St. Nicholas Magazine for Boys and Girls, Vol. 5, September 1878, No. 11 | Page 9

where it is. Some people think the fairy took it after King Ranier died, and hid it again in a tree; and I recommend all wood-choppers to look at the heart of every tree they fell, for this wonderful ax. They cannot mistake it, since the word "Boldness" is cut on the blade, and the word "Energy" is printed, in letters of gold, on the handle.

THE PAINTER'S SCARE-CROW.
BY C.P. CRANCH.
Miss Arabella Vandyke Brown Had a small studio in the town, Where, all the winter, blithe and gay, She drew and painted day by day. She envied not the rich. Her art And work made sunshine in her heart. Upon her canvas, many a scene Of summers past, in golden green Was wrought again. The snow and rain Pelted upon her window-pane; But she within her cozy room With joyous toil dispelled the gloom; And, sometimes, in an undertone, Sang to herself there, all alone.
But, when the spring and summer came, Her studio grew so dull and tame She sought the rural solitudes Of winding streams and shady woods; For painters' works contract a taint Unless from Nature's self they paint.
So out Miss Arabella went, To sketch from Nature fully bent. It was a lovely summer's day; A lovely scene before her lay; Her folding-stool and box she took, And, seated in a quiet nook, Her white umbrella o'er her head (Like a tall giant mushroom spread), Began to paint; when, lo! a noise She heard. A troop of idle boys Came flocking round her, rough and rude. Some o'er her shoulders leaned; some stood In front of her, and cried: "Paint me!-- My picter I should like to see." Some laughed, some shouted. "What a set!" Said Arabella, in a pet: "And no policeman within hail To send these ruffian imps to jail." In fine, she could not work, so went Straight homeward in great discontent. She had no brother to defend her, Nor country cousin to attend her.
[Illustration]
A plan occurred to her next day To keep these idle scamps away. An easel by her side she placed, And over it she threw in haste A hat and cloak:--and there it stood In bold and threatening attitude. The rabble at a distance spied The scare-crow standing by her side; And, thinking 't was the town-police, They left Miss A.V. Brown in peace.
MORAL.
Sometimes, an innocent pretense Is the best means of self-defense, And if a scare-crow keeps the peace, What need to summon the police?

[Illustration: BY THE SAD SEA WAVES.]

UNDER THE LILACS.
BY LOUISA M. ALCOTT.
CHAPTER XXI.
CUPID'S LAST APPEARANCE.
A picnic supper on the grass followed the games, and then, as twilight began to fall, the young people were marshaled to the coach-house, now transformed into a rustic theater. One big door was open, and seats, arranged lengthwise, faced the red table-cloths which formed the curtain. A row of lamps made very good foot-lights, and an invisible band performed a Wagner-like overture on combs, tin trumpets, drums, and pipes, with an accompaniment of suppressed laughter.
Many of the children had never seen anything like it, and sat staring about them in mute admiration and expectancy; but the older ones criticised freely, and indulged in wild speculations as to the meaning of various convulsions of nature going on behind the curtain.
While Teacher was dressing the actresses for the tragedy, Miss Celia and Thorny, who were old hands at this sort of amusement, gave a "Potato" pantomime as a side show.
Across an empty stall a green cloth was fastened, so high that the heads of the operators were not seen. A little curtain flew up, disclosing the front of a Chinese pagoda painted on pasteboard, with a door and window which opened quite naturally. This stood on one side, several green trees with paper lanterns hanging from the boughs were on the other side, and the words "Tea Garden," printed over the top, showed the nature of this charming spot.
Few of the children had ever seen the immortal Punch and Judy, so this was a most agreeable novelty, and before they could make out what it meant, a voice began to sing, so distinctly that every word was heard:
"In China there lived a little man, His name was Chingery Wangery Chan."
Here the hero "took the stage" with great dignity, clad in a loose yellow jacket over a blue skirt, which concealed the hand that made his body. A pointed hat adorned his head, and on removing this to bow he disclosed a bald pate with a black queue in the middle, and a Chinese face nicely painted on the potato, the lower part of which was hollowed out to fit Thorny's first finger, while his thumb and second finger were in the sleeves of the yellow jacket, making a lively pair of arms. While he saluted,