other
articles of the healing art.

The oldest of the party, judged by our human standard, has reached that
uncertain boundary of womanhood which divides maiden from matron. One
might venture to call her an "old maid" Brownie, and perhaps she would
not deny it, for that is a class--God bless them!--whom the Brownies
dearly love. But no one could aver that the fairy woman had suffered
loss of charms by advance in life. One glance into her face shows how
pure, gentle and good must be the disposition that has wrought the
tracery of such sweet expression around her features. Her name is
Agatha; she is the only child of Captain Bruce, and one does not wonder,
having once seen her, that even the Brownies call her Agatha the Good.
She is spreading upon tiny bandages out of a tiny jar some kind of
ointment, the recipe for which you may be sure is in none of our
dispensaries, but which the Brownies call Lily Balm.

The young Brownie who attends her, not as handmaid but companion, is
called Grace. Her face is such a goodly one, her manners are so gentle,
easy and winning, her every movement so graceful, delicate and yet so
full of life, that we shall not be surprised to hear you say: "Surely,
she must be the Fairy Queen herself!"

At the other end of the tent, kneeling over a brazier filled with coals,
is the third member of the Sanitary Corps. She holds above the coals a
retort, in which she is distilling Lily Balm. Her back is toward us and
her face is hidden. There! you have caught a glimpse of it as she turned
her head to speak to her companion. The cheeks are flushed, the eyes
are bright with the glow of the coals, there is an earnest, pitiful look
in their deep blue that speaks of thought intent upon present duty. But
there is also a strange light therein, a light as from some far away
world, that throws an air of mystery around this person and bids your
thoughts pause reverently as they run on in judgment concerning her.
This is Faith, the daughter of Rodney the Commodore. She is young as the
Brownies count years, and was born "at sea," that is, upon the Lake
Katrine of Brownieland, through which flows the Rivulet at the foot of
the Orchard.

[Illustration: FIG. 38.--A Peep Inside the Sanitary Tent. Faith
Distilling Lily-Balm.]

At Faith's side is her companion and friend, Sophia, the daughter of
Pipe, the Boatswain. There is a mixture of boldness and shyness in her
manner that strikes one at once. Her movements have