Page:Poems McDonald.djvu/178

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172
a whisper from fairy land.
Where the mineral waters bright
Sparkle in the morning light,
Cure for every fairy's ill,
Bathing in the healing rill,
Whiskered dandy, perfumed belle,
Came to break the holy spell:
Once by mortal taste defiled,
Lost the charm for elfland child;
And where bright those waters play,
Never more their steps may stray.

"Sad the change—ungrateful man,
Then to doubt our power began;
Wickedly proclaimed, that we
Lived alone in phantasie;
Scorned our gifts with skeptic word,
Left our warnings all unheard,
And with impious jeer and jest,
Other sway than our's confessed.
"What then could the fairies do?
Far away from earth we flew,
At our gracious queen's command,
Back again to fairy land: