_From a Photo. by George Newnes, Ltd._] Twenty hands went up instantly. "What boys?" Half-a-dozen--not more--two of whom were cripples. "And the noisy room? And the fairy-tale room? And the toy room? And the painting room? And the dolls' room?" Thus were these denizens of the gutter in one of the most notorious slums of London granted their hearts' wishes for this evening. As they made a choice, so they were marched off under the wing of a lady or gentleman to a separate room, and the music struck up again for a Sir Roger de Coverley. [Illustration: THE COUNTESS OF JERSEY--PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL. _From a Photo. by Gillman, Oxford._] "There is no use," explains one of the ladies, "forcing a child to romp if it doesn't want to romp. Perhaps its tastes are in quite another direction--indeed, we know that there are thousands of wretched little mites in London who pine for quiet and seclusion. Then there are kiddies who are passionately fond of fairy stories. They could listen to them by the hour--perhaps by the day--yet possibly outside of a Happy Evening they never hear one that really interests them. Our girls' fairy-teller here, I may tell you, has a wonderful gift. She really mesmerizes the children. Would you like to be mesmerized, too?" "With all the pleasure in life," we reply, and the handle of the fairy-tale room is slowly turned. We may mention it for a fact, and as a tribute to the lady's powers, that the noise of our entrance is absolutely without effect on this little audience. Oh, what would not a pulpit orator, a politician, a lecturer--yes, even a great actor--give to hold his auditors' minds thus in the hollow of his hand? They see nothing, hear nothing but the speaker. [Illustration: _From a Photo. by_] A FAIRY TALE. [_George Newnes, Ltd._ ] "'So, so,' cried the Genie, in an angry voice; 'if that is the case then you must quickly step upon this strip of carpet.' And he laid a piece of red and yellow carpet on the ground. "'What for?' asked the young Prince. You see, he didn't know about the magic in the carpet--nobody had ever told him. "'What for?' replied the Genie. 'Why, because----' and he told him then and there. And he put on his hat and stepped upon the carpet, and like a flash----" We stole out at this juncture, leaving the children open-mouthed and open-eyed, oblivious of our presence and retreat, and ascending a flight of steps found ourselves ushered into a totally different scene. The uproar was terrific, which was not surprising considering that a hundred and fifty boys were yelling at the top of their lungs. "Punch 'im, 'Magsie'; 'it 'im on the nob!" [Illustration: _From a Photo. by_] "'IT 'IM ON THE NOB, MAGSIE." [_George Newnes, Ltd._ ]