MABEL ON MIDSUMMER DAY. 19 MABEL ON MIDSUMMER DAY.-Mary Howitt. A STORY OF THE OLDEN TIME. "ARISE, my maiden, Mabel," "Arise, my little maiden, For thou must speed away, To wait upon thy grandmother This livelong summer day. "And thou must carry with thee “And tell the dear old body, For the good man went out yester-morn, “And more than this, poor Amy I fear me, with this fever-pain The little child will die! "And thou canst help thy grandmother; The table thou canst spread; Canst feed the little dog and bird; And thou canst make her bed. C 20 MABEL ON MIDSUMMER DAY. "And thou canst fetch the water "Canst go down to the lonesome glen, This is the work, my Mabel, "But listen now, my Mabel, From elf-land come away. "And when thou 'rt in the lonesome glen, › But think not of the fairy folk, Think only of poor Amy, And how thou lov'st us all. "Yet keep good heart, my Mabel, "And when into the fir-wood Go wandering up and down. MABEL ON MIDSUMMER DAY. "But fill thy little apron, My child, with earnest speed; "For they are spiteful brownies “But think not, little Mabel, "And when thou goest to the spring "For the queen of all the fairies, "But she's a gracious lady, And her thou need'st not fear; Only disturb thou not the stream, Nor spill the water clear." "Now all this I will heed, mother, And wait upon the grandmother 21 22 MABEL ON MIDSUMMER DAY. PART II. AWAY tripped little Mabel, And long before the sun was hot, And all her mother's message She told with right good-will, And then she swept the hearth up clean, "And go now," said the grandmother, "Ten paces down the dell, And bring in water for the day, Thou know'st the lady-well." The first time that good Mabel went, Except a bird, a sky-blue bird, That sat upon a tree. The next time that good Mabel went, Beside the well, — a lady small, All clothed in green and white. MABEL ON MIDSUMMER DAY. A courtesy low made Mabel, “Thou art a handy maiden," The fairy lady said; "Thou hast not spilt a drop, nor yet The fairy spring troubled! "And for this thing which thou hast done, Yet mayst not understand, I give to thee a better gift Than houses or than land. "Thou shalt do well whate'er thou dost, Shalt have the will and power to please, Thus having said, she passed from sight, But the little bird, the sky-blue bird, "And now go,” said the grandmother, All in the neighboring fir-wood Away went kind, good Mabel, Where all the ground was dry and brown, 23 |