TO NELLY.

[Illustration: N]ELLY BURTON had been weeding in the garden nearly all
the summer forenoon; and she was quite tired out. "Oh, if I could only
be dressed up in fine clothes, and not have to work!" thought she.

No sooner had the thought passed through her mind, than, as she looked
down on the closely-mown grass by the edge of the pond, she saw the
queerest sight that child ever beheld.

A carriage, the body of which was made of the half of a large
walnut-shell, brightly gilt, was moving along, dragged by six beetles
with backs glistening with all the colors of the rainbow.

Seated in the carriage, and carrying a wand, was a young lady not larger
than a child's little finger, but so beautiful that no humming-bird
could equal her in beauty. She had the bluest of blue eyes, and yellow
crinkled hair that shone like gold.

She stopped her team of beetles, and, standing upright, said to Nelly,
"Listen to me. My name is Pitpat; and I am a fairy. I see how tired you
are with work. Your father, though a good man, is a blacksmith; and
there is often a smirch on his face when he stoops to kiss you. Your
mother wears calico dresses, and doesn't fix her hair with false braids
and waterfalls. Would you not like to be the daughter of a king and
queen, and live in a palace?"

"Oh, yes, you beautiful Pitpat! I would like that ever so much!"
exclaimed Nelly. "Then I should be a princess, and have nothing to do
but amuse myself all day."

"Take the end of my wand, and touch your eyes with it," said the little
fairy.

Nelly obeyed; and in a moment, before she could wink, she found herself
in a beautiful room, with mirrors reaching from the ceiling to the
floor. By these she saw that she was no longer clad in an old dingy
dress, nor were her feet bare; but she had on a beautiful skirt of
light-blue velvet, and a bodice of the most costly lace, trimmed with
ribbons; while diamonds were in her hair, and a pair of gold slippers on
her feet.

Servants were in attendance on her, one of whom said, "May it please
your Highness, his Majesty, your royal father, is coming." Nelly's heart
fluttered. The door opened, and, preceded by two or three lackeys, a
pompous old gentleman entered, clad in rich robes, a golden crown on his
head, and no smirch on his face.

But, dear me, instead of catching her up in his arms, and calling her
his own precious little Nelly, his Majesty simply gave her his hand to
kiss, and passed on.

The