see, where,
in the serene eyes of the soft Christian maiden, the hallowing
influence shines!--Auspiciously begun, the awed though aspiring Rite,
the still, the multitudinous, the mystical, prospers!--_Gratefully_,
as for the boon inexpressibly worth--_easily_, as of their own
transcending power--_promptly_, as though fearing that a benefit
received could wax cold, the joyful Elves crown upon the bright hair
of their graciously natured, but humanly and womanly weak
benefactress--the wedded felicity of pure love!

And the imaginary curtain has dropped! Lo, where it rises again,
discovering to view our stage, greatly changed, and, a little
perhaps, our actors!--Once more, attaching to the HUMAN DRAMA,
slight, as though it were structured of cloud, of air, the same light
and radiant MACHINERY! Once more, only that They, whom you lately saw
tranquil, earnest even to pathos--"now are frolic"--enough and to
spare!--Once more--THE FAIRIES.

And see, too--where, centring in herself interest and action of the
rapidly shifting scenery--ever again a beautiful granddaughter of Eve
steps--free and fearless, and bouyant and bounding--our fancy-laid
boards!--Ah! but how much unresembling the sweet maid!--_Outwardly_,
for lofty-piled is the roof that ceils over the superb head of the
modern Amazon, Swanhilda--more unlike _within_. Instead of the clear
truth, the soul's gentle purity, the "plain and holy Innocence" of
the poor fairy-beloved mountain child--SHE, in whose person and
fortunes you are invited--for the next fifty minutes--to forget your
own--harbours, fondly harbours, ill housemates of her virginal
breast! a small, resolute, well-armed and well confederated garrison
of unwomanly faults. Pride is there!--The iron-hard and the
iron-cold! There Scorn--edging repulse with insult!--and envenoming
insult with despair!--leaps up, in eager answer to the beseeching
sighs, tears, and groans of earth-bent Adoration. And there is the
indulged Insolency of a domineering--and as you will precipitately
augur--an _indomitable_ Will! And there is exuberant SELF-POWER,
that, from the innermost mind, oozing up, out, distilling,
circulating along nerve and vein, effects a magical metamorphosis!
turns the nymph into a squire of arms; usurping even the clamorous
and blood-sprinkled joy of man--the tempestuous and terrible CHASE,
which, in the bosom of peace, imaging war, shows in the rougher lord
of creation himself, as harsh, wild, and turbule