96 Darknefs and Light.

bed. ‘ He is beginning as foolifhly as ever this
year, in fpite of being a year older. I really fhall
at laft be inclined to think that in fpite of all her
fair promifes of friendfhip and affiftance, and of
never injuring the family, the Fairy Eudora muft
fecretly frighten the child in fome way we don’t
know of.”

“ No fuch thing, my dear Madeline ; I cannot
for a moment believe it ;” faid her hufband. “I
have a better opinion of your relations, the Fairies,
than you have yourfelf. I am fure Eudora would
not break her word for the world ; and there is no
myftery about Roderick’s folly. He is full of
fancies of all forts, —fome pretty, and fome filly
ones ; and we mutt do every thing we can to cure
him of the filly ones. It certainly is a very hard
matter to accomplifh, for I perceive he admits the
truth of every thing you fay, and yet is as filly as
ever at the end. I heartily wifh the Fairy Eudora
would interfere to cure him of his nonfenfe!”’

“ And fo do I, if fhe could, and would,” fighed
Madeline ; ‘* but fhe has quite deferted us. Be-
fides, if fhe were to come, I don’t fee how fhe
could poffibly do any good. Fairies cannot change
little boys’ hearts ; and I muft confefs I never yet
got any good myfelf from having a Fairy anceftrefs,
and I have no confidence in them.—Still,” pur-
fued the good lady, as fhe laid -her head on her»
pillow, “ I am not able, it appears, to convince
Roderick myfelf; and therefore I feel, with you,
that I wifh the Fairy would come and try.”