78 
THE BOUQUET. 
dered if such another race inhabited the fair Earth, and gazing into 
the shadowy woods endeavoured to discover their haunts — the 
magic ring — never dreaming, O most innocent Alice ! that while 
she looked for other beings, a youthful artist staid his ramble to 
sketch from the opposite bank the lovely picture before him. As 
thus she mused the soft air came to her laden with fragrance : gradu- 
ally a strain of far away melody stole upon her ear, the brook went 
murmuring low and sweet at her feet, and Alice was asleep * * * * 
but she had changed her position and gone to the other side of the 
“ huge oak tree, 55 for there the blossoms grew more luxuriantly. 
Sweet Violets, the pale Anemone, Wild Rose, and graceful Eglan¬ 
tine, were blooming around, enclosed within a ring of the misty 
brake, seeming with its long arms to encircle these gems of the 
forest; and as she looked upon their beauty again, the music came 
ringing wild and clear till the bright flowers themselves seemed to 
take up the chorus, and in small sweet voices sing praises to the 
gentle Sun and mild dews. Alice looked up. The setting Sun was 
casting a parting glory upon the tree tops, and when she looked 
again upon the greensward a tiny and beautiful form stood beside 
each blossom, while with one foot poised upon a Rose stood a being 
more beautiful than aught human, and the Fairies bowed their 
heads, when in silvery accents she spoke :—- 
“ bmr mortal, we have watched you through the long Summer’s 
day when you have visited our presence, and we know your love 
for the young flowers. Have you never dreamed that the Fairies 
and flowers are one 1 and when they fade from the Earth for a 
season, we unseen spirits, hover around the pillow of the young and 
innocent, sending them sweet dreams of the future. We have each 
our mission, and to those we love best we grant our peculiar gift; 
but to you, O tender daughter of a human race, we give the choice.” 
She paused, and a hundred sweet voices repeated the chorus. 
“ I am the queen of beauty—my gift is the mantling blush upon 
