The Argosy — page 153: what you’re looking at

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

Madge's Sacrifice. - 143 «When next the beggars came, the courtiers jeered at them and said: ‘Go home, ye knaves! ye have spoiled our princess already. What would you have of her now P’ _* But the princess lifted her snowy arms, and took out the pin that fastened her golden locks, till they fell, a shower of real gold, around her, and flowed over the steps of the throne to the very feet of the beggars. Then the princess called for a pair of shears and clipped them all off, and the beggars gathered up the shining gold in armfuls, and went away blessing her. ‘¢ But the courtiers were furious now, and would have pursued and beaten the beggars, had not the princess called to them in her gracious tones, and said: ‘ Look on me, my people, the fairy Selbstverleugnung maketh amends.’ And when they turned, lo! there was the wand wav- ing over the head of the princess, and her beauty was more dazzling than ever! | | ‘“‘ Again the beggars came in their distress, and now the princess was puzzled for a moment. But presently she sent for a clever dentist, who put her under laughing-gas, and drew all her pearly teeth in a twinkling by the power of steam. Each tooth was a separate pearl of great value. So the beggars went away richer than ever with their thirty-six precious pearls, and never came to beg of their piincess any more, but bought corn, and cropped their lands diligently, singing the praises of their beautiful frincess, who had given her very hair and her teeth for them ! ‘* But when the courtiers saw the dainty pearls fall from her ruby lips, they were mad with anger, and ran upon the beggars to kill them. “But suddenly the sweet tones of the princess checked them, as she cried: ‘Look on me, my people, and confess that the fairy Selbstverleugnung yet maketh amends.’ So they turned and looked on her, and the courtiers had to shade their eyes with their hands, so dazzling was the brilliancy of her beauty. ‘Then they exclaimed with one voice: ‘ Hail to the fairy Selbstver- leugnung! Hail to our peerless princess! Beauty is precious for beauty’s sake, but the beauty of Selbstverleugnung is beyond all rice !’” re What a funny story!” said little Clare. ‘What does that long word mean ?” “ It means self-sacrifice,” said Tom, “and it is the name of the good fairy that makes even ugly people beautiful, and makes the lovely, lovelier far.” “‘ I’m sure the princess couldn’t have looked pretty,” asserted Nellie, ‘when all her hair was gone, and her teeth too. She must have been a worse fight even than Madge!” On hearing her own name, Madge looked up from her intense gaze CORNICE OOS (GO)