WINGS

Mary F. Butts

INGS that flutter in sunny air;

Wings that dive and dip and dare; Wings of the humming bird flashing by; Wings of the lark in the open sky; Wings of the eagle aloft, aloof;

Wings of the pigeon upon the roof;
Wings of the storm bird swift and free,
With wild winds sweeping across the sea;
Often and often a voice in me sings,
Oh for the freedom, the freedom of wings!
Oh to winnow the air with wings;
Oh to float far above hurtful things,
Things that weary and wear and fret;
Deep in the azure to fly and forget;
To touch in a moment the mountain's crest,
Or haste to the valley for home and rest;
To rock with the pine tree as wild birds may;
To follow the sailor a summer's day;

Over and over a voice in me sings,
Oh for the freedom, the freedom of wings!

Softly responsive a voice in me sings,

Thou hast the freedom, the freedom of

wings;

Soon as the glass a second can count, Into the heavens thy heart may mount; Hope may fly to the topmost peak; Love its nest in the vale may seek;

Outspeeding the sailor, Faith's pinions

may

Touch the ends of the earth in a summer's day;

Softly responsive a voice in me sings, Thou hast the freedom, the freedom of wings!

LIFE

Life is a leaf of paper white

Whereon each one of us may write
His word or two; and then comes night.

Though thou have time

But for a line, be that sublime;

Not failure, but low aim, is crime.

- LOWELL.

LISCHEN AND THE FAIRY

(Adapted from F. and E. Scannell)

I

HEY all kept their secrets better than

THEY

Lischen. Fritz and Ernest started apart when one of the family came near, and talked of the weather; Trudie worked, when the boys were out, on the scarf and cap she was knitting; but chubby little Lischen, only five years old, thought herself quite hidden if she sat on her own little chair and turned her back to the company, threading her beads, or struggling to hem a handkerchief. You can guess that Christmas Eve was close at hand.

One afternoon Trudie begged her father to take her to the toy shop. She had two marks that her grandmother had given her to spend as she pleased, and she wanted to buy a doll for Lischen.

After much hesitation she found one that she could afford and that looked somewhat like Lischen herself, with her

sunny curls and bright blue eyes. With some pennies that were left she also bought a pair of shoes for the doll; these she thought were quite beyond her power of making. Her mother gave her a beautiful piece of blue cloth to make the little dress; and on Christmas Eve it was all ready to place with the other presents, while Lischen never even knew it was in the house.

The front parlor was dimly lighted, and the folding doors leading into the next room were shut. The whole family gathered there with merry laughter and anticipation. The mother began a pretty German hymn, and all joined in. As the last notes died away, the doors opened and there stood a most beautiful Christmas tree, decorated with little flags, lighted candles, golden nuts and apples, а perfect blaze of color. On the very top was a gauzy white fairy, with golden wings, carrying in her hand a wand,

a