Maid Sally Part 2

"When the soft twilight of Fairy Town came gently down, there appeared a bed made of the feathers of the swan, so pure and white, the child feared to lie down upon it. But the Fairy playfully tossed her on the downy bed, then smiled to see how lovely it all appeared to the little one that nestled down, and was all ready for rest after the delights of Fairy Town.

"But the days pa.s.sed on and on, and lo! who could believe it? The child grew tired,--tired of the sweetness, the rest, the dove-drives, the do-nothing, care-nothing ease of Fairy Town!

"At first she could not believe so strange a thing was possible, and feared lest she was only stupid and ungrateful. But, alas! the downy, flowery, too easy life became more and more tiresome until, in trouble and distress, she went to the Fairy with a look in her eyes that the wise Fairy understood. Yet she asked kindly:

"'What is it, dear?'

"'Ah, good Fairy, I fear that I am but a naughty, naughty child.'

"'Have you done wrong?' asked the Fairy.

"'No, I have meant to do nothing wrong, good Fairy.'

"'Then, why feel troubled, dear? No one need really worry who has done no wrong. Tell me, what aileth thee?'

"'I have grown tired, dear Fairy.'

"The Fairy smiled.

"'Just as I knew you would,' she said.

"'You knew I would?' The child's eyes opened wide in surprise.

"'Yes; and shall I tell you why?'

"'Please do.'

"The beautiful face of the Fairy glowed with love and wisdom, and tiny sparks of light seemed to shoot forth from all about her head as she replied:

"'My little one, my precious one, truth is that every one who comes into the world has some work to do, and happiness, and sweet content, can come only through doing it. In your home you had errands on which to run, and lessons to learn.

"'Ah! there is the great secret of what young people need, and must have, if ever they are going to be worth much in the world--lessons!

"'But you did not like being useful, and doing the errands, nor did you want to study and learn your lessons. And so you thought that you were troubled and tired--only a fancy it was, however. So I wafted you to Fairy Town, where all is quiet, downy, flowery, full of ease, luxury, and feasting.

"'But, _because_ you have a mind to fill with useful, glorious knowledge, and a life to fill with good deeds, you could not live so really useless a round of nought but pleasure.

"'Go back to sweet duty, dear one, and remember that Fairy Town is not for a child of the great King of Heaven.'

"Then the child awoke, and, lo! she thirsted for Fairy Town no longer."

Lionel's pleasant voice ceased. For a moment it was quiet in the arbor, then there was a rustling sound, and Rosamond Earlscourt's clear voice rang out with a scornful note:

"Oh, indeed! and, indeed! Then that is the reason it hath been told that this Fairy story is a good one for all to read, both old and young.

Because it teacheth the need of learning, and of being useful in the world. I call it stupid!"

"I do not!" said Lionel; "how can one be fitted to live properly without a good degree of learning? And who would wish to live without being useful?"

"What mean you to do with all your wisdom?" laughingly asked his sister Lucretia.

Lionel had wandered from the summer-house, and stood on a broad stone near the edge of the wall. Sally could see him plainly, although there was little clanger of his seeing her. His head was held erect as he poised straight and strong, the look of a man in his face.

"I hope," he replied, "to make the best use of any knowledge I may gain that I possibly can. Every one should try to make the world better for having lived in it. And it is the learning that comes through study and books that one must have in order to rightly understand things. I bethink me our country is going to need men of the right kind before many years are past."

"The children of the poor cannot obtain the learning that comes through books," said Rosamond; "prithee, how much must it be with them?"

Lionel replied, stoutly:

"The lad or the maid who is determined to learn, and have the right place in the world, can find the way! The lad or the maid who pushes through everything that would hinder, and _will get_ learning in spite of difficulties, is the one to succeed and to be admired! We all must push our way. I mean to push mine!"

He spoke fearlessly as there he stood, a fine lad in fine garments that had been brought from across the sea; his fair, clinging hair had been pushed back from his white forehead, for he would have none of the queue worn by many very young men in those days. His waistcoat was daintily ruffled down the front, and a fall of lace was about his hands. A broad ring, with a clear white stone, glittered on one finger. His knee-breeches were of the finest gray linen, with gray satin bows and silver buckles at the knee bands. He wore, also, long gray stockings, "clocked," or with wrought figures up the sides, and pumps of polished leather with silver buckles in the rosettes.

The son of a gentleman, standing in the even-light, the fire of the right kind of ambition, and a set purpose in voice and eye, the sunset glow bringing out form and features like unto those of a young lord; and--down in the hedge, a poor, tangled, ill-kept little maid, gazing upon him even as she would have gazed upon a Prince in a Fairy story.

"Oh, he is a Prince!" gasped Sally. "He is like a Fairy Prince. He is _my_ Fairy Prince!"

Then the poor child flushed and trembled. The idea of having dared to think of young Lionel Grandison, son of Sir Percival and Lady Gabrielle Grandison, as belonging in the leastest degree to her, made her tingle with a kind of awe.

"n.o.body knows it but just me," thought Sally, "and I _will_ have him for my Fairy Prince. I can, way down in my heart-place; oh, I must, and I will."

She was very quiet for a few moments after that.

Then, all at once, something woke up in Sally. Something that had never awakened before. It was a sudden thought and knowledge of what she was herself.

"Only just a know-nothing!" she whispered, "a poor little old know-nothing!" and she hung her head. "Can't read! Can't write! Can't spell! Can't anything but just scrub and dub. Oh, he wouldn't speak to me, he wouldn't look at me! How sick my heart feels, and how tired I am!"

Then something else woke up in Sally. Something stirred in her heart for the first time. She tugged at her wretched little dress as she repeated:

"He said that the lad or the girl that was determined to get learning could find a way. Did you hear _that_, Sally Dukeen?"

CHAPTER IV.

THE FAIRY PRINCE

Very proud, very rich, very aristocratic was Sir Percival Grandison.

Very proud and handsome was the Lady Gabrielle Grandison, who came of the ancient house of Earlscourt, England. Proud and well educated was Lucretia, only daughter of Sir Percival and Lady Gabrielle. Rich, haughty, and pretty was Rosamond Earlscourt, niece of Lady Grandison, and a kind of ward, for Rosamond had no parents, and spent much time at Ingleside.

Last, but not least, first, in fact, in our story, comes Lionel, only and deeply beloved son of the Grandison household.

Lionel, no doubt, like the rest of the family, was proud of his good lineage. He had deep blue eyes, fair hair, a slightly beaky nose, and curved mouth, which gave his features a look of great pride. He walked, too, with the air of a prince, bravely flinging his young crest to the soft airs and stanch patriotism of his native Southern colony.

Yet no one called Lionel proud. If anything went wrong at "the quarters," where were the cabins of the black servants, the boys and girls were beginning to go with their troubles to "Mars' Lion" sooner than to "ole Mars" or "Mistis."

They were all boys and girls, those black people, until they were past fifty; then they were generally called "mammy," "aunt," or "uncle."