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Entered according to Act of Congress, in June, 1869, by J. W. Burke & Cos., in the Clerk’s Office of the District Court of the United States for the So. District of Georgia.
Vol. Ill— No. 33.
THE GIANT DAEKNESS AND THE FAIEY
SLEEP.
-A. IF A. I Ft Y TALE.
rtfSt HE fail 7 Court was assembled.
r^ie queen sat on her mossy
Jr r* throne and graciously indica
ted to her subjects her permission to
approach by waving her slender, trans
lucent wand, hung with lily-bells.
The fairies ranged before her tried to
look dignified and attentive, after the
manner of courtiers; but fairy Hope
could not resist a minute with Cupid,
half hidden under a great mulberry
bush behind her sister sprites, even
though her sovereign was holding audi
dience, and it was quite out of place,
she knew.
One after another the fairies present
ed petitions and rendered accounts of
what they had seen and done. The
queen arose and was about to retire,
when suddenly the sweet lily-bells tink
led like the first notes of a music-box,
and she said :
“ I observe that one of my subjects,
who has hitherto been silent, has some
thing to communicate. Faithful Sleep,
approach, and the rojml ear shall heed
thee.”
“ Oh, most gracious queen,” began
Sleep, kneeling on a strawberry leaf,
“I have, indeed, a petition to prefer.
You have heard ofttimes of a mighty
giant called Darkness. Os late I have
heard much of him. He does great
good in the world of mortals, and yet,
unwittingly, much harm. They fear
him, though he is oft their truest friend.
I would ask, oh best of sovereigns, thy
permission to depart thence to this won
derful giant, to join my power with his
in the nether sphere. Alone we are
comparatively useless ; together we
could work untold blessings.”
“ But dost thou not know, 0 gentle
Sleep, the reports of cruelty and hard
ness which the winds and storms have
brought, of Giant Darkness?” demanded
the queen. “He could not destroy
thee, for thou art immortal, but he could
MACON, GEORGIA, FEBRUARY 26, 1870.
close his gates against thee, and lea-»e
thee a stranger in an unknown realm.
Does not this terrify thee?”
“No, my queen, I am rendered so
unhappy only by looking into the mor
tal world and observing how much good
I could do with its aid, that I feel I am
not performing' my share of the duties
of the immortals.”
“ Thou art then determined to set out
on this perilous undertaking?” asked the
sovereign.
“ With thy consent, my queen, I will
start this night,” answered Sleep.
“ Since thou wilt only be content in
going, my faithful subject, I give my
consent.”
And another tinkling of the lily-bells
terminated the audience. Sweet, ten
der-eyed, benificent Sleep spread her
wings and floated away toward the do-
mains of the giant. Many times in her
long journey was she tempted to turn
and seek again her forest home. Many
times did her purpose grow weak ; but
she gained strength when she thought of
those she sought to bless.
At last, after passing through beauti-
ful clouds of soft purple, pinkish gray,
and fleecy gold, and over boundless
oceans, vast plains, and high mountains,
Sleep arrived at the giant’s confines.
Knocking at the great gates, she de
manded to be conducted to the presence
of the Giant Darkness. Through long
avenues, paved with marble and border
ed with immense trees; through grand
saloons, hung with magnificent tapes
tries —for everjdhing was on a collossal
scale in the giant's palace —suddenly she
was ushered into a court, grander in
every way than anything she had yet
Whole No. 139.
seen. On a splendid throne sat Dark
ness, great and gloomy.
Sleep approached and knelt before
him. Then, in a voice which Sleep
mistook for thunder, he said :
“ Who art thou that demandest ad
mittance to my castle, to my very pres
ence, in this imperious way ? Knowest
thou not that thou challengest my an
ger, and that the anger of Darkness is
to be dreaded even by immortals?”
At this the giant looked very mena
cing, and Sleep tremblingly answered:
“ Great Darkness, I do indeed know
that thy anger is no April zephyr; but
I believe that I have not incurred it. I
am the fairy called Sleep, and I come
from the court of my queen to prefer a
request. Have I thy permission to
speak ?”
“ Since thou hast come so great a
distance, it must needs be of import
ance, this that thou wouldst speak of.
Say on. ’ ’ And the giant prepared him
self to listen.
“Great Darkness,” began Sleep, “I
have heard much of thy power in the
mortal world —how thou canst embrace
half of it at a time. I know thou bring
est repose and comfort to men, who
fear thee because they understand thee
not. I know, too, that under the pro
tection of thy shadow much wrong and
harm are done which thou canst not
prevent. My desire is this : To join my
powers with thine; to go through the
human world hand in hand with thee;
to bring with me my three gifts—Rest,
Pleasant Dreams, Oblivion ; and in this
way to aid and complete thy work.”
“ Gentle Sleep,” replied the giant in
as mild a tone as he could assume, and
which sounded like the distant roar of
a tempest, “I see that thou art one of
the best of fairies. It shall be as thou
desirest, except in this particular : Thou
must follow me, as near or as distant as
thou seest fit; but thou must follow and
not accompany me. We will begin at
once. It is a long and weary way that
thou wilt have to go; but I see no dan
ger or fatigue will turn thee from thy
good purpose.”
And so they set out for this planet of