that everybody shouts with 
 laughter and it is a very merry spectacle. 
 
 Then this pleasant family had the most 
 delightful tea parties in an arbor at the 
 back of the house. To be sure the ear-wigs 
 and daddy-long-legs, would drop into their 
 tea once in a while, making them first squeal, 
 and jump up, and then laugh, and a grass- 
 hopper or two, would hop suddenly on the 
 cake, and hop more suddenly off, before they 
 could catch him ; but what of that ? Some 
 people shriek so if a grasshopper hops near 
 them, you would think it was an elephant 
 come to pack them up in his trunk, for the 
 rest of their lives ; but these children had 
 more sense, and did not mind a little insect 
 a thousand times smaller than themselves.
 
 THE CHILDREN'S LIFE. 201 
 
 * * * * 
 
 A:ND now I must come to a sad, sad part 
 of my story I dread to begin it and would 
 gladly have told you a great deal more about 
 the fairies, and what they did for Charley ; 
 but Mr. Appleton says, you would not like 
 to have the same story go through two 
 bookstand this, I am afraid, is already too 
 long. 
 
 But I must relate one circumstance. 
 Charley had retired to his little bed one 
 evening earlier than usual ; dark, lowering 
 clouds had sped quickly over the sky, soon 
 after he fell asleep. The tops of the high 
 trees, skirting the fairy hollow, waved * rest- 
 lessly to and fro, and the angry growls of the 
 thunder portended a violent storm. This
 
 202 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 night, there was to have been a festival in 
 the beautiful hollow. 
 
 As the fairies flew along in the troubled 
 air, and the Queen tried vainly to charm 
 away the coming tempest, (for they were to 
 carry Charley to the hollow that night,) a 
 dark form, like gathered mist, went slowly 
 past, her head bent, her arms folded. 
 
 And now, the lightnings came with a 
 blinding glare, and the grand booming of 
 Heaven's artillery awoke the solemn echoes. 
 Fast the affrighted, shuddering fairies sped 
 away, to hide under the fern leaves, and in 
 the tiny caves at the foot of the rocks. But 
 the misty, shadowy form still floated past, till 
 it arrived at the open window of Charley's 
 room.
 
 THE ANGEL OF DEATH.
 
 THE CHILDREN'S LIFE. 203 
 
 With noiseless motion it glided to the 
 bed, bent over Charley, and whispered in a 
 soft, sweet voice, " Beloved one, you are taken 
 away in your early and lovely spring-time, 
 because for you, to live, is to suffer. You 
 will go where there are no storms, no sor- 
 rows, no sufferings ; clasped in my arms, you 
 will sleep, and be at rest forever." 
 
 And Charley smiled lovingly upon the 
 ANGEL OF DEATH, and his sleep grew deeper, 
 and calmer, and sweeter. But the next day, 
 he told his mother, and sisters, and brothers, 
 of his mournful visitor, who had passed out 
 of the window into the veiling clouds, and 
 disappeared. The children burst into pas- 
 sionate weeping, and clasped him in their 
 arms, and refused to let him go. The little
 
 204 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 mother knew he had been dreaming as be- 
 fore ; but alas ! she knew also only too well, 
 that her darling's time had come. He suf- 
 fered no pain ; but he became weaker and 
 weaker, and life was slowly but surely ebb- 
 ing away. Consumption, that fell disease, 
 had nearly finished her baleful work, and 
 his lamp of life, flickering and dim, would 
 soon pass away into the dark valley of the 
 shadow of death. 
 
 God knew best, and in His infinite wis- 
 dom saw fit to take Charley out of this 
 wearisome world, in which, if he had lived, 
 he would suffer so much. 
 
 But the child was so much beloved. He 
 was the sunlight of the house / and the pang 
 of parting would be so cruel. They knew
 
 THE CHILDBEN'S LIFE. 205 
 
 that they "would meet again in the place 
 Jesus had prepared for them in His Father's 
 house they knew tliat / but how could they 
 help grieving now ? 
 
 The good doctor came every day, and 
 used his utmost skill, for he dearly loved the 
 sweet, patient child ; but it was of no avail, 
 Charley's everlasting HOME was ready for 
 him. 
 
 Slowly and sadly the poor children wan- 
 dered around ; for their sorrow pressed like 
 a weight upon them. They would come 
 softly to his bedside, smooth his golden hair, 
 and kiss his forehead, and hope he would yet 
 get well; then seeing his pallid face, and 
 little wasted hands lying so still outside of 
 the white bedspread, they would go hastily
 
 206 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 away, and shed bitter, bitter tears; vainly 
 struggling to repress them, lest lie should 
 hear and be grieved. 
 
 The joyous little birds still sang in the 
 trees ; the majestic Highlands still rose in 
 the blue air ; and the splendid sunset clouds 
 still covered their summits with a glory ; the 
 glittering water was beautiful as ever. The 
 drums beat to reveille, and crowds of gay 
 people walked about the parade-ground. 
 
 And Charley was dying. 
 
 Even now, the loving guardian angels 
 were waiting on the other side of the dark 
 valley, to conduct this summer blossom to 
 his heavenly home. Myriads of little chil- 
 dren were tuning their golden harps, to greet 
 his purified spirit with a hymn of joyful wel- 
 come, and Jesus was saying, " Come."
 
 THE CHILDEEN'S LIFE. 207 
 
 And now, his last day on earth was pass- 
 ing lovely and serene. Charley's little bed 
 had been moved in the afternoon, close to 
 the open window, where he could see the 
 white sails gliding by on the smooth silvery 
 water. A peace from within, not of this 
 world, illuminated his sweet face. He had 
 sent for all his brothers and sisters, and with 
 a faint voice, and at broken intervals, was 
 talking to them, and giving to each one some 
 little trifle belonging to him ; and one by 
 one, convulsed with sobs, they would rush 
 from the room and after a painful struggle 
 would return, with their tears forced back ; 
 their loving gaze fastened upon him, whom 
 in a few short hours they would see no more. 
 
 When the good doctor entered, and saw
 
 208 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 that the end was so near ? his features worked 
 painfully, and covering his face with his 
 hands, in another moment the great scalding 
 tears trickled through. This brave man, in 
 the midst of battle, with the death strokes 
 falling right and left, and the great cannons 
 booming destruction before him, had walked 
 without fear or flinching among the dead 
 and wounded, giving help and succor; but 
 now, loving and tender-hearted as he was 
 brave, he had covered his face, and was weep- 
 ing like a child. 
 
 " Tell the doctor not to cry," whispered 
 the dying boy. " I am going home to Jesus. 
 I am going now" he said, with a gasping 
 sis:h. " Kiss me, mother. Oh ! how I thank 
 
 o / 
 
 you for all your love and kindness. I thank
 
 THE CHILDREN'S LIFE. 209T 
 
 you all ; I bless you all. GOD bless you all ; " 
 and thus to the end, grateful and loving, 
 Charley spoke his last words. 
 
 For now his silken hair lay heavy and 
 damp upon his snow-white forehead ; and as 
 the solemn twilight deepened into shade, and 
 the first star broke like a promise in the sky, 
 one little upward fluttering sigh was heard, 
 and they knew that this life was ended, and 
 Charley was winging his bright way to 
 HEAVEN. 
 
 Not a word was spoken, not a sob broke 
 the stillness. The moonbeams, struggling 
 into the room, disclosed the little mother on 
 her knees by the small white couch, her head 
 buried in the white coverings. The children 
 sat sorrow-stricken, motionless, almost breath- 
 14
 
 210 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 less, their eyes fastened on the face of the 
 dead child, in a despairing hope that he 
 might speak again ; but not a breath stirred 
 those still lips. The good doctor, after a 
 while, tenderly raised the heart-broken 
 mother, and led her away, and then sending 
 for some kind neighbors, they gently and 
 lovingly prepared the remains of Charley for 
 their last quiet resting-place. 
 
 How lovely now looked what was left 
 of the good and lovely boy. The glistening 
 golden curls pressed closely around the 
 broad, open brow, white as a lily, and a 
 heaven-sent smile just parted the pale lips. 
 The leaves of a cluster of white roses curled 
 around his little hands, which were folded so 
 tenderly above his stilled and quiet heart ;
 
 THE CHILDREN'S LIFE. 211 
 
 and every flower that lie loved was placed 
 with, tears and kisses all about him. 
 
 But oh ! what a desolate cry arose in 
 those children's hearts when the little coffin 
 was closed, and the sweet, peaceful face was 
 seen no more. Charley was in heaven 
 Charley was happy, but they wanted him, 
 they wanted him. 
 
 It seemed so cruel that the world should 
 go on gay as ever, and their Charley dead. 
 They wondered, as they came on board the 
 boat, which was to carry what was left of 
 their darling back to New York, they won- 
 dered why every face was not tearful, when 
 theirs was so full of sorrow. 
 
 They made a little grave for him in the 
 beautiful Greenwood Cemetery. The soft
 
 212 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 moonlight sleeps lovingly upon it, and people 
 tread lightly as they approach and read the 
 name of " LAME CHAELEY." 
 
 Slowly and sadly passed the rest of the 
 summer, for the little mother told no more 
 stories. Once she tried, for she could not 
 bear to see the sad faces of her children; 
 v alas ! that one vanished face, with its sweet, 
 grateful smile, and little tender ways, came 
 before her, and the story was lost in a flood 
 of tears. 
 
 But late one lovely evening, as she was 
 sitting by the open window, thinking of her 
 loved and lost one, some friend, unseen be- 
 neath, sang these words, to a sweet and ten- 
 der melody
 
 THE CHILDREN'S LIFE. 213 
 
 " Mildly, sweet summer moon, 
 
 Shine on this mother, weeping; 
 Whisper within her heart, 
 ' He is not dead, "but sleeping.' 
 
 " Softly, sweet summer stars, 
 Evermore vigil keeping, 
 Tell her, in steadfast tones, 
 1 He is not dead, but sleeping.' 
 
 " Gently, sweet summer wind, 
 
 All things in perfume steeping; 
 Breathe in her sorrowing soul, 
 1 He is not dead, but sleeping ; 
 
 " ' And safe in Jesus' arms, 
 
 His great reward is reaping.' 
 Up ! mother, up ! and cry, 
 1 He is not dead, but sleeping.' " 
 
 A faint flush passed over the mother's
 
 214 FAIRY NIGHTCAPS. 
 
 pale cheek, for she knew that some one who 
 loved her, had thus tenderly warned her 
 that her grief was not endured as hopefully 
 as it should be. She had not remembered 
 that her beloved Charley was only " gone 
 before, not lost." 
 
 With an earnest, prayerful effort, she 
 once more grew cheerful, and with her cheer- 
 fulness came happiness to the children's 
 hearts, though they all their lives will re- 
 member their good, pure, and tenderly be- 
 loved brother whom you, dear little reader, 
 also love, and know as 
 
 LAME CHARLEY. 
 
 Dear little readers, you and I have now 
 
 followed Charley together through six books,
 
 THE CHILDREN'S LIFE. 215 
 
 in which his life, and the lives of his brothers 
 and sisters, have been faithfully portrayed. 
 If the good and pure life of the little lame 
 child, now happy in heaven, gives you one. 
 steadfast resolution, to endeavor, from this 
 time forth, to lead a good and pure life, it 
 will gladden the inmost heart of your loving 
 
 AUNT 
 
 THE END.
 
 f ropartet 
 
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 This book is DUE on the last 
 date stamped below 
 
 UNT 
 
 5m-6,'41(3644)
 
 PZ7 
 
 327f [Barrow] - 
 The fairy 
 nicjhtcap.?. 
 
 PZ7 
 B27f 
 
 UC SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILI'