d a strange power
over her. She could not drive them from her sight, and they grew ever
stronger, darker, and more unlovely to her eyes. They seemed to cast
black shadows over all around, to dim the sunshine, blight the flowers,
and drive away all bright and lovely things; while rising slowly round
her Annie saw a high, dark wall, that seemed to shut out everything she
loved; she dared not move, or speak, but, with a strange fear at her
heart, sat watching the dim shapes that hovered round her.

Higher and higher rose the shadowy wall. Slowly the flowers near her
died, lingeringly the sunlight faded; but at last they both were gone,
and left her all alone behind the gloomy wall. Then she could hear no
more, but, sinking down among the withered flowers, wept sad and bitter
tears, for her lost liberty and joy; then through the gloom there shone
a faint, soft light, and on her breast she saw her fairy flower, upon
whose snow-white leaves her tears lay shining.

Clearer and brighter grew the radiant light, till the evil spirits
turned away to the dark shadow of the wall, and left the child alone.

The light and perfume of the flower seemed to bring new strength to
Annie, and she rose up, saying, as she bent to kiss the blossom on her
breast: "Dear flower, help and guide me now, and I will listen to your
voice, and cheerfully obey my faithful fairy bell."

Then in her dreams she felt how hard the spirits tried to tempt and
trouble her, and how, but for her flower, they would have led her back,
and made all dark and dreary as before. Long and hard she struggled, and
tears often fell; but after each new trial, brighter shone her magic
flower, and sweeter grew its breath, while the spirits lost still more
their power to tempt her. Meanwhile, green, flowering vines crept up the
high, dark wall, and hid its roughness from her sight; and over these
she watched most tenderly, for soon, wherever green leaves and flowers
bloomed, the wall beneath grew weak, and fell apart. Thus little Annie
worked and hoped, till one by one the evil spirits fled away, and in
their place came shining forms, with gentle eyes and smiling lips, who
gathered round her with such loving words, and brought such strength and
joy to Annie's heart, that nothing evil dared to enter in; while slowly
sank the gloomy wall, and, over wreaths of fragrant flowers, she passed
out into the pleasant world again, the fairy gift no longer pale and
drooping, but now shin