Little Fairy Shining Eyes.

New Zealand Illustrated Magazine, Volume I, Issue 7, 1 April 1900, Page 547

Little Fairy Shining Eyes.

By Annie Bowkk Poyntkk

Illustrated hy Clara Singer Poj/ntcr

For tbe Children.

fNE hot Sunday afternoon in midsummer, little Philippa Vane sat in her father's stable loft and wished there never was such a clay as Sunday. She leant idly back against the sweet-smelling hay, and gazed across tha narrow passage-way that even her short legs almost spanned, at the pile on the other side. Upon her knees lay her prayer book, open at the catechism her father had set her to learn as her Sunday task, but how could she think of such dry, dry things when the birds would twitter outside, and the bees hum on and on with a drowsy, warm, sun-shiny sound, as though inviting her to come and join them r 1 Even the scent of the hay distracted her, making her think of horses and waggons, and glorious rides at harvest time, the delightful picture being intensified by the steady munch, munch from the stable below as her father's pretty bay mare contentedly finished her dinner. Now a little voice somewhere inside her would whisper that the hay loft was not the very best place in the world in which to try and learn her catechism when these distracting sounds would not stop, but the thought of the dark, quiet dining-T'oom made her shudder. Her father, the Reverend Frederick Vane, would be sitting in his study she knew, resting after his morning service, and reading those very clever, dry, good books that filled her with a horrid feeling of awe whenever she saw them, but then he liked reading them — being so very clever and so very

stern, and could stop whenever lie felt inclined to — she was sure lie never thought, of that. Once more she tried to (ix her thoughts on the task before her, but the words scorned to slip round and round, and with weary arms thrown undor her head, and slowly drooping eyes, she sank* down again on her fragrant bed. "Little girls," she thought rebolliouHly, "should never have clergymen for their fathers, or, if that could not be helped, then clergymen should never, never, under any circumstances, have little girls ! " By which train of reasoning, it will be plainly seen that little Miss Philippa Vane was fast drifting to the Laud of Nod. But hovering on the borders of that, .sometimes very pleasant land, a mysterious sound fell lightly on her ears, and with wide open eyes she sat bolt upright in a moment. JMow the sound she heard was nothing but a soft rustle in the hay, and if she had not been quite, quite sure, she might have thought it was only the straw behind her yielding as she leant further back upon it, but she knew it came from the pile upon the other side ! She looked from one side to the ether, listening intently, and pinched her arm vigorously to make sure she was not asleep. But she was as wide awake as any little girl could be. Then the sound came again, a quiot, stealthy movement, and with a sudden gaep little Philippa beheld a pair of large, shining

amber eyes watching her steadily through the straw. Speechless, she returned the gaze, but she had no need to ask what it was. Had she not read, and thought and dreamt of fairies ever since she thought and dreamt of anything ? Then, fearful lest the first, the very first one she had ever really seen, should slip away without a single word, she clasped her hands together and whispered softly : " Do please speak, dear little fairy Shining Eyes ! "

Bat alas, alas, at the sound of her voice the great round eyes vanished, and nothing was heard save faintly flying feet ! For several moments, so bitter was her disappointment, little Philippa felt ready to burst into teat's, but the many stories she Had read came to her aid, and she remembered that fairies were often very, very shy, and she would have to stay very still, and perhaps watch for days and days, and then — after that— something was sure to happen. With a wonderful feeling of delightful joy

and excitement tingling through her right down to her very toes, she sat on and on, and thought and thought. What would her father say when he heard of it ? — who always frowned and said " ridiculous nonsense " whenever she spoke of fairies ; and Mrs. Broadway, the housekeeper, she wouldn't smile indulgently any longer, and say such little people only lived in story-books. But she would wait a little, and then when she had found out something more, what a surprise they would get !

The catechism was repeated very, very badly that evening, and little Philippa's father told her severely he was both shocked and amazed. Very early the next morning she climbed up into the loft again, and watched and waited until the ringing of the breakfast bell warned her imperatively that she must return to the house, but not even the smallest sound had greeted her listening ears, and when she returned again in the afternoon, after her lessons were over, her patience still went unrewarded. ■■■....■;'..

Tuesday and Wednesday passed in the same monotonous way, little fairy Shining Eyes still making no sign. Full of hope, little Philippa would cross the yai'd with flying feet, only to return after an interval of weary waiting, with lagging steps and downcast face. On Thursday, however, her hopes rose again with a sudden bound. She saw nothing, but she once more heard a distinct, a most distinct little bustle. Reassured , she sat in breathless silence, feeling sure little fairy Shining Byes was peeping clown upon her from some corner, although, as yet, she did not deign to make her small person known. But it was quite enough to fill little Philippa with fresh delightful anticipations. What visions flitted through hey brain for the rest of the day ! She safe over her lessons as though in a dream, and kindhearted Miss Frost, her long-suffering daily governess, grew quite concerned about her, thinking she must surely be unwell — it was so unlike Philippa to let her tongue rest for such aii unheard of period as five minutes at a stretch; indeed, poor Miss Frost was generally quite worn out trying to keep the Reverend Frederick Vane's little daughter quiet long enough to learn any lessons at all. But how was she to know fairies lived in the stable loft? The following day, suddenly, without any warning, little Philippa was confronted by the amber eyes again ! This time she made no attempt to speak, but simply sat in an ecstasy and wondered if any little girl had ever been as lucky before ! She was quite sure it must have been at least three minutes, though at the time it seemed hours and hours, that the big eyes were fixed upon her, then* as silently as before, they again vanished. But she had only heard little fairy Shining Eyes the day before, and this time she had actually seen her again, so for the present she was quite content. Saturday was the nicest day in the whole week — with no lessons, and no catechism, and little Philippa made up her mind to spend every single hour of it in the loft. She was not going empty handed, however,

for how could anybody bo quite, sure that fairies always drossed in gossamor and roseleaves ? Perhaps if she knitted a van/ tino little petticoat — very fino and protty, bright blue with a pink border — perhaps, who know, when winter was coming and tho weathe" grew cold, little fairy Shining EyeH mit/ht wear it — and then — and thon — the Reverend Frederick Vane might change his mind about the pleasures of having a little daughter, if fairies would wear tho petticoats sho knitted ! So, much to Mrs. Broadway'sastonislmiont, this changeable littlo lady followed her into the work-room, and asked for the thing she usually shunned above all others, especially on Saturday — some knitting needles und a ball of wool. " Is it to make a new petticoat for Lady Sabina Jane ? " she asked, looking down in bewilderment at Miss Philippa's demure little (igure. " Why 1 thought with you, my dear, Saturday was the day for no work and all play, wasn't it ? " " It's too hot to play this morning ! " Philippa answered, " and it is a petticoat I'm going to make, if you wouldn't mind casting on the stitches for mo please, Mrs. Broadway." But she did not say it wasn't for Lady Sabina Jane, for Mrs. Broadway would not have understood. She would explain all about it by-and-bye. So she got her knitting, and worked away in the hay all morning, and a more diligout, exemplary little girl it would have been difficult to find anywhere. Whon her hands got very hot and sticky she hung thorn down through the trap-door into the stable below, and then patted them on tho straw besido her ; and she conscientiously picked up every stitch she dropped. ' But though she worked and worked, stretching and smoothing out the little garment, and frowning over it in silent admiration, little fairy Shining .byes was not to be enticed out that day. But the next afternoon, whon Sunday had come round once more, something startlingly unexpected did happen. Little Philippa had again brought up her prayer book, for her father had told her to learn a£ain, and thoroughly, the lestsou repeated «v badly tho

Sunday before, but how could she learn this Sunday afternoon any more than last when she, and she alone, knew of something nobody else even suspected. Repeating the words mechanically, her eyes roving hither and thither watched for the slightest sign, and after a little while it came. With a louder rustle than any she had yet made, heralding her approach, little fairy Shining Eyes looked through the straw for the third time.

Now this was too much for little Philippa. Surely, surely when she appeared for the third time she would speak ! So throwing her prayer book with all her former precautions to the winds, she moved softly across the narrow space between them, aud with outstretched hands entreated : " Dear, darling, beautiful little fairy Shining Eyes ! " And little fairy Shining Eyes responded — not in a soft, low, fairy voice — but in an unexpectedly high, clear " mew ! " For one breathless moment little Philippa was stricken dumb with mingled disappointment aud amazement. Was her beautiful,

beautiful castle tumbling about her ears ? Was little fairy Shining Eyes no fairy at all ? Even as the thought flashed through her brain, little fairy Shining Eyes . pushed through the straw and stepped dowu before her. She was no fairy, but if anything could console little Philippa for that bitter discovery, it was to find her a beautifully friendly and engaging little cat. It had always been one of the standing grievances of Philippa's small life that her father would not allow any cats at the Vicarage. " Detestable brutes ! "he called them, and had sternly forbidden her to bring any about the place ; but this little stranger had come of her own accord, and as little Philippa's hands gently stroked her silky coat, she purred in ever-increasing volume as she rubbed her soft tabby sides against the little girl's dress. If any shred of disappointment still lingered in Philippa's heart, the one thing needful to dispel it happened at that moment. Prom amongst the hay rose a tiny piping voice, little fairy Shining eyes turning anxiously in the direction of the cry to assure herself it was not one of distress. As for little Philippa — actually trembling with excitement, she was upon her knees before the straw in a moment, and by pulling some aside, and burying her fair head in the fragrant mass, she found a little round, warm nest with four little gently twitching, softly breathing grey balls. Tenderly slipping her hands under the fluffy, round objects she raised them up, and clasping them to her, pressed her cheek against them, kissing them with almost . inarticulate words of endearment, while little fairy Shining Eyes climbed into her lap and purred to keep them company. This new discovery was far more than little Philippa could keep to herself; she must tell someone what she had found, but alas, the pitfall she invariably fell into was rushing through the first open door she came to, and poui'ing out her story to whoever she met inside, aud this day was no exception to . the rule. If she had been a wise little girl

she would have gone straight to Mrs. Broadway and poured everything out into her motherly ears, but — right in her very path, standing invitingly open, was the long French window of her father's study— it was irrestistible, and without a moment's pause she dashed headlong through it ! Now when the Reverend Frederick Vane retired to his study on Sunday afternoons, he said he was going for a quiet dip into his books, yet, strange as it may appear, when little Philippa so unexpectedly arrived upon the scene, his book lay limply in his white! hand, while a silk pocket handkerchief had been thrown over his refined face to shut out both the light and the troublesome flies, as he lay with closed eyes in his easy chair. With a sudden shock, you might almost have said it was a guilty start, he whisked the handkerchief off his face, and sat bolt upright. "Oh, father!" little Philippa said breathlessly, " little fairy Shining Eyes isn't a fairy at all, but the beautifullest tabby cat with four sweet little angels of kittens— just the loveliest little dears ! " With ;i slow sweep of his hand, the Reverend Frederick Vane settled his glasses upon his nose, and fixed his eyes upon his small daughter with a cold and glassy at a re. " What atrocious nonsense is this,

V01.51.— N0. 7.-42.

Philippa?" ho demanded, noting hor flushed cheeks and sparkling eyes, her pinafore pulled away, and the hay straws still sticking in her tumbled hair. " What disgraceful jumble is this about fairies and angols — cats and kittens? What does this shameful disorder mean ? And on the Lord's day too ! Gro to your room this moment, and do not leave it until the hour for evening sorvico; and never let me witness such a sight agnin ! I am thoroughly ashamed of you ! " Poor little Philippa! Fora while it was a very, very miserable lilt In girl who sat in her room, and cried, and cried. But her tempests were always so very tierce they could not last any great length of time, and by degrees she grew calmer and began to think of other things. Kneeling down by the open window, she hung her tear-soakod little handkerchief out to dry, and propping her elbows on the sill she nursed her chin, as she meditated. She must get little fairy Shining Illy us some milk — the milkman would give hoi* some she knew, he was such a kind man — if she only took a little saucer for it, and klio could get scraps of meat from the kitchen, heaps and heaps of thorn'! How glad nho was she hadn't told father they were up iv the loft ; and perhaps — perhaps — she might give the pink and blue petticoat to Lady Sabina Jane after all !