THE RESULT OF A GOOD DEES.
(Written fob, the Witness Little Folks b? Fedora.) There was once a very poor old woman who lived all by herself in a tiny house. She had. been in the same place for year& and years, indeed for so long that no one remembered when she had come there. She very seldom spoke to her neighbours, and because she would not ask them to come into iier poor little hut and because she refused to gossip with them about others behind their backs a good number of the people round about hated her, and said very cruel things about her. Sometimes she would fasten her little wooden door from the inside, ard not come out of her hut for days and days, and then the people said, " The old witch is ill! Serve her right for being so cross and unnei^ibourly." And they would not go near her. They were cruel people. If she had asked them to come -in and talk scandal with her, they would have liked her, but as she did not even let the people know how she lived, they shunned her, and said she was a bad old woman. After a while there came to the village a man and his wife from another place altogether. They were very poor people, and had a hard struggle to earn enough to live. They had one daughter a sweet little child, called Maysa, after hei mother. In spite of their poverty, they were kind, generous people, and the husband and wife were veiy fond of each other and of their little fairhaired child. Of course they heard immediately from their neighbours all about " the old witch," as the people called her ; biit all that they heard only made Maysa the mother very sorry foi the poor creature who got so much abuse from everyone. It so haiw^ned that shortly after their arrival tne old woman had shut herself up in her cottage, as she so often did. Then Maysa, the "wife, said to her husband, " Husband, the poor thing may be ill, I am going to try and see her. We have two loaves in the house to-day, I can eat less for a day oi two \mtil you get more work, and I can take the poor old creature some bread to- \ night." And the man replied: "Certainly, wife, we must not allow anyone to starve." ! So the very poorest people in the whole place, who did not know where their nest food was coming from, took help to the old woman. i Maysa tucked the loaf under her little, ] thir cloak and went and knocked at the door of the old creature's hut. She got no • reply at first, which was what the neighbours had told her would happen? if she interfered with the " witch.'' But Mavsa was not to be daunted for that. She put her mouth to the crack of the door, and said, " A friend has brought you something," and waited. But no old woman came to open the door, and so Maysa stood patiently, determined not to go away until she had left her loaf, and found out whether the poor creature were dead or alive. Presently she knocked, and called out again, and then put her ear to a crack in the door. At last she heard sounds inside, but such different sounds from what she had expected that she nearly dropped her loaf with astonishment. As she listened, it seemed to her that she could hear the sounds that go on in a large hall, the noise of many hurrying footsteps on marble or tiles going up steps and others coming dfwn again, then the sound of trays being carried about and set down on tables ; and the clatter of knives and forks. She almost fancied she heard wine .being poured into cups and glasses, and the sound of conversation echoing through a large and lofty hall reached her ears. As she stood, quite dazed, and not knowing whether to stay or go, the smell of richly- cooked food came through the door. This made poor Maysa feel .quite faint. She had not been eating any nourishing food lately, as they had had 'very little in the house for a long while ; and now she began to know how hungry she really was. She was just turning away feeling too ill to wait any longer, when suddenly the, shabby, little dooi opened, and someone put out a hand and drew her inside. The door was shut-to quickly with a snap, and behold ! she rubbed her eyes with astonishment, shook with fear. Instead of being, as she had expected to beAvhen she had brought the loaf, in abare, little hut with a poor, sick, old woman, she found herself in a most marvellous and beautiful palace. She was in what seemed to be a large hall with a marble floor 'and a wonderful ceiling, studded with precious stones, and supported by cai-ved pillars. Down the centre of the hall between the pillars there was a rich crimson velvet carpet leading up to a bmad staircase which in its turn opened on to a beautiful balcony, Avhich showed glimpses of noble trees waving in the moonlight. Pooi; iviaysa was so overcome that he/ legs refuseo to bear her up, and she sank down into a couch which seemed marvellously ready to receive her. In the distance was a table loaded with rich dainties at which several persons were sitting, and ethers were moving about, waiting on them. Then Maysa saw that the person who had opened the door to her was a young page boy istz handsome, and beautifully dressed. She
tried to open her mouth to ask him what was the meaning of all the wonders she beheld, when she saw coming towards her clown the I centre of tlie crimson carpet a most beau- | tim i lady. She was dressed like a princess, j nv>n nRv Tace "was wonderful to behold, it was ■sn sweet and so happy, as though some great Joy nari just come to her. And this lady movprt up r,o noijr Maysa and stooped over her and 'kissprl her. " Thank you, ilear." she said to her, sitting down by lier, and holding her hands, " for what you nave done for me this day." Then us IvJiwsa « little lonf rolled on the floor, she pic"ked it up and said : "Is this for me.' " " I brought it for the poor old woman," stammered Maysa. " There is no poor old woman now," said the beaufcitu) princess, again kissing Maysa. " I was the poor old woman, and for years arfd years I have suffered in agony and sorrow. But now, thanks to you, dear, I am iree, and a princess again." Then she told Maysa in a few words how she had once been a beautiful princess, petted and loved by everyone ; and how a terrible magician had fallen in love with her, and she had refused to mnrry him. Then in revenge he had turned her into an old woman, and told her that she should remain so until she was rescued by someone who was wholly kind and unselfish, and who, of his or her own accord should come unasked and try to help her. She said that this magician was such a bai old man that he had believed no one i was good enough to take away the spell from . the princess ; but that if anyone did so, she (the princess) would be as young as she had , been before she was changed, no matter how many years she might have passed as an old | woman. That night, with Maysa's first i knock at the door on her errand of charity, ; the palace had sprung up by magic from the | ground, the poor old woman's rags had i turned into cloth of gold, and the old woman ! he v s.elf into girl. j She now led Maysa to the table, and gave I her the seat of honour, and fed her witb her ; own hands. The poor little loaf was put in | the midst of the table on a cold dish. "By to-morrow," said,the ju-inuess oi>t\taysa, "al T | this beautitul palace. wiU nave vanished, ioi ' ; I go to my own country. tr> my >iwii u^ople. Bui youi good deed slian npvei \vamsni That ' de.ir little loaf wnicn cas orougnc me ail cms j happiness I am going to plant wupvp. toy , poor cordage one? was. From it shall grow a wnnrfpvfu) free waosfc leaves wjii have a healing po^er. All those who are sic&iSlialJ come and 't£ke its leaves, and they shall be cured of their ills. " And this," here she unclasped from her throat a necklace, " you shall si"P- rhi<! tn vmir rliilfl, * little Mavsa, ana let her wear it fov my sake. To iooic at, it is of no value, nut it is an + -he safei or thar. account. Thft 'iiecKiacs nas the virtue oi giving the wearer «>f i< the rx.wer tc see all tlu best and brightest, of " people and things. Life shall be happy lor your little child, because r^p will try «",<■ maice other? happy, and because sntj will see the good in ail around her, ana wnatever happens to he) those who know her will be happier for her presence with 'them." Mays* rI ianJfcecl the princess for her giffc, ami said good-bye, for hei husband would be-'anxious to know what had become of hei. When she returned home, before going to bed she stole to the side of her little daughter and put the necklace round her nock. The next morning there was great commotion amongst the neighbours. The hut of the "witch " was found burnt to the ground, and the old woman herseli had disappeared. Some said she must have burnt herseli to death ; and Maysa and hei husband did not contradict them, knowing they would neve. believe the wonderful story of what had ! really happened. What the princess had said would happen | c&me to pass exactly as she had prophesied. j Aftei a day or two a plant, began to spring lup amongst the ruins of the cottage. This ! rapidly grew into a large and be.uuifu] tree j which was soon found to have great healing power, and people came from far and wide to fetch the leaves. And little Maysa grew into a sweet and beautiful woman, whose life shed happiness and sunshine all around her. So Meysa the mother knew that hei wonderful | experiences of the night when she had carried the loaf to the poor old woman were not a ! dream, as she had once been inclined to ; think.
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Bibliographic details
Otago Witness, Issue 2325, 22 September 1898, Page 57
Word Count
1,792THE RESULT OF A GOOD DEES. Otago Witness, Issue 2325, 22 September 1898, Page 57
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