light. O how beautiful!' they exclaim, and wonder to see their teacher look sad at her approach, while she turns to welcome the other Fairy with a warm greet ing. Then speaking to the children she said,

'These two beings have come to offer you their guidance and assistance; being enemies to each other they will not share the care between them. Then say, each of you, which shall be your friend and guide? But first, my dear little ones, listen attentively to what they say, and think much before you decide, for you know not how great is the importance of your choice.'

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'O but we know,' said some of the children, which we shall like best; that glad Fairy, with the dancing step and merry laugh; with beautiful clothes and bright jewels. And O see those playthings her servants are bringing in! balls, hoops, and graces, and never so many things. They have books too, if we like to read, and see, they are full of pretty pictures! The other Fairy looks good and kind; but then we are afraid she is too sober for us; besides, we are sure there are hard lessons in those books of hers, and on those maps; and we do not want to sit still and sew all that work. Those pretty things she has must be hard to make, and we cannot even play her plays without attention. Look at those puzzles, and then those dissected maps and pictures to be put together! O, we never could do all this! But this kind,

happy being will let us dance and skip and play, from morning till night.'

And the glad Fairy looked on them with an inviting smile, as she said, 'Yes, that you shall, my pretty playfellows. Books and work are tiresome things, but here are the games we like, and we will be merry all day and every day.'

On hearing these words the children quickly crowd around her; but some of the more observing among them perceive rents in her pretty frock, that her roses seem half withered, and that her jewels, brightly as they shine, are not real gems. That her toys, though beautiful to look upon, are so frail as scarce to last an hour, and her books contain only pictures and the silliest of stories.

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truth, without it that careless indolent fay could have nothing. Too indolent to labor herself, she meanly takes possession of the fruit of the labor of others. You see no roses on my head; yet, strange as it may seem, I can cause them to spring up every where in your pathway. My treasures are hidden from you now, but let me guide you to them, and you shall find they cannot be exhausted. If you ask for my gems, they are richer far than India's mines can boast.' I can keep for you the ' pearl of innocence,' that you may bind it upon your forehead; and for your breast-pin I will give the sapphire of truth' among your locks may sparkle and shine the diamond of genius,' and the bright emerald of hope:' in your girdle shall smile the 'topaz of joy,' and there shall glow 'love's sparkling ruby:' there too shall blush the cornelian of modesty,' and virtue's gem, that brightest and purest, and worth more than all others, shall add to the lustre of each, and blend in the rays of all. But as yet you are children, and toys more than gems are your delight. Do you love to look on these, so new and glittering? But see how easily they may be broken and destroyed! mine you may examine; see how durable they are! how long they may give you pleasure. You will soon be tired of those pictures and silly stories, pretty as they now seem; but the more you look at, the more you read mine, the more you will be interested in them. None of my promises shall fail. Come therefore listen to me, my children, and

take me for your guide and friend, ' for all my ways are ways of pleasantness and all my paths are peace.'

Here the good Fairy ended; and while the children wonder and hesitate, behold, another being, very different from either of these, stands among them.

She is an aged matron, and though her brow is furrowed with care, yet is there so much wisdom in her looks and dignity in her manner, that the children seem involuntarily to draw near; to look up to her with reverence, and to wait anxiously for her words.

The good Fairy saluted her with confidence and affection, and the teacher shook her warmly by the hand; but the Fairy with careless step and laughing eye seemed to shrink away; the rents in her robe became more plain; the roses seemed still more to wither, and her jewels to lose their lustre.

The matron held in her hand a large mirror, into which she invited the children to look, asking them to examine well what they saw there before they made their choice.

Then all the children, except the few foolish ones who were too much engaged with the toys to leave them, came and looked earnestly in the mirror. If my little readers are curious to know what they saw there, perhaps they will be gratified in some future number of the Magazine. Meanwhile they must try to guess what little Fairies these were; and think which they would choose, should they come to them with like offers.

The sea was as a glassy lake,

By a steady gale imprest;
There was nought for any man to do
But just what liked him best.
And yet the calm was wearisome ;
The dull days idly sped;
And sometimes on a flute I played,
Or else a book I read.

And dallying thus, one afternoon,
I stood upon the deck;
When far off, to the leeward,

I saw a faintish speck.

Whether 'twas rock, or fish, or cloud,

At first I did not know; So I called unto a seaman, That he might look also.

And as it neared, I saw for sure

That it must be a boat;

But my fellow swore it was not so,
But a large bamboo afloat.

We called a third unto us then,

That he the sight might see; Then came a fourth, a fifth, a sixth,

But no two could agree.

"Nay 'tis a little boat," I said,

"And it roweth with an oar!" But none of them could see it so, All differing as before.

"It cometh on; I see it plain;
It is a boat!" I cried,
"A little boat o'erlaid with pearl,
And a little child to guide !"
And sure enough, a boat it was,

And worked with an oar;
But such a boat as 'twas, no man
Had ever seen before.

Within it sate a little child,

The fairest ever seen;
His robes were like the amethyst,
His mantle of sea-green.

No covering wore he on his head,
And the hair that on it grew
Showered down in thick and wavy locks
Of the sunniest golden hue.

The rudest man on board the ship
Blest God that sight to see;

For me I could do nought but weep,
Such power had it on me.
There sat he in his pretty boat

Like an angel from the sky,
Regarding us in our great ship
With wonder in his eye.

The little oar slid from his hand;
His sweet lips were apart;
Within my soul I felt his joy;
His wonder in my heart.

And as we tokened him to come,

His little boat he neared,

And smiled at all our friendly words,
Nor seemed the least afeared.

"Come hither aboard!" the Captain said; And without fear of ill

He sprang into the lordly ship

With frank and free good will.
He was no son of the merman,
No syren full of guile,
But a creature like the cherubim,
From some unknown-of isle.

And strange to tell his pleasant speech

Was English every word;

And yet such English, sweet and pure,
As his I never heard.

There were three, he said, that dwelt with him,
Within a tamarind grove;

His parents and his sister young,—
A family of love.

His pa', he said, had made his boat
From out a large sea shell;
And what a wond'rous tale, said he,
I shall this evening tell!