58 The Fairy Godmothers.

you are all grown. And /iking ifn’t the right
word: it is fomething ftronger than common
liking.”

“* Love, perhaps,” murmured Leila.

“¢ An excellent idea,” cried Euphrofyne; “ dear
me, this delicious air is clearing my poor head.
Sifters, I will exprefs it for you, and Ambrofia
fhall fay if Iam right. It is THE LOVE OF
EMPLOYMENT.” _

Ambrofia laughed affent ; but a low murmur of
difcontent refounded through the Fairy group.

“¢ Intolerable!” cried Leila, fhrugging her
fhoulders like a French woman.

“¢ It is no Fairy gift at all,” exclaimed others ;
“ it is downright plodding and working.”

“If the human race can be made happy by no-
thing but labour,” cried another; “I propofe we
leave them to themfelves, and give them no more
Fairy gifts at all.”

“‘ Remember,” cried Ambrofia, now coming
forward, “ this is our firft experiment upon hu-
man happinefs. Hitherto we have given Fairy
gifts, and never enquired how they have acted.
And I feel fure we have always forgotten one
thing, viz. that poor men and women living in
Time, and only having in their power the {mall.
bit of it which is prefent, cannot be happy unlefs
they make Time prefent happy. And there is
but one plan for that; I ufe Aglaia’s words: ‘ To
like every thing you do, and like to be always doing
fomething.’”