The Argosy — page 152: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

142 Madge's Sacrifice. ‘No, no!” said little Clare, “‘I don’t like Kit’s stories; they’re all about ghosts and ogres. Please, Mr. Tom, tell us a fairy enh I like your stories best.” And the little maid climbed on his knee, and nestled her curly head against his shoulder, composing herself to a comfortable listening, with one chubby finger thrust into her mouth. “Very well,” said Tom; “I'll try: ‘Once upon a time there was a very beautiful princess, and she was as good as she was beautiful. Everybody praised her; some for her beauty, and some for her goodness, and not a few for both. *‘ She was always dressed, too, in the loveliest dresses, and wore the most dazzling jewels in the world. And the people of that country were very proud of their princess, and of all her beauty and splendid attire. ‘¢ Now it came to pass that there was a dreadful famine in one part of that land. It was the people’s own fault, because they had been too lazy to sow the seeds properly in the spring. But the consequence was that women and children and even strong men were dying for want of food, and for lack of money to buy food from those that had plenty. ‘“‘ At last in their trouble they went to the good princess and asked her to help them. ‘So she emptied all her coppers and gave them every penny she had, and they went away happy. ‘‘ But soon they came again in as much distress as before; for that money was all spent, and the famine was worse than ever. ** Then the princess took off all her brilliant jewels and gave them to the beggars. But the courtiers grumbled and said: ‘Why should our princess lose her beauty for the sake of these miserables? There is nothing so priceless as beauty.’ “Then the princess answered : ‘ Look on me, my people, the fairy Selbstverleugnung * maketh amends.’ “And as they looked, they saw a fairy wand waved over their princess, and were obliged to confess that her beauty was more dazzling than before. ‘But again the poor people came in their tattered garments to ask for bread. ‘Then the princess arose and took one of the poor women with her into an inner chamber, and exchanged her own gorgeous attire for the tattered clothing of the poor woman, and returned again to her throne. ‘But when the courtiers saw what was done they were more furious still, and exclaimed: ‘Shame on our princess to insult her beauty thus. There is nothing So priceless as beauty ! !” “ But again the fairy wand waved in the air over her bent head, and again the people confessed, ‘ Her beauty is more dazzling than ever !’ * Self-sacrifice. CORNICE OOS (GO)