. Midsummer Eve : a fairy tale of loving and being loved . beautifulappeared before her; she clappedher hands and sprang onward withjoy. Resting on the very crest ofthe waterfall was a perfect and en-tire rainbow; myriads of tinted starsdropped from its arch, without in-juring its brilliancy or formâmingling with, and yet apart from, the snow-white foam. If all the jewels of the east had been flung into the mist, theycould not have produced a more dazzling effect, than did those whichNature lavished upon the sportive waters. The fascinated and bewilderedchild, though she had stolen away on tip
. Midsummer Eve : a fairy tale of loving and being loved . beautifulappeared before her; she clappedher hands and sprang onward withjoy. Resting on the very crest ofthe waterfall was a perfect and en-tire rainbow; myriads of tinted starsdropped from its arch, without in-juring its brilliancy or formâmingling with, and yet apart from, the snow-white foam. If all the jewels of the east had been flung into the mist, theycould not have produced a more dazzling effect, than did those whichNature lavished upon the sportive waters. The fascinated and bewilderedchild, though she had stolen away on tiptoe from where Randy slept, nowcalled impatiently to him to accompany her; once, twice, thriceâeachtime she was farther from him; but he, the true and faithful hearted, whennot under the influence of the evil-spirit spellâhe heard her not. Herpromise to her mother was forgotten. Oh ! wayward, unthinking child !the sin of the Garden of Eden was with you while the sun shone, softmusic sought to win you to the banks of the wildest thyme ; huge humble. 40 MIDSUMMER EVE: bees invited you to their eells, and ottered you the rich banquet of theirlioney ; voices whispered from out the virgin lilies, and rustled the leavesof the bright rose; if the Kelpie Queen hadspread snares and painted shows to lure youto lier waters, the votaries of the spirits ofearth and aii- were watching, like true sub-jects, in the absence of their Queens, to frus-trate her evil courses. But in her green and slimy palace theKelpie worked, and sent forth her people to dolier bidding. She could weave spells in herdark cell beneath the waters the length of aMidsummer day. Xightstar trusted to amortal; the Kelpie discovered that mortals weakness. Alas ! the child heard the warningsbut heeded them not; their unaided powerwas too weakâKightstar was above, waitingto descend on the gray vapour which suc-ceeds the last beam of the setting sun. On went the child, and as shepassed, she heard behind her sighs and sobs
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, bookidmidsummereve, bookyear1870
