the day before, had turned a poor widow, with two little children, out
of his tenement house, because she was not quite ready with the rent.
I put a great fly on his nose, and a great flea in his ear, and
ordered them to stay there, and buzz, and bite him, till he went
nearly into fits."

A chorus of sweet fairy laughter greeted this mad-cap caper, and
Slyboots embraced the opportunity to whisper something to a small
brown spider, who had been listening with all his ears, and staring at
Slyboots with all his eyes, of which he had more than his share, and
who immediately scampered off with all his legs.

"Then, your Majesty," continued the elfin, "I hastened on, and flew
through the window into the room where Charley slept. All was sweet,
still, and hushed; and oh! how pure and lovely the pale boy looked, as
he lay there, his hands folded across his breast. As I gazed, a
radiant smile parted his lips, and a faint color came into his white
cheek. He was dreaming--his soul was full of holy thoughts--and the
smile had come, as he saw in his dream the Beautiful Home above, for
which he was preparing.

"The little mother, looking wearied with watching, lay upon a couch
near him. As I hovered over her, a large tear crept from under her
closed eyelid, and a quick convulsive sob broke from her breast. She
too was dreaming, dreaming of the sorrowful time when her darling
would be taken from her.

"I swept my wings lightly across her brow, and bade her waken. She
opened her eyes, looked upon Charley, and rising, with a sigh of
relief, she murmured: 'I have thee yet, oh my child! my darling!' and
hastening to him, she softly drew back the golden curls from his
forehead, sprinkled a few drops of grateful, refreshing perfume upon
his pillow, and then, tenderly touching his cheek with her loving
lips, went comforted back to her couch.

"The rest of the children were in the other rooms, fast asleep in
two-story cribs, and various dear little beds; and I left some of
them laughing merrily in their sleep, by telling them one or two
ridiculous anecdotes about your Majesty's stuffy old prime min----"

"Silence, Slyboots!" cried the Queen, trying not to laugh. "You shall
not make fun of our minister to our face. Go and order the supper."

Slyboots grinned sideways at the maids of honor, but bowed, with a
great show of penitence, to his Queen. Retiring from the presence, he
placed a tiny bugle, fashioned out of a small honeysuckle,