CHILDREN’S STORY.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 7 March 1925, Page 16

CHILDREN’S STORY.

THE CLOSING DOOll. There was once ;l little gir< who had a dear little room, all. her own, which wsi.s full oi lresi .litres, aim nils as its love could make it. You never could imagine, no matter ho a you tried, a room more beautiiut than tiers; for it was white and shining, Hindi loosed as if it nugiu liave been made of a fleecy cloud. The curtains al ti.e windows were like the petals d a li.y, and the little bed was like swan’s down.

There were white pansies, too, that bloomed in the windows, and a dove whose voice was sweet as music; and among her treasures she had a string ol pearls which she was to wear about her neck when the king of the country sent for her, as he had promised to do some day. This string of pearls grew Longer and more beautiful as the little girl grew older, for a new pearl was given her as soon as she awoke each morning; anti every one was a gift from the king, who bade her keep them fair. Her mother helped her to take care of them and of all the other beautiful tilings in her room. Every morning, after the new pearl, was slipped o“ the string, they would set the room in order; and every evening they Mould look over the treasures and enjoy them together, while they carefully wiped away auv specks of dust that had ga in during the day. There were several doors anil windows. which the little girl could open and shut just as she pleased, in this room; hut there was one door which Was always open, and that was the one which led into her mother’s' room, No matter what kittle Daughter was doing, she was happier if her mother was near; and, although she sometimes ran awav into her room and played by herself, she always hounded out at her mother’s first call, and sprang into her mother’s arms, gladder than ever to he w t *i i her because she had been away. Now one day when the little girl was playing alone she had a visitor who came in without knocking and who seemed, at first, very much out of place in the shining white room, for he was a goblin and as black as a lump of coal. He had not been there more than a very few minutes, however, before nearly everything in the room began to look more like him and less like driven snow; and although the little girl thought that he was very strange and ugly when she first saw him. she soon grew used to him. and found him an entertaining playfellow. She wanted to cal!, her mother to see h : m • hut ho said: “Oh. no; we are having such a nice time together, and she’s busy, you know.’’ .So the little girl crid not call; and the mother, who was making a dress of 'fine lace for her darling, did not dream that a goblin was in the little white room. The goblin did not make any noise, vou know, for he tiptoed all the time, as if he were afraid ; and if he heard ,o sound he would jump. But he r\as a merry goblin, and amused the little n-jrl so much that she did not notice the change in her dear room. The curtains grew dingv, the flcor dusty, and blie ceiling looked as ii it might- have heeii mode of a rain-cloud . but the child played on, and got out all her treasures to show to her visi The pansies drooped and faded, the white clove hid its head beneath its wing and moaned : and the last pearl pi the precious string grew dark when the goblin touched it with his smutty fingers. , . , “Oh. dear me.” said the little girl when she saw this, “f must call my mother; for these are the pearls 1 must wear at the king’s court when he sends for me.” “Never mind,” said the goblin, ' we can wash it, and if it isn’t just as white as before, what difference does one pearl make?” “Rut mother says that they all must be as fair as the morning,” insisted the little girl, ready to cry. “And what will she sav when she sees this one ?” “Shut the door then,” said the goblin,, pointing to the door that had never been closed, “and I'll wash'the pearl.” 4 ’ So the little girl ran to close the door and the goblin began to rob the pearl; but it' only seemed to grow darker. Now the door had been open so long that it was hard to' move, and it creaked on its hinges as the little girl tried to close it. When the mother heard this she looked up to see what was the matter. She had been thinking about the dress which she was making; hut when she saw the closing door, her heart stood ntill with fear;, for she knew that if it once closed tight, slip might never be able l to open it again. She dropped her line laces and ran toward - the door, calling “Little Daughter! Little Daughter! Where are you?” and she. reached out her hands io stop the door. But as soon as the little girl heard that loving voice she answered : “Mother; Oh, Mother! I need you so! My pe'arl .is turning black and everything is wrong!” and, flinging the door wide open, she ran into her mother’s arms. When the two went together into the little room, the goblin had gone. The pansies now bloomed again, and the white dove cooed in peace; and there was much work for the mother and daughter, and they rubbed and scrubbed and washed and swept and dusted, till the room was so l>eautiful that you would not, have known that, •i goblin had been there —exciit. for lho one pearl which was a little blue always, even when thy king was ready for Little Daughter to come to his -•-.” i-t althoimh that was not until she was a very old woman. As for the door it was never closed again; fn- Little Daughter and her mother put two golden hearts against it and nothing in the world could have shut it then.