d, and hunger, and thirst, till he nearly
died. I think, after that he would begin to have a conscience--don't
you?

[Illustration: "Why, what is the matter, little fellow?"]

One afternoon, while his mother was in a troubled slumber, little
Mark went and sat down outside the cottage. A kind farmer had been
felling trees, and one of these he had given to Mark's mother, promising
to send one of the farm lads that evening to saw and split it for her.
Mark sat down on the log and leaned sadly upon his hand, and every
little while he wiped away a tear that rolled down his cheek.

Presently a tall, handsome boy walked past. It was Harry, the one who
personated the little old gentleman in the true story of "The Party
Lillie gave to Miss Florence." His father had a country seat in the
neighborhood, and Harry often took long walks in search of adventures.

"Why, what is the matter, little fellow?" he asked.

Mark raised his tearful eyes, and seeing a kind face, told his pitiful
story.

"Oh, don't be down-hearted," cried Harry. "Why, don't you know the
fairies are not all dead yet? Now, there's the fairy Benevolence; just
you ask her, good and loud, to help you, and see if she won't do it;"
and he patted the little boy encouragingly on the head, slipped a
quarter of a dollar--all the money he had with him--in his hand, and
walked quickly away.

Harry's father was a skilful physician, with one of the largest and most
loving hearts I ever knew; and when Harry told Mark to call upon the
fairy for assistance, his idea was that the fairy this time would come
in the shape of a rather stout gentleman, with the pleasantest smile and
finest set of snow-white teeth that ever were seen. He had a kind,
delicate way of doing a service, which made it better to take, and did
more good than all the medicine in Mr. Hegeman's apothecary shop.

Very soon little Mark got up and went into the cottage. His mother was
still sleeping. It was now sunset, and the shadows began to deepen and
darken in the room. Mark sat down by the bedside, and commenced thinking
of what Harry had told him. He was a little bit of a fellow, you know,
and of course would believe what such a great boy would say. So he
concluded it must be true that the fairies were still to be found; and
at last his longing grew so intense that he cried aloud, "Oh, Fairy
Benevolence! come quickly, and make my poor mother well."

* * * * *

A sweet s