The Magician's Show Box, and Other Stories Part 7

EDITH. Something that weighs a good deal.

ELINOR. It's silver, child; real silver.

EDITH. But where did you get it?

ELINOR. Where? where do you think? I took it out of a house.

EDITH. Took it! Do you mean that you stole it?

ELINOR. Stole it? Out with it! Yes, I stole it. How should you like to steal?

EDITH. But it is not right.

ELINOR. Who says it is not right?

EDITH. Why, every body says so.

ELINOR. The rich say so. They ride in their carriages, and live in their grand houses, and when we are starving, and freezing with cold, if we take a mouthful to eat, or a rag to put on, they call it stealing, and hunt us up to put us in jail, and treat us worse than brutes. I tell you I hate them. I should like to see them homeless as we are, with the cold winds blowing through them. Then would I laugh at them, as they laugh at us. Then would they know what it is to suffer, with never a hand to help them.

EDITH. But some of them are kind.

ELINOR. Kind do you call if? If you beg and beg, and tell a piteous story, they will give you an old gown and a cold potato, just as they would throw a bone to a dog; and you must stand in their entries all the time. Your clothes are not good enough for their parlors, and they watch every motion, to see that you do not steal. But I can tell them I will steal. If I had not taken their clothes and their food, do you think you would be alive now? You would have been frozen in the winter snows, and not a hand to help you. I asked for work and work, and never a bit could I get; so I took what I wanted, and you must learn to do so too, for I may not always be here to take care of you.

EDITH. But cannot I learn to work?

ELINOR. You never can get any work to do, unless you can show a good character, as they call it. I wonder what kind of characters they would have if they were treated as we are. Run! Hide! Down in the ditch with you! They are after us!

_Enter a CONSTABLE and Man._

CONSTABLE. Here they are! Hallo, there! Come out of that! You need not duck under like two great bull-frogs. Up with you--here's a hand. We're polite folks, marm. Fish out the bundles, Jim. Them's the articles--silver spoons and all. Off to jail with you. You'll have to trip it fast enough, I'll warrant you. Here, Jim, you take the old bird; I'll see to the young un.

ELINOR. O, my child; you shall not take her away!

CONSTABLE. Shall not, ma'am! If you valooed your child, you'd be right glad to have her go. She's got bad notions enough. We'll edicate her now.

ELINOR. Lisa! Lisa!

_ELINOR is led off._

EDITH. Where are you going to take me?

CONSTABLE. To the House of Correction; you'll get a good lesson there.

EDITH. You shall not; I am Miss ---- No, I will not tell him. I want to see what they would have done with Lisa. I can come away whenever I tell my name.

_Exeunt CONSTABLE and EDITH._

SCENE 3. _Same as 1st Scene. Garden, and Children dancing and singing._

FIRST FAIRY.

Where is our queen?

She has not been seen For many an hour, In acorn or flower.

Airy bluebell, Pray can you tell?

Anemone fair, Is she not there?

Upspringing gra.s.s, Have you seen her pa.s.s?

Where shall I go?

Does n.o.body know?

SECOND FAIRY.

Look at that squirrel, lively and shy; I know he can tell, by the fun in his eye.

THIRD FAIRY.

There is a swallow, skimming about, Set him to seek her, and he'll find her out.

FOURTH FAIRY.

Over the moon sails a tiny white cloud; And on it she sails far away from the crowd.

_Enter LISA._

FAIRIES _sing_.

All hail to our queen! Now sing us a song, While we rest in the shadows, all lying along.

LISA, _as queen_.

Fairies, fairies, ever go Where the mountain torrents flow; Foot it high, and foot it low, A wildly joyful band.

Fairies, fairies, loud our song; No man hears us pa.s.s along; Rugged cliffs and vales among-- A wild and hidden land.

Fairies, fairies, night is nigh; Light steals slowly from the sky.

Lay us down with lullaby, Sleeping hand in hand.

FIRST FAIRY.

Come, lovely queen, you must dance with me now; For under the alder I vowed me a vow, Beneath the clear moonlight to kiss you three times.

And whirl you about to my swift flowing rhymes.

LISA, _as queen_.

Under the tree Is the home for me; Here will I sleep, Through the lonely night, While the cold dews weep, In the pale starlight.

FAIRY.

Jewels must s.h.i.+ne In the glance of the day; We shall mourn and repine, If thou hidest away.

Come, my fair lily, s.h.i.+ne graciously out, While we thy leal subjects will frisk all about.