The Fairy Godmothers and Other Tales Page 8
and Ishall be so much pleased to have such a pleasant occupation. I amquite reconciled to the idea of going."
And a note was written, and despatched accordingly.
"But," persisted Hermione, rising to sit near her Mother, "you do notabove half know Aurora. One would think she had been born in what iscalled a 'four warnt way,' with nothing but cross roads about her.Nothing is ever right. She is always either exhausted with the heat ofthe sun, or frozen with cold, or the evening is so tedious, she wantsit to be bedtime, or if there is any unusual gaiety going on, shequarrels with the same length of evening, because it is so intolerablyshort; and, in short, she is never truly happy but when she issurrounded by admirers, whether men or women. And this seems to me tobe a sad way of '_getting her time over_,' as the poor women say oflife. Ah, Mamma, it goes but too quickly."
"Aurora is indeed foolish," musingly ejaculated the Mother.
"Not altogether either, my dear Mother. She knows much; but the faultis, she cares for nothing. She has got the carcase, as it were, ofknowledge and accomplishments; but the vivifying spirit is wanting.You know yourself how well she plays and sings occasionally, if thereis a question of charming a room full of company. Yet there can be nosentiment about her music after all, or it would be an equal pleasureto her at other times. But really it almost makes me as discontentedwith life as herself to hear her talk in unexcited hours. Turning overmy books one day, she said, 'You can never be either a poet or apainter, or a Mozart or a philosopher, Hermione? what is the use ofall your labour and poking?' What could I say? I felt myself colourup, and I laughed out, 'Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher, all isvanity!' Yet certainly God has set before us the things of earth inorder that we may admire and find them out; and that is the answer toall such foolish questions!" And Hermione was turning to leave theroom, but she came back and said--"Do you know, Mamma, though you willlaugh at the idea, I do think Aurora would be a very nice girl, andvery happy, if she either could grow very ugly all at once, or if anything in the world could make her forget her beauty.--And," added she,in a half whisper, "if there is any thing in Fairy lore, I couldalmost fancy some cruel Fairy had owed her family a grudge, and hadgiven her this gift of excessive beauty on purpose to be the plagueand misfortune of her life."
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"Enough, enough, and too much," cried Euphrosyne impatiently. "Thematter is now, I think, concluded. Ianthe and I have failed, andthough you are successful, Ambrosia, even you have not come offwithout a rebuff. Now, farewell to earth. I am weary of it. I do notknow your gift, and I am sick of listening to conversations I cannotunderstand. Let us begone. If we de delay, they will begin again. Ah,my sisters, my spirit yearns for our fairer clime!"
And they arose; but yet awhile they lingered on the velvet lawn beforethat country-house, for as they were preparing for flight, the soundsthey loved so well, of harmonious music, greeted their ears.
"Ah, there is the artist's hand again," cried Ambrosia. "I see thelovely sketch before me once more!"
And so it was, that it, and the peaceful forest scene, and theinteresting face of Hermione, seemed to reappear before them all asthey listened to her music. Tender, and full of sentiment were thesounds at first, as if the musician were acting the scene of the operawhence they came.
"Lieder ohne Worte,"[3] murmured Ambrosia.
[3] Songs without Words.--Mendelssohn.
But it was to the swelling sounds of a farewell chorus that they aroseinto the air, and took their leave of earth.
And now, dear Readers, there is but one thing more to do. To ask ifyou have guessed the Fairy gift?
The Fairies, you see, had not. What Euphrosyne had said was true. Theyhad listened to such a quantity of conversation they could notunderstand, and they were so unused to _think_ much about any thing,or to hear much beyond their own pretty light talk and sweet songs,that their poor little brains had got quite muddled.
Perhaps remaining so long in the Earth's atmosphere helped to cloudtheir intelligence. Certain it is, they returned very pensive, verycross, and rather dusty to Fairy Land.
They arrived at the beautiful bay I first described, and floated to alarge party of their sisters, who were dancing on the sands.
There was a clapping of tiny hands, and shouts of joy as theyapproached; and "What news? what news?" cried many voices.
"Ah, what news, Sister Euphrosyne!" cried little Aglaia, floatingforward, "from the smudgy old earth; Is it beauty, riches, or what?"
"I cannot answer your question," said Euphrosyne, pushing forward.
A circle was now formed round the travellers, and the details I havegiven you were made by Ianthe. And she wound up by saying, "And whatAmbrosia's gift to Hermione has been, we cannot make out."
"Then I will tell you!" cried little Aglaia, springing lightly highinto the air, and descending gently on a huge shell at her feet; "_Shelikes every thing she does, and she likes to be always doingsomething_. You can't put the meaning into one word, as you can Beautyand Riches; but still it _is_ something. Can't you think of some wayof saying what I have told you? Dear me, how stupid you are all grown.And _liking_ isn't the right word: it is something stronger thancommon _liking_."
"Love, perhaps," murmured Leila.
"An excellent idea," cried Euphrosyne; "dear me, this delicious air isclearing my poor head. Sisters, I will express it for you, andAmbrosia shall say if I am right. It is THE LOVE OF EMPLOYMENT."
Ambrosia laughed assent; but a low murmur of discontent resoundedthrough the Fairy group.
"Intolerable!" cried Leila, shrugging her shoulders like a Frenchwoman.
"It is no Fairy gift at all," exclaimed others; "it is downrightplodding and working."
"If the human race can be made happy by nothing but labour," criedanother; "I propose we leave them to themselves, and give them no moreFairy gifts at all."
"Remember," cried Ambrosia, now coming forward, "this is our firstexperiment upon human happiness. Hitherto we have given Fairy gifts,and never enquired how they have acted. And I feel sure we have alwaysforgotten one thing, viz. that poor men and women living in Time, andonly having in their power the small bit of it which is present,cannot be happy unless they make Time present happy. And there is butone plan for that; I use Aglaia's words: '_To like every thing you do,and like to be always doing something_.'"
Ambrosia ceased speaking, and the circled group were silent too. Theywere not satisfied, however; but those sweet, airy people take nothingto heart for long. For a short time they wandered about in littleknots of two and three, talking, and then joined together in a danceand song, ere night surrounded them. There was from that time,however, a general understanding among them that the human race wastoo coarse and common to have much sympathy with Fairies, and even theGodmothers agreed to this, for they were sadly tired with the unusualquantity of thinking and observing they had had to undergo. So if youever wonder, dear Readers, that Fairy Gifts and Fairy Godmothers havegone out of fashion; you may conclude that the adventure of Ambrosiaand Hermione is the reason.
* * * * *
The story is ended; and if any enquiring child should say, "There areno more Fairy gifts, and we can no more give ourselves love ofemployment than beauty or riches;" let me correct this dangerouserror! Wiser heads than mine have shown that every thing we do becomesby HABIT, not only _easy_, but actually _agreeable_.[4]
[4] Abercrombie. Moral Feelings.
Dear Children! encourage a habit of _attention_ to whatever youundertake, and you may make that habit not only easy, but agreeable;and then, I will venture to promise you, you will _like_ and even_love_ your occupations. And thus, though you may not have so manytalents as Hermione, you may call all those you do possess, into play,and make them the solace, pleasure and resources of your earthlycareer.
If you do this, I think you will not feel disposed to quarrel, as theFairies did, with Ambrosia's gift; for increased knowledge of theworld, and your own happy experien
ce, will convince you more and morethat no Fairy Gift is so well worth having, as,
THE LOVE OF EMPLOYMENT.