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, In this court. You Mr you are contented happy, un-' he motioned to the turnkey to throw back the bolt,
selfish, and satisfied with what the gods have given and h entered the dungeon alone,
you. Answer me thtat Why, then, do you scowl and "Why are yon talking to yourself, nun?" he atked.
Jostle one another T Why do you want to marry any The man answered:
one least of all. a princess with half the riches of a "Because, soldier, I like to talk to a sensible man,
-eat kingdom as avowry, to spoil your happiness? and I like to hear a sensible man talk."
reedy fortune-hunters! Do you call that content- . "Ha, ha!" laughed, the king.- "Pretty good, pret-ty
ment?" good! They tell me that all things please you. Is It
The contented men stood a moment In baffled si- true?"
IBnce, then turned, one and all, and slowly marched "I think I can safely say yes, soldier."
out of the room. As the door closed upon the last one "And Is there nothing that you want?" As the
of the disappointed suitors, the princess picked up her king asked this question he looked at the man In a
pretty kitten and, turning to her father and mother peculiarly eager way, nor did the answer disappoint
said: him.
"Would you have me marry one of those? Why, "I hare all of the necessities of life and many of
they aren't half so contented as a common, erery- the luxuries. I am perfectly content. I know I have
day pussy-cat. Good-by! And the laughed a merry neither land nor money, but Is not the whole world
Young Masquerdders
3 5.,;.
By Marian Burton.
ONCE! upon a time, In a dainty little kingdom
all parks and rlrers and cottages and
flowers, there lived a Jolly, red-faced king
named Rudolpho. Every one of his sub-.
Jects loved him, the surrounding kings
were hie loyal friends, and the neighboring kingdoms
were on the best of terms with him.
Tet, strange as It may seem, with all these blessings
. rich kingdom, faithful subjects, and a loving wife
thin good king was not happy. There was one
cloud, a very pretty silver-edged cloud, but yet a cloud,
which hung just In front of the sun of his happiness
and cast a great big shadow.
The king bad a daughter, the Princess Madge, his
only child; and though she was obedient In every
thing else, she Just wouldn't, wouldn't, marry.
Of course there were plenty of princes and dukes
sitting-room. Me held a tangle of golden hair In one
hand and a sheet of blue note-paper In the other.
"My dear, my dear, what do you think has hap
pened? Here, written by her own hand, the hand of
the Princess Madge, are the happy words which drive
away all our fears. She will marry, my dear, she
will marry; and listen: she cares not what may be
his rank or age or condition he must be a contented
man. that Is all. Oh. what a child, what a child!"
"Oh, Rudolpho, my love, is It true? Why, why, I
am so happy! Is it really true? Do give me my
fan. Yes. thank you. Fan me, dear; a little faster.
It quite took my breath away. Just to think of that!
Now go at once and Issue a royal edict summoning
every contented man In this kingdom and In all the
surrounding kingdoms to a grand feast here in the
palace. After the feast we will hold a trial, and the
Princess Madge shall be the Judge."
The day dawned brilliant and glorious. How the
contented men Jostled each other, and frowned at each
other, and scolded each other as they thronged
DAXCINO THE MINUET,
veJ
A BEAU Of Tii OLD REGIME.
laugh, threw a kiss at the astonished king and queen,
and ran from the room.
III.
At lunrbeon one day many months after the dis
missal of the discontented suitors, the prime minister
entered the dining-room and announced to the king
that a. man had been found within the palace gates
without a royal permit, and had been immediately
put in the dungeon. He was" a handsome fellow, the
prime minister said, but very poorly clad. He made
no resistance when he was taken prisoner, but earn
estly requested that his trial might come off as soon
as possible, as he rather wanted to make a sketch of
the palace and gardens, and he couldn't see very well
from the slit in the top of the dungeon; but he begged
them not to put themselves nor the king to any in
convenience, as he could Just as well remain where
he was and write poems.
"In sooth, your Majesty," Bald the prime minister.
In conclusion, "from all wo have heard and seen, it
geemeth that at last we have found a contented man."
As soon bh the king finished bis royal repast he dis
guised himself iu the long cloak and hat of a sol-
mine? Can even the king himself take from me my
delight In the green, trees and the greener fields, in
that dainty little cloud flecking heaven's blue up yon
der like a bit of foam on a sunlit eea? Oh, no! I am
rich enough, for an nature Is mine"
"And I am yours," said a sweet young voice. The
man looked up in surprise, and there before him.
holding out her pretty hands toward him, stood the
Princess Madge, who had slipped into the cell un
noticed by either the prisoner or her father.
The man sprang to his feet, clasped the little hands
in his, and aald:
"I know not what you mean, sweet lady, when you
say that you are mine; but oh, you are passing beau
tiful!" "Papa," called the princess, "this is quite dreadful.
Quick, take off that ugly soldier's coat and tell him
who we are and all about it!"
The king, starting as if from a dream, threw off the
rough coat and hat and stepped forth into the beam
of sunlight, resplendent in gold and ermine.
"Thou dost not know me. my man ? I am the king .
Hast thou not read our last proclamation?"
and barons and lords who would gladly have, wedded
the pretty princess for her own Bweet sake alone, to
say nothing of the prospect of being king some day,
but she wouldn't have one of them.
A princess is a lonely little body you know, and
custom vim so rigid in the time of the Princess
Madge that she had, no one to talk to excepting Pussy
Willow, the royal kitten. She had no brother, no sis
ter, no cousin, and no dearest friend. She didn't
even have ft chance to apeak freely to her own father
and mother. It is trne, Bhe took breakfast with them
every morning at eleven in the great breakfast-room,
but the butlers and waiters and pages and flunkies
were always standing about, with their ears pricked
up and their eyes bulging out, so that no one dared
whisper a secret or have even the Jolllest little family .
quarrel. It ia true her royal mamma came at pre
cisely ten o'clock to kisa her good night every even-
, Ing. but there were always & doaen maids and ladies-in-waiting,
and It was impossible to have a real good
talk. But Pussy Willow was her constant companion,
and to Pussy she told everything.. That friendly cat
was the only living thing in the whole kingdom that
really knew that the princess intended to marry some
time. . . " , 1 - '
' "I don't care whether he la prince or pauper, high
or low,, handsome or plain; but he must in any case
be contented.' You know what contented means. Pussy
satisfied with what he has untjl he deserves and
can gef something better. If he Is like that he will
always be unselfish, and happy Oh, yes, and I shall,
be happy, too. Now I am going to write a letter to
papa and tell him that I will, marry If he will find me
a contented man.? ,'-. "- r,', . , ; s)
, . 7, . . ii. :-( : ;
Half aa hourtater the king, with' his crown com- .
fortably pushed back on his head, and a smile very;
much all over his ruddy; face, burst lata the queen's
through the palace gates! They all gathered in the
banquet-hall, where a wonderful feast was spread
Finally it was over, and five hundred and fifty con
tented men assembled in the royal court-room. Tho
king and queen were seated on their thrones, but the
princess was nowhere to be seen. There was a mo
ment of breathless waiting then suddenly a door at
the side of the court-room opened and the Princess
Madge, carrying Pussy Willow, entered and was fol
lowed by her train-bearers and maids of .honor. She
wore a wonderful gown all white and gold down the
front, with the foamiest of sea-foam greeqjtrains hang
ing from her shoulders away out behind her. Slowly,
majestically, she walked across the room, and stopped
before a table on which lay a golden gavel. A quick
tap of the gavel silenced the little murmur that had
arisen at her entrance. The king glanced at the queen,
and they both smiled with pride In their stately
daughter. The princess tapped again and began:
"Princes, baronets, honorablea, commons- of this
kingdom and our neighboring kingdoms, I bid you wel
come. You have come to sue for my hand and my
fortune. I know full well, my noble men, "-'that; If I
asked it you would gladly give me some great proof
of your bravery and goodness but I ask you to take
no risk and make no sacrifice. I merely wish to -
; know whether I can find In any of you that secret of
all true courage and happiness contentment : Now
let every man of you who is contented, thoroughly
. contented, rise. Remember, there are no degrees in
contentment; it is absolute. ,
"The black-robed throng arose some eagerly, some-
-Impatiently, some disdainfully, some few slowly and
thoughtfully, but they all stood and waited in utter
; silence. -' , ' U : ,
- "As I put the test question, if there is aify one who ,
cannot answer It, let him go quietly out through yon
der door and never again show bis discontented face
( 1
A COLONIAL DAME.
J Jk J, J
Mill Kftfm .
1 UlTntyt Vil, 'ft1'' i' tr P.: 1 ,
dier and went with the prime minister and the turn
key to catch a glimpse of the prisoner. As they ap
proached the dungeon they heard a rich bass voice
singing:
"Let the world slide, let the world go! f'
A fig for care, and a fig for woe. , .-, ' .
If I must stay, why, I can't go, r ' ,
And love makes equal the high and low."-' v
The king drew nearer, stooped, and peeped through
the keyhole. Just opposite the door, on a three-legged '
stool, sat the prisoners His head was thrown back
end he was looking at the sky through the bars in
the top of his cell. The song bad ceased and he was
talking softly -'to 'himself.-. The king. In a whisper.
told the prime minister to bring the princess and
foave her remain hidden Just outside the door. Then .
CoWM hM gl Cmmttmt Cwinii" -' . ; vyi
" , "No, your Majesty; I never do read proclamations."
"Then thou didst not know that the hand of the
princess is offered to the first contented man who
enters the palace?"
; ""No, your Majesty?-1 knew it not" ,
, "Then know it now, and know, too, that thou art
;the man. To thee, my son, I give my daughter in
marriage, together with one-half my kingdom. No,
no not a word. She is thlae. Thou deservest her;.
Maf you be happy!" .
'"' The prisoneralmost dumb with astonishment, at-,
most dased with Joy. knelt and kissed the princess
. white hands, then looked tnto her eyes and said:
4 "Ah, well it is for me that I saw you not until now,
for I should have, been miserably discontented until
you were jnlne!" , . v - '. v
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