The Columbus Commercial

DOROTHY IN FAIRYLAND.

Delightful Adventure of a Lonesome Little Girl.

Dorothy lay in the hammock one bright spring day; she could not make up her mind whether to stay there reading "Little Prudy" or go to the pine woods to get the pine needles which were there. Even little May, her baby sister, whom she generally thought such a tyrant, would have been joy to the lonely child; but May was taking her nap. Sophie, the nurse, was out shopping; cook was cross, mamma driving and said she would not be home till six, and father was in Boston, about a hundred miles from there.

She mused—most every child has her own nurse to take her out walking, but May takes all of Sophie's time. I wonder if I will ever go to school like Katy and Annie instead of having a cross governess to come every morning just when I am having such a good time.

Before Rover died, she went on, I had some one to play with; dogs are so nice to play with. If I had a pussy like little Katy Deane I would be happy.

"Never mind, Miss Dorothy," said a sweet little voice close to her side.

Dorothy turned around, and there before her stood the sweetest little being she had ever seen.

"Will you please tell me," said the spirit—for that was what he was—"what you are scolding about, miss?"

"Because I am lonely," said Dorothy, sulkily.

"What would you like to do?" asked the spirit.

"Go to a picnic or party with a lot of girls and boys."

"Aren't you allowed to go?" asked the spirit.

"No," answered Dorothy; "but there isn't any, so it don't matter much."

"Would you like to go with me to Fairyland, and see all the fairies, dwarfs, elves and spirits that live there?"

"I would love to, sir," said Dorothy.

"Well, come at once, or the sun will have set before we get there," said the spirit.

Before Dorothy could think she found herself floating in the air as fast as the fleetest of birds.

"Is it very far to Fairyland?" asked Dorothy.

"Oh, no," said the spirit. "For here we are; can you see?" asked the spirit.

Indeed she could see, and so much that she could say nothing but "Oh!" and stare and stare and stare.

"I thought you would be pleased," said the spirit. "Do you know, miss, that you are the first little human girl that ever came into Fairyland?"

"No, I didn't, sir; but I know now."

Dorothy found herself seated on a toadstool in front of a large violet leaf.

"In Fairyland," began the spirit, "we use violet leaves as tables, toadstools as chairs, bluebells as bells, lilies of the valley as cups, peapods as boats, peas as balls and the caterpillars as dumbwaiters to pull the food from that bright place over there that is the Fairyland kitchen; the elves are the waiters and the meadow is the Fairyland dining room. We spirits each have our own little home, where we can rest and sleep to our heart's content, with no one to disturb us. Would you like to see my house?"

"Yes, sir, if it is no bother," said Dorothy.

"Do you see these leaves?" asked the spirit.

"Yes," said Dorothy.

"Well, every one of them is the home of a fairy, and that big one in the middle is the Fairy Queen's home, and this is my home," said the spirit; "look, is it not pretty? Can you see?"

"No," said Dorothy; "it is too dark."

"Oh, I am forgetting that you are not a fairy; we can see in the dark as well as in the day. But wait while I call my lamps." Here the spirit began to call loudly:

"Bright, Light, Twinkle!"

The spirit paused and turned toward the west. "Here they are," he said.

Dorothy turned around, and to her great surprise she saw three little fireflies.

Suddenly Dorothy awakened to find that the three little fireflies were nothing but the lights in the window of the house across the road. The fresh spring rain falling on her face had awakened her.

It was all a dream.—Philadelphia Ledger.