THRO’ FAIRYLAND.

It was dark when we stopped at the Fairy-Land bars,

And over our heads there were millions of stars;

And I was quite frightened, but Jimmy looked bold,

And Alice just shivered—she said it was cold.

We timidly knocked, and then, just as I feared

They would not let us in, lo! the bars disappeared,

And the stars dropped right down from the sky, and behold!

Each one was a lamp for a fairy to hold.

And the fairies went dancing like leaves in the wind,

And beckoned to us as we crept on behind;

And queer little faces, brimful of surprise,

Looked out of the darkness with queer little eyes.

But O the sweet fairies! I never could tell

Of the rose-hues we saw in that wonderful dell—

The daffodil-yellow, the purple and green,

But the sweetest of all was the lily-white Queen.

They sang of the land of the Sugary Dews,

Where children may eat a whole pie, if they choose;

A wonderful land, which some day we shall see,

If the Shining Way leads us—Jim, Alice and me.

O we shouted with glee! and then to our surprise

The stars drifted back again into the skies,

The fairies all vanished, I covered my head,—

And when I looked up, we were all three in bed.