The Minister and the Fairy

Not long since, a pious clergyman was returning home, after administering
spiritual consolation to a dying member of his flock. It was late of the
night, and he had to pass through a good deal of _uncanny_ land. He was,
however, a good and a conscientious minister of the Gospel, and feared
not all the spirits in the country. On his reaching the end of a lake
which stretched along the roadside for some distance, he was a good deal
surprised at hearing the most melodious strains of music. Overcome by
pleasure and curiosity, the minister coolly sat down to listen to the
harmonious sounds, and try what new discoveries he could make with regard
to their nature and source. He had not sat many minutes before he could
distinguish the approach of the music, and also observe a light in the
direction from whence it proceeded gliding across the lake towards him.
Instead of taking to his heels, as any faithless wight would have done,
the pastor fearlessly determined to await the issue of the phenomenon. As
the light and music drew near, the clergyman could at length distinguish
an object resembling a human being walking on the surface of the water,
attended by a group of diminutive musicians, some of them bearing lights,
and others instruments of music, from which they continued to evoke those
melodious strains which first attracted his attention. The leader of the
band dismissed his attendants, landed on the beach, and afforded the
minister the amplest opportunities of examining his appearance. He was a
little primitive-looking grey-headed man, clad in the most grotesque
habit the clergyman had ever seen, and such as led him at once to suspect
his real character. He walked up to the minister, whom he saluted with
great grace, offering an apology for his intrusion. The pastor returned
his compliments, and, without further explanation, invited the mysterious
stranger to sit down by his side. The invitation was complied with, upon
which the minister proposed the following question:--"Who art thou,
stranger, and from whence?"

To this question the fairy, with downcast eye, replied that he was one of
those sometimes called _Doane Shee_, or men of peace, or good men, though
the reverse of this title was a more fit appellation for them. Originally
angelic in his nature and attributes, and once a sharer of the
indescribable joys of the regions of light, he was seduced by Satan to
join him in his mad conspiracies; and, as a punishment for his
transgression, he was cast down from those regions of bliss, and was now
doomed, along with millions of fellow-sufferers, to wander through seas
and mountains, until the coming of the Great Day. What their fate would
be then they could not divine, but they apprehended the worst.