d continually from her golden chariot.

But the miracle of the story lies deeper than all this.

Whenever the Princess pricked the words upon the leaves she added a
thought of her Fairy Godmother, and folding it close within, sent the
leaf out on the breeze to float hither and thither and fall where it
would. And many other little Princesses felt the same impulse and did
the same thing. And as nothing is ever lost in the King's Dominion, so
these thoughts and wishes and hopes, being full of love and gratitude,
had no power to die, but took unto themselves other shapes and lived on
forever. They cannot be seen, our vision is too weak; nor heard, our
hearing is too dull; but they can sometimes be felt, and we know not
what force is stirring our hearts to nobler aims.

The end of the story is not come, but it may be that some day when the
Fairy Godmother has a message to deliver in person straight to the
King, he will say: "Your face I know; your voice, your thoughts, and
your heart. I have heard the rumble of your chariot wheels on the great
Highway, and I knew that you were on the King's business. Here in my
hand is a sheaf of messages from every quarter of my kingdom. They were
delivered by weary and footsore travelers, who said that they could
never have reached the gate in safety had it not been for your help and
inspiration. Read them, that you may know when and where and how you
sped the King's service."

And when the Fairy Godmother reads them, it may be that sweet odors
will rise from the pages, and half-forgotten memories will stir the
air; but in the gladness of the moment nothing will be half so lovely
as the voice of the King when he said: "Read, and know how you sped the
King's service."

Rebecca Rowena Randall

XXVI

"OVER THE TEACUPS"

The summer term at Wareham had ended, and Huldah Meserve, Dick Carter,
and Living Perkins had finished school, leaving Rebecca and Emma Jane
to represent Riverboro in the year to come. Delia Weeks was at home
from Lewiston on a brief visit, and Mrs. Robinson was celebrating the
occasion by a small and select party, the particular day having been
set because strawberries were ripe and there was a rooster that wanted
killing. Mrs. Robinson explained this to her husband, and requested
that he eat his dinner on the carpenter's bench in the shed, as the
party was to be a ladies' affair.

"All right; it won't be any loss to me," said Mr. Robinson. "Give me
beans, th