t the nicest old woman that ever was seen: all the
others were nothing compared to her. She had a pointed hat on over her
cap, a red cloak, high-heeled shoes, and a crutch in her hand. She
smiled and nodded as the bird approached; and every one ran and nodded,
and screamed, "Welcome! welcome, mother!"

As soon as she touched the ground, she was so surrounded that I could
only see the top of her hat; for hundreds and hundreds of little
children suddenly appeared, like a great flock of birds,--rosy, happy,
pretty children; but all looked unreal, and among them I saw some who
looked like little people I had known long ago.

"Who are they?" I asked of a bonny lass, who was sitting on a cushion,
eating strawberries and cream.

"They are the phantoms of all the little people who ever read and loved
our mother's songs," said the maid.

"What did she write?" I asked, feeling very queer, and as if I was going
to remember something.

"Songs that are immortal; and you have them in your hand," replied the
bonny maid, smiling at my stupidity.

I looked; and there, on the cover of the book I had been reading so
busily when the tide carried me away, I saw the words "Mother Goose's
Melodies." I was so delighted that I had seen her I gave a shout, and
tried to get near enough to hug and kiss the dear old soul, as the swarm
of children were doing; but my cry woke me, and I was _so_ sorry to find
it all a dream!

XI.

FANCY'S FRIEND.

It was a wagon, shaped like a great square basket, on low wheels, and
drawn by a stout donkey. There was one seat, on which Miss Fairbairn the
governess sat; and all round her, leaning over the edge of the basket,
were children, with little wooden shovels and baskets in their hands,
going down to play on the beach. Away they went, over the common,
through the stony lane, out upon the wide, smooth sands. All the
children but one immediately fell to digging holes, and making ponds,
castles, or forts. They did this every day, and were never tired of it;
but little Fancy made new games for herself, and seldom dug in the sand.
She had a garden of sea-weed, which the waves watered every day: she had
a palace of pretty shells, where she kept all sorts of little
water-creatures as fairy tenants; she had friends and playmates among
the gulls and peeps, and learned curious things by watching crabs,
horse-shoes, and jelly-fishes; and every day she looked for a mermaid.

It was of no use to tell her