BUYING THE BEAUTIFUL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3007, 19 February 1917, Page 6

BUYING THE BEAUTIFUL

A FAIRY TALE

(By "Sylvius.")

John Grouch, citizen, went down to the side of the Big Water, and there he saw a little steamer, with two little yellow funnels, and such nice garden seats upon its deck, that, as the weather was fair and the sea ever so blue, he bethought him of venturing across the bay. So, as all were inhe stalked on board, and soon the little steamer slid out from the jetty, and left the dusty, musty, fusty old town behind it. Down he sat on one of the garden seats, and, pulling out the crumpled back page of an old newspaper, began reading what was to him the most interesting article in the paper. It was headed —"The Increased Cost of Everything, or Why Live with Bread at Fivepence a Loaf?" But he had not read more than two inches down, when a bright-faced l youngster chirped to his father beside him :■ "Look, Dad, there's the big wall they're building round the bay. Ain't it a bully wall!" "Yes, son, it's made a big improvement already." "Improvement!" ' snorted John Grouch, cutting into the conversation. "Improvements, indeed 1 I would like to know, sir, if you are- a ratepaper, and if, sir, youi have examined your rate-paper. If you had, sir,' you would' soon sec that the rates havc_advanced seven-fiftieths of a penny in fhe pound. Improvements! Oh yes, you can make improvements by spending our money, the people's money, MY money!" "Exactly, you can't have improvements without spending money." "But who goes round the bay, sir, except those who live there and silly young couples?" "But this wall—it has oleaneihip the foreshore, made it neat ana tidy, and made a fine promenade possible." "That's all very well, sir. But the cost, sir, the cost, to you and to ME. That's what I complain of, and you'll complain, sir, when you are a propertyowner, and not a believer in the despoliation of the public purse—MY purse!" And with that Mr. Grouch went down the steps to a lower deck to finish reading the article about the increased cost of everything, with eyes blinded to the beauty of the day, the green slopes of the hills, the pretty gardens, and snug villas, the sunshine on the waters, and the glory of sunlit space. When the boat arrived at its destination he went ashore with the others, and. clutching his .precious paper in his hand, with his thumb opposite the place -where he had left off reading, he ascended! a path until he saw* a flat stone by the way, under the spreading branches of a tree, remote from any houses. Down he sat to read once more, first throwing a stone at a pretty -bell-lbird that sounded his note in tho tree above his head. Fjlling <the air was the drowsy hum of the locusts, mingled with the twittering of. Birds and the gurgling of a little stream. So lulling was the sensation that John Grouch slowly relaxed from the paper, his head sank forward, and within a few minutes he was sound asleep.

"Tinkle, tinkle, tinkle!" sounded a little silvery bell, ever so sweetly. "It was rung by a pretty little elf,: in a gauzy costume of grass green, the most perfect contrast to her bright cheeks, eyes, of cornflour, blue, that, sparkled with the deliciousness of being alive, and her shimmering hair of e° ld - j i. * "Well, well, who are you and what do you want?" said John. "I'm the Fairy Bright Heart. Don't you know me?" "Never heard of you-?" said John, gruffly. "No, I don't suppose you have. I'm the Fairy that makes people see the Beauty of All Things, and the Good in All Things, and tho Joy of Life." ; "Umph! Are you?" grumbled John. "Then you've got your work cut out." "Oh.'l don't know, it's awfully jolly, and it isn't work at all. It's a pleasure!" "Indeed!" , ,"Os, yes, look at this place. Isn't it just heavenly. Look down between those lovely fern-trees, 'waving in the breeze, and see that little patch of blue • water,. like a turqupiso set in emeralds." ' ' ' ' ■' ' • "You talk prettily enough," conceded Mr. Grouch. "And look at • this perfectly delicious bush, those tall trees, with the feathery branches, growing terrace above terrace, so close together, yet so individual, that one would think that God had gathered them all together in such beautiful array to make us a love- , ly garden. Isn't it heavenly?" "That's all very well, but do you know the cost " "The cost? WhaVdo you mean— everything' lovely costs something to ■have and to hold." , "Yes'; but perhaps you don't know that this little heaven, as you would have us believe,, cost the citizens some ten thosuand pounds, all of which camo out of the public purse—out of MY purse." '. "Oh, I'm so glad you contributed." "Contributed be Mowed! I had to pay—through the rates. You don't know what rates ore, do you? Well, i you would if you had to pay 'em, I can tell you." "That's very funny, •ha-ha, ha-ha!" "What's funny ahout it?" "That you have to pay for what you don't want to pay for, and still it buys the beautiful." "That's the fairy viewpoint, I suppose?" "Oli. yes. we must have something beautiful. There's lots of things mortals do to make the place ugly, but few to make it beautiful, and yet they growl most at that which preserves or creates beauty—dike von " she added naively. "And you think we're, wrong?" v "Oh, no. I don't think. I know! Beauty in Nature was made for the uplifting purification and happiness of us all, and when it is destroyed we. ween. That's why I laugh when you have to pay rates for this. It is so just, don't you see! Try and see with my eves!'' And with that sb» waved a toi-toi plume over his eyelids. "Now, don't von see how lovely it nTI is? Thev wanted to sell every hit of the land in tinv strins so that, mortals could build their little bos houses close together. And they meant to cut down these' beautiful trees, and those graceful ferns, and rob us and themselves of this Elysium, so that, it would have just been like.their other ptacos over there —nothing hut roads and shops and house*. Everything drab and eroy and dusty!" Wlist she was speaking, a curious change had chastened the features of 'gruff John Grouch. His mouth-ends twittered into the promise of a smile, and the wrinkles left his brow mysteriously. "Of course," he said, "how foolish of me. Von are quite right. It is all very lovely, more beautiful than I had ever noticed, little due. And to think that I was grumbling about having, to pav a few shillings a year to keep this going." , "Of course you >were wrong. You only wanted you're eyes opened—now you'll never think otherwise,. I'm sure! Good-byo!" ' • . And with that she waved her toi-toi plume over John's eyelids once more, hopped lightly to a neighbouring treetop, waved her littl cnlume once more at the yawning figure beneath the tree, and vanished. "Well, well," said John, rubbing the

sleep out of his eyes, and looking round. Then catching a glance of tha fluttering- branches against the blue of the .waters shimmering in the afternoon sun, two hundred feet below, hei exclaimed: "Well, this is a heavenly spot! She! was quite right, too. Slie—well, to think that r.sliould have such a dream. But she certainly lias opened my eyes! It's worth it all!" . .1 ■ And putting his heel throsgh "the article on the increased cost of the beautiful, he took a deep delicious breath of the aromatic air of the mountain bush, retraced his steps to tho edge of Big Water, and the little boat took him'homo again. But il was not the same John Grouch.