The Fairy Godmothers and Other Tales Read online

be ayoung lady very quick indeed, and of learning every thing without anytrouble at all! And so saying, Aurora yawned and laid down her book,and the poor Governess could hardly keep her temper at such repeatedinterruptions to the subject in hand.

  "My dear," she exclaimed, "Fairies have no power to counteract whatGod, has ordained, and he has ordained that we enjoy but little whatwe get at without labour and trouble."

  "Ah taisez-vous donc ma chere!" cried Aurora, flopping her ears withher hands, and running round the room shaking her long curlsfuriously. "Vous me faites absolument fremir! Excuse my French, but Iam certain you are the eldest daughter of the old woman in the wood,and you are just now dropping vipers, toads, newts, and efts from yourmouth at every word you utter!"

  The good-natured Governess laughed heartily at the joke, for they hadjust been reading the old French fairy tale of "Les deux Fees," andthe application amused her; but she shook her head gravely at Auroraafterwards, and reminded her that no serious truth was well answeredby a joke, however droll.

  A bell rings, a carriage is at the door. Miss Aurora is wanted.Visiters! Ah! here is happiness again! But it lasts but a short time,and the reaction is the same as before--drooping eyes, languideyelids, and a sigh.

  Books, drawing, music, work, even domestic recreations, all deprivedof their charm through this idolatry of self!

  The curtain closed over this scene.

  "A charming child, Ianthe, but for your Fairy Gift, which is spoilingher."

  "I repeat to you we are no judges yet. Now for riches, Euphrosyne!"

  * * * * *

  At the same hour of evening, and under the same circumstances, of aparty about to assemble, let me introduce you to a beautiful littleboudoir or up-stairs sitting-room adjoining an equally pretty sleepingapartment in a magnificent house in a town. The passages are carpetedall over, and so are the boudoir and the sleeping-room, and they arefurnished with sofas, easy chairs, and every description of luxuriouscomfort; and all this for the accommodation of a little girl of tenyears old, who in one of the easy chairs is lying back in front of thefire, with her tiny feet on a bright brass fender. She has a goldwatch in her hand, which is suspended round her neck by a chain of thesame material, and she is playing with it, and with the seals, andpretty ornaments hung to it, that jingle as she moves her hand. Everand anon she glances at the face of the watch.

  But life is very easy to her, and the chair is very soft, and her feetare very warm. At last, however, she gets up and rings a silver bellthat is on the mantel-piece. A servant answers the summons. "It istime for me to dress, I believe, Annette; the company are expectedto-day at half past six. Has my new frock come home?"

  "Yes, Miss."

  "Let me look at it."

  A delicate blue satin, trimmed with the finest lace, is produced froma band-box.

  "It is very pretty, I think, Annette."

  "It is downright beautiful, Miss."

  "And so expensive," pursued the little girl whose name was Julia,"that I don't think any one else I know is likely to imitate it, whichis my greatest comfort!"

  And so saying, the rich Miss Julia ---- (an only daughter), whosecomfort seemed to depend on no one else being as comfortable asherself, commenced her toilet, i.e. her maid both commenced andfinished it for her, for those who can command the unlimitedassistance of servants are apt to be very idle in helping themselves.

  "Your Julia looks self-satisfied enough," observed Ianthe, "but I donot see that this is more like real happiness than my Aurora's facebefore the party."

  "Perhaps," returned Euphrosyne, "the same remark applies to her as toAurora--the age for thoroughly enjoying riches is hardly arrived. Yousmile, Ambrosia! Well, we do not yet know your experiment, and youyourself do not know how it has answered. Take care that our turn forlaughing at you does not soon come!"

  Julia was dressed at the end of the half-hour, but not sooner. Hertoilet occupied more time than Aurora's. She could not decide whatornaments she would wear, and at last getting out of humour with the"embarras des richesses" she fixed on a necklace which, thoughextremely handsome, was scarcely fit for a child. She was neitherpretty nor otherwise, but when good humoured and happy her face, likethat of all other creatures of her innocent time of life, wasattractive and pleasant to behold. Oh, that children did but knowwherein the secret of being loveable and beloved lies! In holding fastthe innocence and simplicity of their infant years; in the cheerfulspirit, the universal kindheartedness, the open honesty, the sweetteachableness and readiness of belief, which are the realcharacteristics of childhood and which we so love to trace in theirfaces. It was these things our Saviour called upon grown-up people toimitate, and so to receive the kingdom of Heaven as little children.And oh, that grown-up people would imitate these things; for if theywould become in these respects as little children, the sweet cast ofmind would be reflected in _their_ faces too, and the ugly looks givenby envious discontent, deceitful thoughts, unkind intention andrestless want of faith and hope would all be washed out of the world.

  But now, my dear readers, can you call that the best of Fairy gifts,which had so great a tendency to bring the naughty passions ofgrown-up life into the heart, and therefore on to the face, of alittle girl? Well, but riches _have_ a tendency that way; and thoughJulia was not a very naughty girl she was being led into very sadfeelings by the Fairy gift. When she went down to the company, hersecret anxiety was to examine all the dresses of her Mamma's friendsand resolve some day to surpass them all. Even as it was she receivedmuch pleasure from knowing that her own dress was far beyond the reachof ordinary folk. She thought too of her necklace with secretsatisfaction, when the ladies were talking to her, for she perceivedtheir eyes frequently attracted by its brilliancy and beauty. Then hermind rambled into futurity, to the day when she would astonish thesevery ladies far more than now by the richness of her costume. Ah, dearreaders, would our Saviour if present have called _this_ little childto him, and said, "Of _such_ is the kingdom of Heaven?" But all theseselfish thoughts made her conversation less pleasant and cheerful thanit would otherwise have been; for you may be sure she was notlistening with any interest to what was said to her, while she wasthus planning silly schemes about herself.

  And not having listened with any interest to what was said to her, youmay guess that her answers were dull and stupid; for when people aretalking of one thing and thinking of another they become very flatcompanions. At times when she could forget herself she became naturaland then was both pleasant and pleased, and asked some ladies to lettheir children come and see her next day, to which they consented. Butnow came a sad drawback. One of the ladies told her that her littlegirl should bring to shew her a most beautiful gold fillagree work-boxset with precious stones, which one of the maids of honour aboutcourt, who was her godmother, had given her a few days before. Thislady had saved a few of the queen's hairs very carefully, and had hadthem placed in a little circle of crystal in the middle of the box,and they were set round with the most beautiful rubies. It was apresent worthy of a Fairy Godmother, and certainly the donor was thedaughter of a duchess, which perhaps is the nearest thing to being afairy.

  You will be shocked, my dear readers, to hear that the account of thisbox was as disagreeable as a dose of physic to poor Julia. Nay it was_worse_ than physic, for a peppermint-drop can take the taste of thataway in a minute. But not all the peppermint-drops in a chymist's shopcould take away the taste of the fillagree-box from Julia. She hadbeen thinking before of showing all the treasures of her boudoir toher little friends next day; but this horrid box was like a greatcloud closing over her sunshine. She knew she was naughty, but she wasso in the habit of being selfish she could not conquer her peevishvexation. Annette wondered what could be the matter, and her Governesssighed as she perceived her face clouded, even when she was repeatingher evening prayer; but no questioning could extract from her what wasamiss.

  Oh, what a condition for a child to go to sleep in! Euphrosyne wasgreatly annoy
ed. "They are not correcting her evil dispositions,"cried she. "I do not allow that this has anything to do _necessarily_with being very rich."

  Ah, good Fairies, you do not know "How hardly shall they that haveriches enter into the kingdom of Heaven."

  Look now at that young face, asleep on a downy pillow, in a bed richlyhung with crimson drapery, in a room filled with luxuries, glowingwith warmth and comfort. You are shocked that the heart within shouldbe disturbed by nasty little envyings, that made the good things shepossessed of no value to her. 'Tis well; but remember we are all richby comparison. Go to the poor frost-bitten wayside beggar-child, mylittle readers; bring him into your comfortable drawing-room, whichyou sit in every day and think nothing about, and he will fancy he hasgot into Paradise. It is a luxurious palace to him. Take him