HE STARED OUT AT THE LOVELY VISIONHE STARED OUT AT THE LOVELY VISION
The beautiful creature came closer.She held out her hand and smiled. Her hand was snow-white. Her smile was a sunbeam, with a dimple in it.
"Do not be afraid," said her clear, sweet voice. "You called the fairies, son of Shaun O'Day?"
John nodded, but could not speak. His mouth was dry.
"I have come at your command," she smiled. Then she led John out and looked at him for a long time. She was smiling kindly. At last she spoke.
"You are the son of Shaun O'Day. And I am the fairy Princess who once stole Shaun from the leprechaun. I used to hear his fine stories of Ireland. I loved to listen to him. He used to play with me in fairyland. Did he tell you?"
John looked into her sparkling brown eyes and said, "Sure, and he did. He told me about it all. And I did be wanting to go with the fairies, too."
She laughed a silvery laugh and put her arm about John. "And so you shall," she said. "Come with me. Let me show you to our fairy chariot."
She led him away. They walked for quite a while until they came to a dusty road. It was a road on which many donkey carts travel, but few automobiles.
She drew him to the side of a shining automobile. It was the most beautiful thing John had ever seen.
"Enter, Shaun," said the girl fairy.
John looked at her for just an instantwith a question on his lips. She had called him Shaun. Why?
"YOU ARE THE SON OF SHAUN O'DAY""YOU ARE THE SON OF SHAUN O'DAY"
But she stopped his question and said, "We shall fly over the ground now. Hold on tight."
For the next hour, the boy Johnhardly breathed with excitement. He was being carried over the ground faster than ever he had gone in his life.
Trees and fields and pigs and donkeys flew by. Thatched cottages seemed to dart out at them and then disappear.
The girl fairy sat at the big wheel of the car and only smiled at him occasionally. She said never a word.
At last they drew up at the side of a lonely road. She stopped the flying car. She turned to him.
She said, "Now Shauneen, what do you want me to do for you?"
John took a deep breath and clutched the side of the car.
Then he answered slowly, "Faith!I'm after longing to visit fairyland."
The girl fairy's smile vanished for a moment. Then she took his hand in hers and spoke seriously.
"Shauneen," she said, "I cannot take you there. But I can show you a land as beautiful as fairyland. I can take you all about your own land, Ireland. Do you know that the poets have called Ireland fairyland? Do you know that there is no greener spot on earth?"
John's eyes glowed.
He answered, "Indeed, I do know it. And I'm forever seeing the pictures in the school books. Sure, I do believe I'd rather be seeing Ireland than any fairyland at all!"
"ENTER, SHAUN," SAID THE GIRL FAIRY"ENTER, SHAUN," SAID THE GIRL FAIRY
"Good!" laughed the girl fairy. Then she grew serious again as she said, "But Shauneen, you must promise your fairy that you will not speak of this to anyone at all. You must also ask your father to come to the shore of the lake to-morrow morning while youare at school. Tell him that there is some one who would speak with him on a serious matter. But do not say any more. If you obey these two commands, your fairy will come again. She will come for you on the shores of the lake. She will take you to all parts of your own beautiful country."
John promised to carry out her wishes. Again they flew over the ground until at last they were back at the spot whence they had started.
Then John stepped out of the glistening automobile. The girl fairy threw him a kiss and was off in a cloud of dust.
Above is so blueAnd below is so green;We are sailing awayIn our flying machine.
Above is so blueAnd below is so green;We are sailing awayIn our flying machine.
John was in school. But his mind was not on his lessons. For the first time, the letters in his book swam before his eyes. The teacher's voice seemed far away.
He was thinking of the girl fairy and of his coming trip with her. She had told him to say nothing, and he must obey her. But he could not help thinking about her. Surely she was good and would let no harm befall him.
His father had told him that the Good People were kind and loved little boys. So he smiled and paid no attention to his school work.
The teacher set him in a corner with a dunce's cap on his head.
In the meantime, John's father was walking to the shore of the lake. He wondered who wanted to see him. John had told him that it was an important matter.
He scratched his red head and puzzled. He waited on the banks of the lake until he heard a light step behind him.
He turned and saw John's girl fairy. She walked over to him silently. He jumped up and looked at her. Shaunthought he had never seen so exquisite a being. She spoke.
"You are Shaun O'Day," she said softly. She held out something and continued, "Please take this."
Shaun took from her graceful white hand a slip of paper. She kept looking into his eyes.
"Read it, Shaun," she said.
Shaun opened the paper. His eyes fell on his own boyish handwriting and a shamrock pasted across the top of the letter.
"Faith, 'tis a letter I wrote, myself, when I was a lad!" he exclaimed.
O'CONNELL STREET AND NELSON'S COLUMN, DUBLINO'CONNELL STREET AND NELSON'S COLUMN, DUBLIN
The girl fairy only smiled and kept looking into Shaun's eyes.
"Begob!" he suddenly shouted, lookinghard at the girl fairy. "'Tis Miss Marjorie, the baby Princess!"
"Yes, Shaun," answered Marjorie happily. "'Tis Marjorie come all the way from fairyland to see you."
Then the two sat down on the bank. Shaun took off his coat and spread it on the ground for the girl to sit upon. They talked and laughed and remembered old times together.
Suddenly Marjorie grew serious and said, "Shaun, I have seen your son!"
Shaun looked surprised.
Marjorie continued, "Shaun, I want you to help me. I want to give a great pleasure to your little John."
Then she told Shaun how John had seen her the previous day. She toldhow John had believed her to be a fairy. She told Shaun that she had promised to take the little lad on a trip through Ireland.
DUBLIN IS QUAINT AND ANCIENTDUBLIN IS QUAINT AND ANCIENT
She finished by saying, "I want to make him happy, Shaun, as you mademe, long ago. Will you say that I may take him?"
Shaun's eyes were moist. He felt very grateful to the girl.
He replied in a low voice, "Och, Miss Marjorie, you are indeed no fairy, but a great good angel!"
Marjorie jumped up gayly and cried, "Then you will let him go with me, Shaun?"
"And sure you know well I will, Miss Marjorie. 'Tis a great good you will be doing for my lad. It is surely," he said.
Marjorie looked very serious then. And she bowed her head.
Her words were whispers as she said, "If it is a great good, then it is the first great good I have ever done. I havebeen very selfish, Shaun. Everyone has always done for me. This is the first time I have ever done something to give some one else pleasure. And, oh," she suddenly clasped her hands together and smiled radiantly, "it is awonderful feeling! It has made me happy, Shaun."
She kissed his rough brown hand and turned on her dainty heel. She fled before Shaun could utter a sound.
"Well, begob, begorra!" he at last sputtered, scratching his head and wrinkling his nose. "Now isn't it a great wonder?"
Then, as if some breeze had contradicted him, he nodded his head and said loudly, "It is surely!"
It was several days before Marjorie's next visit to the lake.
Although the little boy John went thither daily and waited longingly, no girl fairy appeared. But he never doubted that she would come. Heknew she would keep her promise. And she did.
At last, one day, she came tripping over the ground, laughing and calling, "Shauneen, Shauneen, 'tis I!"
John trembled. But he smiled at her and held out his hand.
To-day she was not dressed in fluttering, light-colored garments. Instead, she had on a brown leather coat. She wore a little round cap.
She carried a small coat, which she held out to John.
"Put this on quickly and come, for our air chariot awaits us," she exclaimed, helping John put on the fine warm coat.
Again they walked to the shiningwhite automobile, and then they drove and drove. At last they came to a large field. It was an air port, a place where airplanes land.
The girl stopped her car. John saw a winged machine standing in the centerof the field. It was a strange, terrible thing to the boy John.
"Come," said Marjorie, taking him by the hand. "It is our airplane. We shall fly over the green land together!"
An airplane! John had seen airplanes before, but never like this. He had seen them circling far up in the sky.
He could often hear the whirring sound they made. They usually were so high that they looked to the lad like small birds.
But this one was a monster. There was a pilot ready to start the plane and carry them off. They stepped inside the monster. John sat beside Marjorie, and she held his hand. He edged up close to her.
The plane's motor started. They began to rise from the ground. Oh, it was like being a bird, John thought. It was even like being a fairy.
He stole a glance at the girl fairy. She was beaming at him.
"Do you like this, Shauneen?" she asked.
"Faith, 'tis surely a great wonder! And you the good angel!" breathed the boy.
Marjorie remembered Shaun hadsaid those same words to her. She felt happier than she had felt ever before in her life.
It was a trip that John O'Day never would forget. John would remember that trip to his ninetieth birthday.
They flew in the plane to the city of Dublin. They stopped at a fine hotel, and the girl fairy gave John a handsome little traveling bag with everything in it that he needed.
There were soft, fine pajamas. There was a new suit of clothes. There was a cap to match his coat, with fine socks and shoes.
SHE GAVE JOHN A HANDSOME LITTLE TRAVELING BAGSHE GAVE JOHN A HANDSOME LITTLE TRAVELING BAG
They started out early the next morning to see all of Dublin town. A great city it seemed to John, with itsstrange noises and its jostling mobs on the streets.
SUGARLOAF MOUNTAIN NEAR DUBLINSUGARLOAF MOUNTAIN NEAR DUBLIN
In the center of O'Connell Street stands Nelson's Pillar. It is a thin, tall pillar. Inside there are one hundred and sixty-six steps which wind rightup to the top. John and Marjorie walked up to the top and stood looking down on the streets below.
John noticed later when they walked in the streets that some of the signs were written in Irish.
SOME OF THE SIGNS WERE WRITTEN IN IRISHSOME OF THE SIGNS WERE WRITTEN IN IRISH
John was just learning to read Irish in school. So he could read some of the signs.
School children have to study the Irish language in that part of Ireland called the Free State. The Free State is free from Great Britain and has its own government. It is the southern part of the country, and Dublin is the capital.
The northern part of Ireland is still under the government of England.The County Galway, wherein John's village stood, belongs to the Free State.
A SCHOOL WHERE THEY TEACH THE IRISH LANGUAGEA SCHOOL WHERE THEY TEACH THE IRISH LANGUAGE
Policemen on the streets of Dublin wear caps with silver harps on their visors. You know that the harp is thesymbol of Ireland, and it is used on the new flag of the Irish Free State.
Dublin is a quaint and ancient city. There are few automobiles on the streets.
One sees many jaunting cars, which are funny little high carts with a seat on each side and big wheels. People sit with their legs hanging over the sides, while the driver sits up on the high box and drives an old thin horse.
A JAUNTING CARA JAUNTING CAR
There are also many bicycles whirling along in Dublin.
Children seem to be everywhere. Some look very poor, indeed. Some beg the wealthy people for money. There are many beggars. They crouch beside buildings and on the steps ofchurches. John and his fair guide visited Phoenix Park in Dublin. After Yellowstone Park in the United States, Phoenix Park is the largest in the world.
LOVELY LAKES IN PHOENIX PARK, DUBLINLOVELY LAKES IN PHOENIX PARK, DUBLIN
It is very beautiful, too. It has a finezoo, and lovely lakes, walks, and drives.
PHOENIX PARK, DUBLINPHOENIX PARK, DUBLIN
The Royal Hibernian Military School in Phoenix Park is used by the Free State Irish Speaking Union as a school to teach the Irish language to young men.
They visited St. Patrick's College where a large number of students attend. This is a fine old college.
ST. PATRICK'S COLLEGE, DUBLINST. PATRICK'S COLLEGE, DUBLIN
They left Dublin after seeing everything of interest there. They left in a drizzling rain in Marjorie's big whitemotor car. It had been brought to them from the flying field to Dublin. It seemed to John that things were always being brought to Marjorie in a magical way. And why not? Marjorie was a fairy! Now they motored to the Vale of Avoca.
This is the beautiful woodland spot where Tom Moore, the Irish poet, wrote much of his poetry.
THE COUNTRY OF TOM MOORETHE COUNTRY OF TOM MOORE
His famous words are:
"There is not in this wide world a valley so sweetAs the vale in whose bosom the bright waters meet."
"There is not in this wide world a valley so sweetAs the vale in whose bosom the bright waters meet."
"Over hill, over dale,Through bush, through brier,Over park, over pale,Throughflood, through fire,I do wander everywhere."
"Over hill, over dale,Through bush, through brier,Over park, over pale,Throughflood, through fire,I do wander everywhere."
—William Shakespeare
While John traveled with his good fairy, his mother and father sat before their fireside. They talked for hours about the lad's good fortune.
Of course Shaun explained to his wife that the girl was no fairy. He told Dawn O'Day that she was Marjorie, the baby Princess, for whom he had worked so long ago.
Dawn O'Day was pleased to thinkhow much her boy was learning. She loved to think that some day little John might be a great, wise man.
And the boy was indeed learning, and seeing all manner of wonders. Together he and Marjorie visited the Giant's Causeway, which is in the northern part of Ireland. The Giant's Causeway is a very remarkable place.
It is supposed to have been made by the giants of old. It is believed by some that the queer rocks were built by giants. These great monsters were trying to make a great bridge across the water to join Ireland and Scotland.
Of course this is only a fairy tale. But those huge, queer rocky forms do look as though giants had built them.
The water roars up to the shore and often splashes over those strange, tall rocks. They are probably the result of a terrible eruption by some volcano, or fire mountain, years ago.
The rocks form many peculiar shapes. There is the Giant's Organ—a group of immense rocks resembling a mighty organ.
There is the Wishing Chair, a single column backed by higher ones. It forms a very comfortable chair. And they tell you that if you make a wish there, it will come true. But never must you speak that wish aloud.
THE WISHING CHAIRTHE WISHING CHAIR
There is a well of clear, fresh water within a few feet of the Atlantic Ocean.
There is the gate which stands as the gate to Giant Land.
THE GATE TO GIANT LANDTHE GATE TO GIANT LAND
There are the Giant's Eyeglass, the Chimney Tops, the Loom, and other forms of great size made of these strange rocks. It is no wonder that the people think of giants, when looking at them.
THE GIANT'S EYEGLASSTHE GIANT'S EYEGLASS
The little boy and his guide visited the mountain of Crough Patrick, one of the sacred places of Ireland.
It is where St. Patrick stood when he banished all snakes and other reptiles from Ireland. This is supposed to have happened in the year 450 A.D.
St. Patrick imprisoned all creeping things in a deep canyon and kept them there. When he was ready to destroy them, he stood upon the summit of the mountain with a bell in his hand.
He stood there and rang that bell. And each time he rang that bell thousands of snakes and other creeping creatures went tumbling into the sea.
In Ireland to-day there are no snakes, toads, or poisonous reptiles. The peoplebelieve that it is because St. Patrick destroyed them all, many years ago.
In July many pilgrims climb to this mountain. They pray there to St. Patrick.
John and Marjorie went to the Lakes of Killarney. These are perhaps the best known lakes in all the world. Songs and poems have been written about their beauty.
There are three lakes. Each one has a peculiar beauty of its own. The lakes lie between mountains like brilliant diamonds glistening in an emerald setting.
They tell a legend in Killarney. They say that once no lakes were there atall. One man living there had a magic well. If he always kept the well covered, no harm would come.
But one night somebody came to the well for water and forgot to cover it. The next morning a great flood hadswallowed up the land. The town was completely under water.
Sometimes, the natives say, one can still see, at the bottom of the lakes, this old town with the same old well. The Irish do love to be telling tales of magic.
Blarney Castle is noted for the famous Blarney Stone. It is said that those who kiss the Blarney Stone forever afterward possess the art of flattery and beautiful speech.
BLARNEY CASTLEBLARNEY CASTLE
You have often heard people say, "You must have kissed the Blarney Stone!"
People who make many compliments are sometimes accused of kissing the Blarney Stone.
Nor is it an easy object to kiss! John O'Day and Marjorie climbed to the top of Blarney Castle. There the old stone hangs from the top of the battlements. It lies in a peculiar position.
John lay flat and thrust his head down about three feet through an opening. He then twisted his neck in order to kiss the precious stone. A guard held his feet.
It was a wise thing to do, for it is over a hundred feet to the ground below! It would be a terrible fall!
As they traveled, they passed beautiful green country. They saw many pigs and many donkey carts.
THEY PASSED DONKEY CARTSTHEY PASSED DONKEY CARTS
In every village they found a war memorial. Some of these memorialsstand in the center of the town. Some are very large and beautiful. Others are small. But all mean the same thing. Ireland lost many soldiers in the Great War.
THEY PASSED DONKEY CARTSA WAR MEMORIAL IN EVERY VILLAGE
They found few fruits growing in Ireland. Gooseberries are plentiful, and they ate many.
Marjorie found the Irish peasants friendly and kind. Several times they stopped for the night in farmhouses.
The people told Marjorie many wonderful tales as she sat before their firesides. They were very much surprised to find the girl traveling about alone with a young child.
But she only laughed in her easy way, as the old women said, "God be praised, but American girls do be knowing no fear!"
Marjorie always made John go to bed right after dinner. The little boy was tired from his long day's travels. He was tired, too, with seeing and hearing so many new things. So he did not hear the people talking at night. He stillbelieved his girl fairy was one of the Good People.
One day they were stopping in a small village. Marjorie left John alone with the car and went into a shop to buy some cakes.
A group of little boys came over to the car. Their eyes were very curious, indeed.
They began to talk to John. When they heard his accent they knew at once that he was Irish.
One boy said, "'Tis surely a rich American lady driving the automobile?"
John looked at him in a pitying manner. "And don't you know a fairy when you see one?" he asked.
The boys' mouths opened. They stared at John.
Then one boy came close to John and cried out, "Arrah, 'tis no fairy, at all, at all! 'Tis an American lady from across the seas!"
John faced the boy. There was a frown on his face.
"You'll not be standing there saying that again!" he said. "'Tis herself is one of the Good People!"
The boy laughed again. "Och, you know well she is no fairy!"
"She is!" yelled John.
"She is not!" shrieked the boy.
John rolled up his sleeves. He hit the boy.
When Marjorie came out of the shopshe found her young friend in a fierce battle. She separated the boys and thrust John into the car. He was waving his arms and shouting.
Marjorie jumped into the driver's seat. She started the car, and off they went.
SHE SEPARATED THE BOYSSHE SEPARATED THE BOYS
John's clothing was torn. He was bruised. The boy with whom he had fought was larger than he. But John knew that he had left the other boy as bruised and torn as he was himself. So he smiled.
Marjorie drove for a while in silence.
Then she asked, "John, why did you fight?"
John told her the reason. She bit her lip and was silent again.
Then she said, "John, how do you know that I am a fairy?"
The little boy answered promptly, "Because I was after calling the fairies that day by the lake. And because I did take off my petticoat and put on the clothes of a boy."
"Do you believe that was the reason I took you away?" asked Marjorie.
"I do," answered John firmly. "And," he continued, "if I had been in the petticoats of a girl, you would never have noticed me at all."
"Why?" Marjorie queried.
"Sure, and the Good People do be wanting the boys to work for themselves. They'll not be noticing girls, and they so weak!" John answered.
Marjorie frowned. Then she said, "But I have not made you work."
John looked at her quickly and replied, "Och, no! But 'tis willing I am to work for you now. Only—" He hesitated.
"Only what, John?" asked the girl.
"I'll not be wanting to stay away forever from my mother and father," was the reply.
Marjorie put an arm about his shoulder.
"Do you know that we are almost at your home now?" She laughed gayly. "Look about you!"
The little boy was amazed to see that they really had returned. They were on the same dusty road whence they had started their trip so many days ago.
Marjorie drew the car up to the side of the road and stopped it.
"Now you may jump out and run home to your mother and father," she said.
John O'Day just stood and stared at her.
"And you'll not be asking me to work at all?" he questioned, with wondering eyes.
Marjorie shook her head and smiled.
"Och," cried the boy, "but I want to do something for you!"
Marjorie stroked his hand and replied softly, "It is not necessary, Shauneen. Your father did so very much for me many years ago. I am glad that I can now give his son a little happiness."
"And will you not be coming back again to the lake, good fairy?" asked John.
Marjorie's smile faded as she answered, "Shauneen, I am not a fairy. You must believe that. I shall come back to the lake to see you. But I shall come to bid you good-bye, for I am going back to America."
For a moment John was almost goingto believe her. His throat felt choky. Then suddenly he shook his head and laughed aloud.
"Sure, 'tis not so at all, at all!" he laughed. "There's not a girl in all the world as beautiful as you. There's not a girl in all the world so good and kind,Faireen. Och, no! Not even the girls from the land of America! 'Tis indeed the fairy you are!"
The little boy climbed out of the car. He saw a shamrock growing by the side of the road. He ran and picked it. He gave it to Marjorie. Then he kissed her hand and ran as fast as he could.
THEN HE KISSED HER HANDTHEN HE KISSED HER HAND
He left the girl staring after him in real amazement. So he would not believe her! He thought that she was a fairy! Ah, well, she must certainly show him in some way that what she told him was true.
She did not want to leave Ireland and feel that she had deceived the boy. Still, she loved to think that he believed her to be a fairy.
It was a beautiful dream to John. She did not like to disturb that beautiful dream. Puzzled, she shook her head as she started her car. Then she was off, down the dusty road.
"I cannot see fairies.I dream them.There is no fairy can hide from me.I keep on dreaming till I find them."
"I cannot see fairies.I dream them.There is no fairy can hide from me.I keep on dreaming till I find them."
—Hilda Conklin
John O'Day walked slowly through the village. He walked through the village because he wanted all the boys to see his fine suit.
The fine suit was a bit torn and soiled from the fight he had had. Still John was proud of it.
He went home by way of the village. He did not go by way of the lake. As he walked down the village street, the people stared at him.
"And where are you going, John O'Day?" called one boy.
"Sure, I'm not going," answered the little lad. "I'm after coming back from where I was!"
He marched along. They all stood with staring eyes and watched him.
He came to the cottage of his parents, and when they saw him they were delighted.
Of course, John told his mother and father everything.
He tried to tell it all before he went to bed. But the evening was too short and his tale too long. He was fairly bursting with the great trip he had had.
He even had a tale of wonder for hiswee sister. He held her on his knee while he told about the big zoo in Dublin.
"Sure, and there's every kind of animal there," he went on, his eyes flashing. "Sure, I was after seeing a terrible, big creature. 'Twas an elephant they called it. And 'tis a square animal with a tail in front of it and a tail behind it!"
"Glory be!" cried his mother.
Shaun smiled behind his pipe. The baby gurgled.
The older brother pretended that he was not very much interested. He was, though. He was greatly excited with John's tales.
Then his father said, "But, Johneen,you do not really believe that your guide was a fairy?"
"Sure, and the best one in all fairyland," answered John stoutly.
Shaun scratched his head thoughtfully.
"Och, Johneen," he said, "you do not believe that surely."
But John answered, "I do!"
Shaun then drew the boy over to his chair. He took John on his lap.
"Listen, son," he said.
He told the child the same thing that Marjorie had told him. He told John that Marjorie was really a girl from America.
But John replied as he had replied to Marjorie in the car. He said that therecould not be a girl so lovely and kind as she. He insisted that Marjorie could only be a fairy!
Several days went by. John told everyone in the village about his trip. He talked of nothing else. He had gone to the lake day after day, but the girl fairy had never appeared.
He did not give up hope, however. He felt she would keep her promise and come again to see him.
Then one day little John received a package and a letter. In the package were several beautiful books. He asked his father to read the letter to him.
Shaun read:
"Dear Shauneen: To-morrow I am coming to the lake to say good-bye to you. Please be there. Marjorie."
"Dear Shauneen: To-morrow I am coming to the lake to say good-bye to you. Please be there. Marjorie."
Shaun folded the letter and gave it back to his son.
Then he said, "You see, she is an American girl. Her father and mother are going to take her back to America. They brought her over, and they also bought her that car. They arranged for her to take you on that fine trip. Don't you see now that she surely is not a fairy?"
But John did not answer. He shook his head stubbornly. Suddenly Shaun had an idea.
He said, "I must show you then." He put his two hands on the boy's shoulders and looked into his eyes. "To-morrow," he said, "when you go to meet her at the lake you must wear the red petticoat!"
John looked frightened.
He cried, "Och, father, she'll not be talking to me at all—and I in girl's clothes!"
Shaun said, "Sure, that is just what she will do. She'll know you well. She'll talk to you. Then you will believe at last that she is no fairy!"
The morning came. John dressed as usual in his red petticoat. He took the books that Marjorie had sent him and ran to the lake. He was there with the first birds. He was there with the sleepy sun.
The sleepy sun was just waking up.But John O'Day had been awake for many hours. He had been so very much awake with his thoughts.
He thought and thought about Marjorie. He wondered and wondered whether Marjorie would recognize him. If she should speak to him, he would know that she really was a girl. He would know that she was not a fairy.
If she passed him by, he would be sure that she was a real fairy. Oh, he felt so sure that she was a fairy!
But at the same time he wondered just a little bit why she tried to make him believe she was not. Was it because the Good People do not want folks to be talking about them?
Maybe it was that. They like to give happiness to people. But they do not want people knowing that it is they giving the happiness.
They do not ask thanks. They do notlook for praise. The Good People are modest.
But soon John would know about his lovely friend. She would soon appear and look for him. If she passed him by, his heart would beat with joy. He would know then.
And he would call out to her, "It is I! It is your Shauneen! Do you not know me?"
Then she would stop and he would laugh at her and jolly her.
He would say, "You could not be fooling me, good fairy. Isn't it myself knows a fairy when I see one?"
He chuckled to himself. She should not be fooling John O'Day!
He opened one of the lovely bookswhich Marjorie had sent him. He began to look at it. It was a beautiful book with colored pictures in it. It had grand pictures of cities in it.
There were pictures of Irish cities and French cities and American cities.
John grew so interested in looking at the pictures that he did not hear a step behind him. He did not see Marjorie standing behind him. She was smiling down at him as he sat all wrapped in joy and delight.