The Oriel Window

ss Lilly, "is 'A Fairy House,'"

on a mushroom before it was full grown, or drinking too much dew out of a lily-cup, and thereby leaving the poor flower thirsty through the hot noontide. Most likely it was nothing worse than something of this kind, but still it was a fault t

rect from the queen, charged to tell the little exile that she should be forgiven and released from her banishment as soon as she should have fulfilled a task which was to be set her.

to a spot on the moor where

may send a butterfly to tell the queen, and she will then come to test it. If it is qui

each only required a touch from the fairy's fingers at once to fit itself into the place which she saw it was intended for. So for some time the work went on merrily. It was not till the house was very nearly completed that the fairy began to fear something was wron

queens are never unpunctual,-and

half trembling. Then her Majesty stepped out of her chariot, patting her winged stee

the second floor, when the queen st

he left-hand wall is out of level. I sus

lder looked ve

ng wrong?' said the queen, more

,' the little fairy replied, 'but I hope

out, even the smallest, the building cannot be perfect. Ah, well, you must try again,' and so saying she left the house, followed by the builder. As soon

and cried as she saw the queen

work to build it up again. I am sure I used every stone, down to some quite tiny ones;

r pocket had rolled a very small stone, a tiny, insignificant

o fling it away when a new idea struck her. Was it possible that this little atom of a stone-or rather its absence-was what had spoilt the whole pie

nt well. Deep down in the foundations, unseen but far from unneeded, the tiny pebble found its own place, and

to court in he

when the queen not only took her back to court in her own chariot, but as a proof of her perfect restoration to favour, transported t

The children looked up, pl

"it's nice, but isn't it more wh

rhaps. Many fairy stories have a kind of meaning behind

e, "that everything is of use, if y

t this way-that everybody, even the smallest and weakest, h

of the world

Miss Lilly after thinking a l

ather tired, she told Chrissie to run

to kiss the little invalid, "and in the afternoon Chrissie and

y; "I have slept quite enough

ng. "Would you like us to bring you in some flowers?-not garden ones, but

ould you get some moss, Miss Lilly? I would like to arrang

g

g

could show you how to make moss baskets that last for ever so long to put flowers in. You put a little tin or cup to hold wa

e sea again? I do so love it. And then there's skating and cricket, and when I go to school there'll be football. Papa was so good at football when he was at school. I wonder-" h

ut there is still a good long while before

ere was something I wanted to ask you. It's about that boy, Jesse Piggot. I was thinking about him when I was awake in the night. If you meet

d not at firs

Ferdy, "about all the s

eared; she looked pl

s," sh

about me myself, and partly about Jesse and boys like him. Oh, I do wish I could be on the sofa i

Chrissie will be waiting for me. I hope we shall get some nice flowers and moss, and to-mor

y so still, that she thought he must have fallen asleep again. But no, Ferdy was not as

pes, some quaint, some graceful, that Miss Lilly had never even thought of, and when some little old cups without handles or tiny jelly pots or tins were found to fit in, so that the flowers could have plenty of water to keep them fresh,

t and make an end of everything. It is a great blessing that we do get used to what is. When I was a little girl I remember reading a story about the old proverb

that made me feel as if I could not face them, "Custom commonly" seemed to be whispered into my ear, as if by a gentle little fairy voice. And I found it came true, thank God! It is one of the ways in which He helps

voices of its inmates how lately and how terribly the blow had fallen upon them. All seemed bright and cheerful, and even the boy's own countenance, though pale and thin, had a happy and peac

and dining-room in one, as he said himself. It was his day room, and every night and morning his father or Thomas, the footman, car

e day came on which he was allowed "to go to bed properly," and be attired nicely the

rp pang pierced his little heart at the sight of the school children racing home in their careless healthfulness, or fresh sweet mornings when he longed with a sort of thirstiness to be able to go for a walk in the woods with Christin

ure to be something to look at, and Ferdy was quick to find interest in everything. He loved to see the school

had asked her to do, but in vain. And it was not till within a day or two of a month since the accident that she heard from

the woman. "That's a lad as needs putting up

e him away from Farmer M

Farmer Meare is a good man. He says he'll take the poor lad ba

children the next day. Ferdy lo

a lot yesterday; it was the birds, they were chattering so when I was alone in the afternoon. I was half asleep, I think, and hearing them rem

it?" asked

s if some people were no use. And Jesse Piggot seems always in everybody's way, as if there was no place for him, though quite different from me, of course, for everybod

erdy. There was a very

bout it, and perhaps we shall find out some way of fitting him into his place. Stop dear, I t

to find any occupation for him, as he could not go on making moss baskets always, and knitting seemed the best thing for the moment. He was now making a sofa blank

that I know how to do it. I liked it better at

uickly finished a row so as to get the stitches rather looser again. "Don't do any

e's one that stands just at the corner of the window-sill outside, that I really think I could draw. I know the lo

an?" said Chrissie. "What f

asked Miss Lilly. "Have yo

rdy, "I don't

h your fingers and partly with tools," replied Miss Lilly. "I don't know mu

refl

knife and soft wood. I am sure I could figure things that way. I know what made me think of it.

it cutting. Yes, I've always thought it must be lovely

way Mr. Stern lets it be now, I can use my hands quite well. You needn't be afraid I'd cu

cause of the sticking-out horns-they're just like branches wit

lied. "Yes, they would be very difficult. You would

Ferdy. "I think I'd try a swallow's head. When I shut my eyes I can see one quite plain. Mis

nd heard his eager tone-it was always so now. Since the accident Mrs. Ross seemed a kind of mirror of her boy; if he was happy and co

te young herself, was very thoughtful

long time for him to recover, it will get worse and worse. We must try to find something for him to do that will take him out of himself, as people say,-something that will make him

e he had acquired a great deal of knowledge besides "b

ughtful face brightened up al

grandfather about it. And Ferdy would like to prepare for it by dra

ld rub out so easily; only drawings on a slate

y one of those beautiful white china slates-a big one, the sam

sparkled wi

do lovelil

ernoon to the nearest town-not Whittingham, but a smaller town in anoth