A Visit From a Fairy.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXX, Issue XVII, 25 April 1903, Page 1185

A Visit From a Fairy.

By ADA Al. KENDALL, 35, High Road, Small Heath. Ethel Raymond was a rich little girl, six years old. She had plenty of toys, nice food, books, pretty and good clothing. Her kind parents spoilt her by gratifying every wish she expressed; but still she was discontented when she ought to have been very happy. One night she was lying in the cosy bed which was hers, thinking about some trivial thing which had displeased her, when she heard a tiny, clear voice call her name. Turning, she saw a little fairy standing by her bed. “Come with me,” she said, and Ethel, feeling only a bit startled, assented. She was given a pair of wings, like those the fairy possessed. They tiew through the window as if it had not been there and continued their Hight for some miles. When they alighted on the ground they were in the midst of a crowded city. The fairy, taking Ethel’s hand, led her through narrow, back streets, until they reached a squalid court. Of course, they were invisible to mortal eyes. Here they looked through a bedroom window and

saw two little girls lying on a mattress covered only by a ragged counterpane. "Nellie,” said the youngest child to her sister, “don’t you wish we were as rich as the little girl we saw go into that large house? 1 should like to have pretty, warm clothes to wear and a big doll like the one she was carrying.” "Yes.” said her sister. “It is very hard to be poor and io have no plum pudding or presents to-morrow.” Ethel and her friend then wended their way through a thronged thoroughfare, and though a church dock had just struck the hour of ten poor little boys, scantily clothed ami bare footed, were endeavouring to sell boxes of matches. Having witnessed these scenes of poverty the fairy took Ethel home. Waking with a start Ethel found that it was all a dream. She made up her mind that she would try to aet the part of a good fairy to poor children who lived in the vicinity f her home.