The Fairy Godmothers. 49

when they faw the old tree of the foreft reappear
on the paper, with all the fhadows and lights the
fun juft then threw upon it, and they wondered
not a little at the fkill with which fhe gave dif-
tance and perfpective to the glade beyond. They
felt, too, that though the drawing they faw rifing
under the fketcher’s hand was not made powerful
by brilliant effets or ftriking contrafts, it was
neverthelefs overflowing with the truth and fenti-
ment of nature. It was the impreffion of the fcene
itfelf, viewed through the poetry of the artift’s
mind; and as the delicate creatures who hung over
the picture, looked at it, they almoft longed for it,
flight as it was, that they might carry it away, and
hang it up in their fairy palace as a faithful repre-
fentation of one of the lovelieft {pots of earth, the
outfkirts of an ancient Englifh foreft.

It is impoffible to fay how long they might not
have ftaid watching Hermione, but that after a
time the fketch was finifhed, and the young lady
after writing beneath it Schiller’s well known line
in Wallenftein, arofe. ‘‘ Das ift das Loos des
Schonen auf der Erde.’’* |

The poor tree was marked for felling! Am-
brofia was almoft affected to tears, once more.
The fcene was fo beautiful, and the allufion fo
touching, and there feemed to her fuch a charm
over her God-daughter Hermione; fhe was herfelf
fo glad, too, to feel fure that fuccefs had crowned

 

# “Such is the lot of the beautiful upon earth.”
E