"These gifts have been saved for you these many years: use them as an
inward voice shall whisper you: I give you my blessing. The gods
attend you! Farewell."
The children at first walked on sorrowfully; but soon the gay spirits
of Goldilocks rebounded, and she waltzed hither and thither, like a
morsel of thistle-down.
"See, brother," said she, "we almost fly! What a glorious thing it is
to go on a pilgrimage! I am glad the beautiful Silver Age has come,
and Jupiter has given us leave to take a peep at the world!"
"All very well for you to say," moaned Despard; "you flit about as if
you had wings on your feet; while, as for me, it is true I move with
equal speed, but so painfully that I wonder my footprints are not
stained with blood."
Soon the children observed, not far off, a party of youths rowing on
the bosom of a lake. They sat in a rocking, unsteady little bark, but
were in gay spirits, blowing bubbles, watching idle clouds, and
throwing up empty shouts to be caught up and echoed by the hills.
"I wish we had not seen these happy people," sighed Despard; "for, if
you can believe me, sister, I really feel as if I must pelt them with
my arrows."
So saying, little Despard began to fire his poisonous darts at random.
"Why, brother," cried Goldilocks, in alarm, "are you possessed by the
furies? Take care how you aim, or you will surely do mischief."
Even as she spoke, several of the gay youths dropped to the bottom of
the boat, apparently wounded. Their companions pushed for the shore;
and Goldilocks almost flew, to pour into the red wounds her brother
had made the smooth healing oil from her flask.
"Poor dears," said she, pitying their pain, "I have done my best; and,
see! these ugly gashes are almost healed. I cannot promise you,
though, that they will not leave scars."
The youths thanked the sweet girl, and assured her it was almost a
pleasure to be wounded, if one might be nursed by such gentle hands as
hers. But as for Despard, it was hardly strange that they should look
upon the poor boy as a wicked little highwayman; or, at best, a saucy,
careless fellow.
Some of the older youths, however, patted him on the shoulder, and
said, "For your sweet sister's sake we can even endure your pranks."
"Do not despise me," said the boy, sadly; "for as I am moved, so must
I do. Not for the whole world would I fire a poisonous arrow, if the
mighty Jove did not compel me."
As they walked on, Despard, against his will, flung into the air a
quantity of winged torments, which he found stowed away in his wallet,
such as gnats, wasps, and flies.
"There, now," said sweet Goldilocks, ready to weep, "why could you not
look before you, and see those pretty children playing yonder in that
fragrant meadow?"
"I saw them," said Despard; "but what good did that do?"
"O brother, I wish the Golden Age would come again, and then you
would cease scattering mischief and trouble."
The little ones, suddenly stopped in their play by the army of
insects, ran hither and thither over the meadow, screaming with pain.
But Goldilocks appeared in the midst of them, with her shining hair,
violet eyes, and laugh like the music of a spring robin.
"Come to me," said she; "let me kiss away the stings."
In a very short space the children were soothed, and had forgotten
their trouble. Then they threw their little arms about Goldilocks'
neck, and begged her to stay and play with them.
"Sweet children, it is my mission,--so the stars say,--to travel all
over this world, from north to south. But, for all that, I will frolic
with you till the sun sets."
"Will the sad boy come too?" asked the children.
Goldilocks shook her bright curls. "He is planting a garden," said
she; "no need to ask him; he hears nothing while he is at play, and
his games are as solemn as midnight."
The children made believe that the beautiful Goldilocks, in her
rose-colored dress, with her beaming hair and flying feet, was a great
butterfly, which they were trying to catch. Now here, now there, the
glowing butterfly flitted from flower to flower, leading her followers
a merry chase. Every child thought to seize and hold her, for a kiss.
She laughed; and the breezes danced with her hair, like--
"Zephyr with Aurora playing,
As he met her once a-Maying."
But before any one had kissed or even touched her, she had
disappeared, leaving the children gazing into the air, and seeking
their late companion with tearful eyes.
Goldilocks had only gone back to Despard, who was still planting
flower-seeds.
"What a miserable game," said Goldilocks; "it is worse than playing
funeral! Who thought you could make flowers grow? Our old nurse said
it was only Demeter, the goddess, who could do that. Here, now, you
have called up a bristling crop of thistles and brambles? On my word,
Despard, it is a pity!"
"Well, well, Goldilocks, see what you can make of them. I am doomed to
work, though I don't wish it; and my work is always disagreeable,
though I can't tell why!"
Goldilocks knelt, and blew on the prickly plants with her sweet
breath. By the nodding of the next breeze, they were changed to roses,
violets, and hare-bells.
"It is pleasant to see any thing smile, even a flower," said
Goldilocks, laughing as she spoke.
"I think," replied Despard, "that this is a strange pilgrimage. I
believe our very thoughts are alive. I wish I could stop thinking."
By and by they came to a rude house,--as fine a one, though, as people
in the Silver Age had yet learned how to build. Despard paused, and
knocked gently. "Why linger here?" whispered his sister.
"I know not," sighed the boy, "but so must I do."
"How now, little ones? you startled me so!" cried a woman, opening the
door by the width of a crack.
"Let us come in," said Despard, sorrowfully; "we are two little
wanderers; and our hairs are wet with night-dews."
"Come in, then, little ones, and welcome; but never, at any one's
door, knock so loud again," added the woman, pressing her hand against
her heart.
"I only tapped with the ends of my fingers," said the boy.
"Ah," said the woman, "it was louder to me than thunder." Then, after
she had set before them a supper of bread and milk, she rocked her
baby, and sang to it a sweet cradle-song about mother Juno and high
Olympus.
The children lay down on beds of rushes; and Goldilocks, soothed by
the lullaby, fell asleep; but soon awoke, and saw her brother leaning,
on tiptoe, over the osier basket. The baby's face looked, in the
moonlight, white and pinched; and its sick hands were pressed together
like two withered rose-leaves.
"Let me kiss him," whispered Goldilocks smiling. But bitter tears
rolled down Despard's cheeks. Drawing his little sword from its
sheath, he pricked the baby's heart till one red drop, the life-drop,
stained the steel. The sick baby ceased to breathe.
"O Despard, what have you done?" cried Goldilocks, seizing his arm.
"I know not," said the boy; "but as my heart moves me, so must I do."
Hearing voices, the mother awoke, and, as her habit was, turned at
once to the cradle. The baby lay there beautiful and still; the
pinched look gone, and its furrowed brow smoothed into a baby's smile.
The mother wept bitterly.
"Ah, little stranger," said she, turning to Despard, "I knew you when
I let you in. Why did I open the door for you?"
"Poor mother," said the boy sorrowfully, "if you had not opened the
door, I must have come in by the window."
But Goldilocks threw her soft arms about the woman's neck, and
comforted her till it was morning, and the "gilded car of day" had
risen from the ocean. The tears on her cheeks she dried with her fan,
made of magical feathers.
When the children set out again on their journey, the woman gave
Goldilocks a loving kiss, and then embraced Despard, saying,--
"For the sake of your sweet sister, I love even you."
"Poor little brother," said Goldilocks when they had gone farther on
their journey, "you are as good as I; but how is it? you make people
weep, while I must go with you to dry the tears you call forth."
"I am a black cloud," groaned Despard, "you a sunbeam."
"But I like to have a cloud to shine on," said loving little
Goldilocks.
Footsore and weary, the little pilgrims travelled on; and, when they
had gone from north to south, and back again, the Sibyl met them with
tender kisses; and, when they were refreshed, bade them go forth
again.
"For," said she, "this world is always new, my dears. The people who
are born to-day were not here yesterday; and every mortal must see the
faces of my foster-children."
It was now the Brazen Age, and Despard and Goldilocks had grown to be
a youth and maiden; but still they travelled on. The Iron Age came;
and Despard's raven hair was frosted; but Goldilocks' curls never
faded. Let her live as long as live she may, she can never grow old.
Their pilgrimage is not over yet; nor will it be while the earth
revolves about the sun. The brother and sister come to every house;
they knock at every door.
To all the children who open their eyes upon the light, come Despard
and Goldilocks, the bitter and the sweet of life, the twin angels of
Happiness and Sorrow.