The Elk advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Elk Co., Pa.) 186?-1868, 1867-12-19

WIFI INC IDaC ne u IuTD Iue TlBuJ OUT
o'doors."
"Para wouldn't care at all. lie
took me out himself, one evening, and l
never got to sleep early, you know that
| don't, and | want to hear the music,
and see the little white boys light the
candles. Biddy told me about il"
Just then who should come along but
Nora's sister and Jerry Sullivan, on their
way 30 church? and Nora could not re.
sst the temptation to join them.
But" sad she, LII only walk on a
piece with them, and you can come, too,
Miss Julie"
But she walked and walked on, until
She came to the church door, and then,
persuaded by Biddy and Jerry, she
couldn't help going in, end Julie, who
bad added her voice to conx her, was de.
lighted. She had thought Fiat she had
never seen a church so nice the music
was splendid, aud the alter looked so
gay and grand, with its decorations and
lights, and the priest chauted in such
queer way, she couldn't understand
what the words OF his chant were al all,
aud all the people bowed to the church
when they came iu: julie thought that
was funny. She wondered why papa
and mamma weren't charlottesville
would be one when she grew up. And
the little girl sat very still, listening to
tho music and looking to the great illu-
minated window behind the altar, and
the lights grew very faint, then she cur.
led herself up in one corner Of the pew,
and was soon fast asleep. And when
the service was over, Nora, who was ca.
ger to say a great many things to Biddy
aud Jerry which she had stored up in
all this long time Of separation, forgot
all about her little charge, aud they, who
had as much to say to her, forgot her,
also, aud besides there were 50 many
Biddies, and Nora1, and Johannes, and
Pats dressing up to speak to them, that
they couldn't keep their senses about
them at all so they went out with their
comrades aud lett poor Julie, who was
dreaming as trauqujly as # she had
been at home in her own little bed, alone.
!he last iootstep battered out onto the
sidewalk, and the sexton, after putting
things to rights about the altar little,
turned down the lights, never noticing
the mite aeloep, in her solitary corner,
and then he went cut, too, locking the
door, aud leaving tho church in silence
and darkness.
A clock struck somewhere, with loud,
distinct strokes, and Julie, stirring un.
easily in her sleep, her head, which was
propped against pew cushion fell with a
jar against the hard wall, and she awoke
and looked around her in bawlderment,
and tor a few moments had no idea
where she could be, it was 50 strange to
be sitting mp in the night with ones
thD@S nR.4on ~. -y,.,--------..-..-. .-..
she saw the great colored windows with
the moonlight sitting through thcm,
the outline of the high altar, and the
cleaning pipes of the organ in the gall
lery, and realized that she had been left
in the church. You can imagine how
frightened she was-she did not even
dare to stir, buNshe screamed until eve
~ echo in the church was aroused and
answered her in amazement. 1t was
such a grand, dark, gloomy place to be
lett alone in at night; many a grown
person would have trembled with fear
in like situation, and poor little Julie
was almost frantic. Various ghost sto-
ries that had been smuggled into the
nursery at home, by Nora and Kate, fit
ted through her mind in rapid success
sion, until she tancied that she saw
strange, gliding shapes in the dusky
aisles, ard heard slow, hollow footballs
creeping over the marble floors. Then
| there was IL mo0ubeam that shown di-
rectly into pair OF great, staring eyes
in picture over TIE altar, or, at least,
they seemed staring because the rest of
the face was in shadow, and she fancied
that they regarded them with look Of
stern displeasure, and even if she closed
her eyes she could not help seeing them
all the time.
How could Nora have been so cruel
as to leave hey, she thought, and would
it ever be morning again, and should
she ever YET away from that dreadful
place in the world? The minutes seem
ed as long as hours in passing by, and
Julie, crouching in her corner trying tt
hide awaY-fro what or whom, she
could hardly tell-thougths that she haG
waited there as long as the longest nigh
that ever was, when there was a noist
at the outer door and then real footstep,
in the vestibule and, o joy Nora,
voice in its sharp, excited key:
Bless the darlint" she cried, fold.
ing the trembling little girl in her arms
"and its frightened to death she is, anC
| III uiver be after iorgivin' meself nivel
in the world. Sure and l forgot al
about yees,yees was sostill in the church
and | wint home with Biddy and nive
minded about yees until | was goin' ~
the steps at home, aud straight l win
to the sexton's, and after the bother o.
! ,rptgfrn, him, nm ,pith tho bow T,,., bor,