It flew to the top of the little bed at night, pecked at the window when it wished to get out in the morning, and would dart down at Fred’s whistle as readily as it had been used to do the year before.  In short, notwithstanding the long voyage it had made, Fairy seemed to have forgotten neither its old friends nor its old ways.

When it came near the time for the swallows to fly away again, we grew very sad at the idea of losing our pretty Fairy:  some thought it would be wise to put it into a cage, and keep it there until all the others were gone; while some, who were wiser, said it was Fairy’s nature to go away, and that Fairy must go.  But what do you think was our joy to find, that, of its own good will, Fairy stayed with us?  All the others went away; and, whether it had grown fonder of us, or that it had not liked the long voyage it had been led into by the example of others, I cannot say; but for four winters it stayed always with us, taking a flight now and then in the open air, but spending the greatest part of the day in the school-room, till summer came, when it would again join its friends, and always build its nest in the very window from which it had fallen into Mary’s lap.

Six years had passed since then, but what now became of it we could never learn.  For a long time we hoped it had gone again over sea and land, to visit far countries with all the others, but whether it had or not we never knew, for we saw our pretty Fairy no more.

LAST PAGE.

   The last bright page before you,
     Kind reader and good friend,
   Is of another Annual
     The very pleasant end.

   Our Book’s communication
     To goodly themes applied,
   None of its pages would we wish
     To change, expunge, or hide.

   With us be Life’s brief pages,
     When looking back to youth,
   So filled with kindly words of love,
     And timely Christian truth,

   That with an honest confidence
     In what our deeds shall say,
   With steady and firm hand we write
     Our “last page,” and away!