g the fays from the beautiful green island that is sleeping in
the moonlight opposite to us."

Charley with all his senses quickened, his lips slightly apart, his
eyes dilated, one hand raised in an attitude of intense listening,
caught the delicious harmony of fairy voices singing these words:

"Hasten fairies--haste away;
Hasten through the golden spray;
Hasten to the frolic play.

"Fly o'er water--fly o'er vale;
Ply the oar, and spread the sail;
Hie ye to the moon-lit dale.

"Silver sweet the music swells
Of the snow-white lily-bells,
And the sounding pink sea-shells.

"Hither--hither, haste away
To the fairies' frolic play;
'Tis the festive fairy-day."

Brighter grew the eyes of the sick boy, and his cheek flushed with
excitement as he listened.

"Oh, how beautiful!" he murmured; "what dainty little rippling notes!"

"Listen again," said the Queen, with a gratified smile, for she liked
to hear her people praised; "listen! the island fairies are
answering."

Was it magic that brought those tiny voices so far over the water?
Surely it was, for there rose on the air a clear tinkling sound like
the ringing of little glass bells; and Charley heard these words:

"Beaming moon--shimmering fountain--
Light, and deck the fairy dell;
We are coming to the mountain,
From the isle we love so well:
To the fairy ball we hie;
Thought-swift through the purple sky
We are hastening at the call;
'Tis the great midsummer ball.

"Open lily--blossom rose,
Shed around thy perfume light;
Heliotrope--thy sweets disclose
To the fragrant dews of night.
Dogwood grim we fairies banish;
Purple nightshade! fly! evanish!
We are hastening at the call;
'Tis the great midsummer ball.

"Chime hare-bells! clearly, sweetly,
Joy our hearts with blithe accord,
As we fairies neatly, featly,
Trip it o'er the dainty sward.
Velvet sod thy carpet spread,
With small buds enamelled,
We are hastening at the call;
'Tis the great midsummer ball.

"Oh!" exclaimed the entranced boy, "how I should like to see the
beautiful fairies dancing in the moonlight. May I, sweet lady?"

With a loving smile the Queen bent over and lightly tapped him thrice
upon each shoulder-blade with her jewelled sceptre. Immediately a pair
of gauzy wings started from his back. With an involuntary motion he
gently waved them back and forth, and felt himself rising--_ri