“Love-Blossom, you should not murmur. We may find happiness in seeking
to be patient even while we suffer. You are not forgotten or uncared
for, but others need our care more than you, and to those who take
cheerfully the pain and sorrow sent, do we most gladly give our help.
You need not be idle, even though lying here in darkness and sorrow;
you can be taking from your heart all sad and discontented feelings,
and if love and patience blossom there, you will be better for the
lonely hours spent here. Look on the bed beside you; this little dove
has suffered far greater pain than you, and all our care can never ease
it; yet through the long days he hath lain here, not an unkind word or
a repining sigh hath he uttered. Ah, Love-Blossom, the gentle bird can
teach a lesson you will be wiser and better for.”
Then a faint voice whispered, “Little Rose-Leaf, come quickly, or I
cannot thank you as I ought for all your loving care of me.”
So they passed to the bed beside the discontented bee, and here upon
the softest down lay the dove, whose gentle eyes looked gratefully upon
the Fairy, as she knelt beside the little couch, smoothed the soft
white bosom, folded her arms about it and wept sorrowing tears, while
the bird still whispered its gratitude and love.
“Dear Fairy, the fairest flowers have cheered me with their sweet
breath, fresh dew and fragrant leaves have been ever ready for me,
gentle hands to tend, kindly hearts to love; and for this I can only
thank you and say farewell.”
Then the quivering wings were still, and the patient little dove was
dead; but the bee murmured no longer, and the dew from the flowers fell
like tears around the quiet bed.
Sadly Rose-Leaf led Eva away, saying, “Lily-Bosom shall have a grave
tonight beneath our fairest blossoms, and you shall see that gentleness
and love are prized far above gold or beauty, here in Fairy-Land. Come
now to the Flower Palace, and see the Fairy Court.”
Beneath green arches, bright with birds and flowers, beside singing
waves, went Eva into a lofty hall. The roof of pure white lilies rested
on pillars of green clustering vines, while many-colored blossoms threw
their bright shadows on the walls, as they danced below in the deep
green moss, and their low, sweet voices sounded softly through the
sunlit palace, while the rustling leaves kept time.
Beside the throne stood Eva, and watched the lovely forms around her,
as they stood, each little band in its own color, with glistening
wings, and flower wands.
Suddenly the music grew louder and sweeter, and the Fairies knelt, and
bowed their heads, as on through the crowd of loving subjects came the
Queen, while the air was filled with gay voices singing to welcome her.
She placed the child beside her, saying, “Little Eva, you shall see now
how the flowers on your great earth bloom so brightly. A band of loving
little gardeners go daily forth from Fairy-Land, to tend and watch
them, that no harm may befall the gentle spirits that dwell beneath
their leaves. This is never known, for like all good it is unseen by
mortal eyes, and unto only pure hearts like yours do we make known our
secret. The humblest flower that grows is visited by our messengers,
and often blooms in fragrant beauty unknown, unloved by all save Fairy
friends, who seek to fill the spirits with all sweet and gentle
virtues, that they may not be useless on the earth; for the noblest
mortals stoop to learn of flowers. Now, Eglantine, what have you to
tell us of your rosy namesakes on the earth?”
From a group of Elves, whose rose-wreathed wands showed the flower they
loved, came one bearing a tiny urn, and, answering the Queen, she
said,—
“Over hill and valley they are blooming fresh and fair as summer sun
and dew can make them. No drooping stem or withered leaf tells of any
evil thought within their fragrant bosoms, and thus from the fairest of
their race have they gathered this sweet dew, as a token of their
gratitude to one whose tenderness and care have kept them pure and
happy; and this, the loveliest of their sisters, have I brought to
place among the Fairy flowers that never pass away.”
Eglantine laid the urn before the Queen, and placed the fragrant rose
on the dewy moss beside the throne, while a murmur of approval went
through the hall, as each elfin wand waved to the little Fairy who had
toiled so well and faithfully, and could bring so fair a gift to their
good Queen.
Then came forth an Elf bearing a withered leaf, while her many-colored
robe and the purple tulips in her hair told her name and charge.
“Dear Queen,” she sadly said, “I would gladly bring as pleasant tidings
as my sister, but, alas! my flowers are proud and wilful, and when I
went to gather my little gift of colored leaves for royal garments,
they bade me bring this withered blossom, and tell you they would serve
no longer one who will not make them Queen over all the other flowers.
They would yield neither dew nor honey, but proudly closed their leaves
and bid me go.”
“Your task has been too hard for you,” said the Queen kindly, as she
placed the drooping flower in the urn Eglantine had given, “you will
see how this dew from a sweet, pure heart will give new life and
loveliness even to this poor faded one. So can you, dear Rainbow, by
loving words and gentle teachings, bring back lost purity and peace to
those whom pride and selfishness have blighted. Go once again to the
proud flowers, and tell them when they are queen of their own hearts
they will ask no fairer kingdom. Watch more tenderly than ever over
them, see that they lack neither dew nor air, speak lovingly to them,
and let no unkind word or deed of theirs anger you. Let them see by
your patient love and care how much fairer they might be, and when next
you come, you will be laden with gifts from humble, loving flowers.”
Thus they told what they had done, and received from their Queen some
gentle chiding or loving word of praise.
“You will be weary of this,” said little Rose-Leaf to Eva; “come now
and see where we are taught to read the tales written on flower-leaves,
and the sweet language of the birds, and all that can make a Fairy
heart wiser and better.”
Then into a cheerful place they went, where were many groups of
flowers, among whose leaves sat the child Elves, and learned from their
flower-books all that Fairy hands had written there. Some studied how
to watch the tender buds, when to spread them to the sunlight, and when
to shelter them from rain; how to guard the ripening seeds, and when to
lay them in the warm earth or send them on the summer wind to far off
hills and valleys, where other Fairy hands would tend and cherish them,
till a sisterhood of happy flowers sprang up to beautify and gladden
the lonely spot where they had fallen. Others learned to heal the
wounded insects, whose frail limbs a breeze could shatter, and who,
were it not for Fairy hands, would die ere half their happy summer life
had gone. Some learned how by pleasant dreams to cheer and comfort
mortal hearts, by whispered words of love to save from evil deeds those
who had gone astray, to fill young hearts with gentle thoughts and pure
affections, that no sin might mar the beauty of the human flower; while
others, like mortal children, learned the Fairy alphabet. Thus the
Elves made loving friends by care and love, and no evil thing could
harm them, for those they helped to cherish and protect ever watched to
shield and save them.
Eva nodded to the gay little ones, as they peeped from among the leaves
at the stranger, and then she listened to the Fairy lessons. Several
tiny Elves stood on a broad leaf while the teacher sat among the petals
of a flower that bent beside them, and asked questions that none but
Fairies would care to know.
“Twinkle, if there lay nine seeds within a flower-cup and the wind bore
five away, how many would the blossom have?” “Four,” replied the little
one.
“Rosebud, if a Cowslip opens three leaves in one day and four the next,
how many rosy leaves will there be when the whole flower has bloomed?”
“Seven,” sang the gay little Elf.
“Harebell, if a silkworm spin one yard of Fairy cloth in an hour, how
many will it spin in a day?”
“Twelve,” said the Fairy child.
“Primrose, where lies Violet Island?”
“In the Lake of Ripples.”
“Lilla, you may bound Rose Land.”
“On the north by Ferndale, south by Sunny Wave River, east by the hill
of Morning Clouds, and west by the Evening Star.”
“Now, little ones,” said the teacher, “you may go to your painting,
that our visitor may see how we repair the flowers that earthly hands
have injured.”
Then Eva saw how, on large, white leaves, the Fairies learned to
imitate the lovely colors, and with tiny brushes to brighten the blush
on the anemone’s cheek, to deepen the blue of the violet’s eye, and add
new light to the golden cowslip.
“You have stayed long enough,” said the Elves at length, “we have many
things to show you. Come now and see what is our dearest work.”
So Eva said farewell to the child Elves, and hastened with little
Rose-Leaf to the gates. Here she saw many bands of Fairies, folded in
dark mantles that mortals might not know them, who, with the child
among them, flew away over hill and valley. Some went to the cottages
amid the hills, some to the sea-side to watch above the humble fisher
folks; but little Rose-Leaf and many others went into the noisy city.
Eva wondered within herself what good the tiny Elves could do in this
great place; but she soon learned, for the Fairy band went among the
poor and friendless, bringing pleasant dreams to the sick and old,
sweet, tender thoughts of love and gentleness to the young, strength to
the weak, and patient cheerfulness to the poor and lonely.
Then the child wondered no longer, but deeper grew her love for the
tender-hearted Elves, who left their own happy home to cheer and
comfort those who never knew what hands had clothed and fed them, what
hearts had given of their own joy, and brought such happiness to
theirs.
Long they stayed, and many a lesson little Eva learned: but when she
begged them to go back, they still led her on, saying, “Our work is not
yet done; shall we leave so many sad hearts when we may cheer them, so
many dark homes that we may brighten? We must stay yet longer, little
Eva, and you may learn yet more.”
Then they went into a dark and lonely room, and here they found a pale,
sad-eyed child, who wept bitter tears over a faded flower.
“Ah,” sighed the little one, “it was my only friend, and I cherished it
with all my lone heart’s love; ’t was all that made my sad life happy;
and it is gone.”
Tenderly the child fastened the drooping stem, and placed it where the
one faint ray of sunlight stole into the dreary room.
“Do you see,” said the Elves, “through this simple flower will we keep
the child pure and stainless amid the sin and sorrow around her. The
love of this shall lead her on through temptation and through grief,
and she shall be a spirit of joy and consolation to the sinful and the
sorrowing.”
And with busy love toiled the Elves amid the withered leaves, and new
strength was given to the flower; while, as day by day the friendless
child watered the growing buds, deeper grew her love for the unseen
friends who had given her one thing to cherish in her lonely home;
sweet, gentle thoughts filled her heart as she bent above it, and the
blossom’s fragrant breath was to her a whispered voice of all fair and
lovely things; and as the flower taught her, so she taught others.
The loving Elves brought her sweet dreams by night, and happy thoughts
by day, and as she grew in childlike beauty, pure and patient amid
poverty and sorrow, the sinful were rebuked, sorrowing hearts grew
light, and the weak and selfish forgot their idle fears, when they saw
her trustingly live on with none to aid or comfort her. The love she
bore the tender flower kept her own heart innocent and bright, and the
pure human flower was a lesson to those who looked upon it; and soon
the gloomy house was bright with happy hearts, that learned of the
gentle child to bear poverty and grief as she had done, to forgive
those who brought care and wrong to them, and to seek for happiness in
humble deeds of charity and love.
“Our work is done,” whispered the Elves, and with blessings on the two
fair flowers, they flew away to other homes;—to a blind old man who
dwelt alone with none to love him, till through long years of darkness
and of silent sorrow the heart within had grown dim and cold. No
sunlight could enter at the darkened eyes, and none were near to
whisper gentle words, to cheer and comfort.
Thus he dwelt forgotten and alone, seeking to give no joy to others,
possessing none himself. Life was dark and sad till the untiring Elves
came to his dreary home, bringing sunlight and love. They whispered
sweet words of comfort,—how, if the darkened eyes could find no light
without, within there might be never-failing happiness; gentle feelings
and sweet, loving thoughts could make the heart fair, if the gloomy,
selfish sorrow were but cast away, and all would be bright and
beautiful.
They brought light-hearted children, who gathered round him, making the
desolate home fair with their young faces, and his sad heart gay with
their sweet, childish voices. The love they bore he could not cast
away, sunlight stole in, the dark thoughts passed away, and the earth
was a pleasant home to him.
Thus their little hands led him back to peace and happiness, flowers
bloomed beside his door, and their fragrant breath brought happy
thoughts of pleasant valleys and green hills; birds sang to him, and
their sweet voices woke the music in his own soul, that never failed to
calm and comfort. Happy sounds were heard in his once lonely home, and
bright faces gathered round his knee, and listened tenderly while he
strove to tell them all the good that gentleness and love had done for
him.
Still the Elves watched near, and brighter grew the heart as kindly
thoughts and tender feelings entered in, and made it their home; and
when the old man fell asleep, above his grave little feet trod lightly,
and loving hands laid fragrant flowers.
Then went the Elves into the dreary prison-houses, where sad hearts
pined in lonely sorrow for the joy and freedom they had lost. To these
came the loving band with tender words, telling of the peace they yet
might win by patient striving and repentant tears, thus waking in their
bosoms all the holy feelings and sweet affections that had slept so
long.
They told pleasant tales, and sang their sweetest songs to cheer and
gladden, while the dim cells grew bright with the sunlight, and
fragrant with the flowers the loving Elves had brought, and by their
gentle teachings those sad, despairing hearts were filled with patient
hope and earnest longing to win back their lost innocence and joy.
Thus to all who needed help or comfort went the faithful Fairies; and
when at length they turned towards Fairy-Land, many were the grateful,
happy hearts they left behind.
Then through the summer sky, above the blossoming earth, they journeyed
home, happier for the joy they had given, wiser for the good they had
done.
All Fairy-Land was dressed in flowers, and the soft wind went singing
by, laden with their fragrant breath. Sweet music sounded through the
air, and troops of Elves in their gayest robes hastened to the palace
where the feast was spread.
Soon the bright hall was filled with smiling faces and fair forms, and
little Eva, as she stood beside the Queen, thought she had never seen a
sight so lovely.
The many-colored shadows of the fairest flowers played on the pure
white walls, and fountains sparkled in the sunlight, making music as
the cool waves rose and fell, while to and fro, with waving wings and
joyous voices, went the smiling Elves, bearing fruit and honey, or
fragrant garlands for each other’s hair.
Long they feasted, gayly they sang, and Eva, dancing merrily among
them, longed to be an Elf that she might dwell forever in so fair a
home.
At length the music ceased, and the Queen said, as she laid her hand on
little Eva’s shining hair:—
“Dear child, tomorrow we must bear you home, for, much as we long to
keep you, it were wrong to bring such sorrow to your loving earthly
friends; therefore we will guide you to the brook-side, and there say
farewell till you come again to visit us. Nay, do not weep, dear
Rose-Leaf; you shall watch over little Eva’s flowers, and when she
looks at them she will think of you. Come now and lead her to the Fairy
garden, and show her what we think our fairest sight. Weep no more, but
strive to make her last hours with us happy as you can.”
With gentle caresses and most tender words the loving Elves gathered
about the child, and, with Rose-Leaf by her side, they led her through
the palace, and along green, winding paths, till Eva saw what seemed a
wall of flowers rising before her, while the air was filled with the
most fragrant odors, and the low, sweet music as of singing blossoms.
“Where have you brought me, and what mean these lovely sounds?” asked
Eva.
“Look here, and you shall see,” said Rose-Leaf, as she bent aside the
vines, “but listen silently or you cannot hear.”
Then Eva, looking through the drooping vines, beheld a garden filled
with the loveliest flowers; fair as were all the blossoms she had seen
in Fairy-Land, none were so beautiful as these. The rose glowed with a
deeper crimson, the lily’s soft leaves were more purely white, the
crocus and humble cowslip shone like sunlight, and the violet was blue
as the sky that smiled above it.
“How beautiful they are,” whispered Eva, “but, dear Rose-Leaf, why do
you keep them here, and why call you this your fairest sight?”
“Look again, and I will tell you,” answered the Fairy.
Eva looked, and saw from every flower a tiny form come forth to welcome
the Elves, who all, save Rose-Leaf, had flown above the wall, and were
now scattering dew upon the flowers’ bright leaves and talking gayly
with the Spirits, who gathered around them, and seemed full of joy that
they had come. The child saw that each one wore the colors of the
flower that was its home. Delicate and graceful were the little forms,
bright the silken hair that fell about each lovely face; and Eva heard
the low, sweet murmur of their silvery voices and the rustle of their
wings. She gazed in silent wonder, forgetting she knew not who they
were, till the Fairy said,—
“These are the spirits of the flowers, and this the Fairy Home where
those whose hearts were pure and loving on the earth come to bloom in
fadeless beauty here, when their earthly life is past. The humblest
flower that blooms has a home with us, for outward beauty is a
worthless thing if all be not fair and sweet within. Do you see yonder
lovely spirit singing with my sister Moonlight? a clover blossom was
her home, and she dwelt unknown, unloved; yet patient and content,
bearing cheerfully the sorrows sent her. We watched and saw how fair
and sweet the humble flower grew, and then gladly bore her here, to
blossom with the lily and the rose. The flowers’ lives are often short,
for cruel hands destroy them; therefore is it our greatest joy to bring
them hither, where no careless foot or wintry wind can harm them, where
they bloom in quiet beauty, repaying our care by their love and
sweetest perfumes.”
“I will never break another flower,” cried Eva; “but let me go to them,
dear Fairy; I would gladly know the lovely spirits, and ask forgiveness
for the sorrow I have caused. May I not go in?”
“Nay, dear Eva, you are a mortal child, and cannot enter here; but I
will tell them of the kind little maiden who has learned to love them,
and they will remember you when you are gone. Come now, for you have
seen enough, and we must be away.”
On a rosy morning cloud, surrounded by the loving Elves, went Eva
through the sunny sky. The fresh wind bore them gently on, and soon
they stood again beside the brook, whose waves danced brightly as if to
welcome them.
“Now, ere we say farewell,” said the Queen, as they gathered nearer to
the child, “tell me, dear Eva, what among all our Fairy gifts will make
you happiest, and it shall be yours.”
“You good little Fairies,” said Eva, folding them in her arms, for she
was no longer the tiny child she had been in Fairy-Land, “you dear good
little Elves, what can I ask of you, who have done so much to make me
happy, and taught me so many good and gentle lessons, the memory of
which will never pass away? I can only ask of you the power to be as
pure and gentle as yourselves, as tender and loving to the weak and
sorrowing, as untiring in kindly deeds to all. Grant me this gift, and
you shall see that little Eva has not forgotten what you have taught
her.”
“The power shall be yours,” said the Elves, and laid their soft hands
on her head; “we will watch over you in dreams, and when you would have
tidings of us, ask the flowers in your garden, and they will tell you
all you would know. Farewell. Remember Fairy-Land and all your loving
friends.”
They clung about her tenderly, and little Rose-Leaf placed a flower
crown on her head, whispering softly, “When you would come to us again,
stand by the brook-side and wave this in the air, and we will gladly
take you to our home again. Farewell, dear Eva. Think of your little
Rose-Leaf when among the flowers.”
Long Eva watched their shining wings, and listened to the music of
their voices as they flew singing home, and when at length the last
little form had vanished among the clouds, she saw that all around her
where the Elves had been, the fairest flowers had sprung up, and the
lonely brook-side was a blooming garden.
Thus she stood among the waving blossoms, with the Fairy garland in her
hair, and happy feelings in her heart, better and wiser for her visit
to Fairy-Land.
“Now, Star-Twinkle, what have you to teach?” asked the Queen.
“Nothing but a little song I heard the hare-bells singing,” replied the
Fairy, and, taking her harp, sang, in a low, sweet voice:—