s they
listened, and when it was over and they were again at their work, a deep
sadness seemed in everything. They too had begun to think that the real
joy might be a long, long way off from them.

And Mignon went on from village to village, singing and dancing and
seeking. Always she was thinking, "Who knows but tomorrow, in the next
village or the next, I will find the real joy? it will come to me as I
sing or stir with the beautiful music!"

But, children, Mignon never found it.

The feet that were meant to fly on loving errands only danced, and
though it was so beautiful it was really nothing, and the real joy was
not in it.

Do you not know that every little child that comes into the world has a
blessed deed in its life? But with Mignon it only lay heavy on her
heart, and she was more weary than any child who serves all day. And
after awhile this weariness grew as deep as her life, and the poet tells
us that she died. We read in his strange book that they bore her to the
dim hall of the Past, and that she lay there white and beautiful. Four
boys clothed in blue with silver stood beside her, slowly waving white
plumes. And when the people had come in and stood together very
silently, the most beautiful singing voices began--

"'Whom bring ye us to the still dwelling?'"

The four boys answered:

"''Tis a tired playmate whom we bring you. Let her rest in your still
dwelling. Let us weep. Let us remain with her!'"

But the sweet voices rang out,

"'Children, turn back into life! Your tears let the fresh air dry. Haste
back into life! Let the day give you _labor_ and _joy_, till evening
bring you rest.'"

And the listening children understood.

SIEGFRIED'S SILVER HORN.

[Music:]

_Richard Wagner._

[Illustration:

_By F. Leeke_

SIEGFRIED]

THE STORY OF SIEGFRIED.

Long, long ago, before the sun learned to shine so brightly, people
believed very strange things. Why, even the wisest thought storm clouds
were war-maidens riding, and that a wonderful shining youth brought the
springtime; and whenever sunlight streamed into the water they said to
one another, "See, it is some of the shining gold, some of the magic
Rhine-gold. Ah, if we should find the Rhine-gold we would be masters of
the world--the whole world;" and they would stretch out their arms and
look away on every side. Even little children began looking for the
hidden gold as they played, and they say that Odin, a god who li