Middletown transcript., 1870-12-24

things. But, dear me, thefc'll be. no time
4 il gets dark BY Eve y "esfspa ~ H riits iSsi
II think there will, 9 said George, su-
couragingly. " Suppose We divide at once.
and 20 to work, and have every thing
ready to be- putup the moment Mr. Mills
gets here. That will give almost two
hours before dark, and we could raise a
candle Of two. 7 suppose, if the worst
| came to the worst" 5f'ts
Girls 1ike.a leader They chesrsds up
at once. The, coils Of heavy. wreath were
drawn forward. and busy party fell TO
work upon them Another was detailed
to wreathe the doer and the clock above
| it with ground pine. The long strip
which was to arch the cLancel George
took in hand herself It was to bear the
Christmas text, "Glosy to God in the
highest, and on earth peace, good will
toward men," upon it in letters covered
| with leaves Of fresh ivy and it was both
"a slow and delicate job to do these nicely
and preserve their graceful form and ar
rangement. But Miss Ware is Just the
person for il" pronounced the gitis. "She
does every thing 80 Beautifully Begin
at this end, please, dear. and before long
the rest will come. and We will set some
one to work at the other end. you know"
So George began. Bright orange and
purple rays streamed throughthe chanccl
window. and tinted her fair hair as with
an aureola as she stood at her work All
was quiet and hushed Ia Little n,urmurs
came from the. distance where the others
in low tones talked over their labor The
air was fun of the fresh, aromatic perfume
Of the greens. "A. gentler, calmer mood
fell over her than had been habitual efslate.
How happy sheland Allan, were to have
been together this Christmas .,t were to
have been"--oh. the ineradicable power Of
few words! For the first time the
thought came over her-Aawas not part Of
the blame of this sad separation hers s.
Carefully and slowly while musing
thus, she trained and fastened the iyy,oyer
the q Glory be-" but as she began the
next word a name struck her ear. The
door had opened-la party had come in--
and some one at the end of the church was
saying, :" Mr.. Beckwitlll" ass+ -as.s
/, Was it mistake? :? No. Again she
heard it, How very nice! Mr. Beckwith
has often done it, he says, Hatty;;" and
before the first shocked feeling had passed
over her, it was renewed with tenfold
strength, for voice ansYered-a voice
she knew-there could be no misteko now
and the words were: II shall be happy
| am sire. Anything / can do ~ The
next moment the whole party were COM
ing up the aisle. ..a.,aa 4,
There was no escape. For one instant
she looked wildly aboutr-the next the lit
tie hands, with instructive self control.
were pursuing their task fashioning the
ivy leaves over the letter .sT" ." This
way, please, she heard Alice James SAY
ing, Il Since you understand the art you
shall help at the end of This long thing,
Mr. Beckwith Miss Ware Is doing the
other. By-thc-way you haven't been in
trodueed yet Miss Ware. Mr.. Beckwith."
She bent her head. Without raising her
eyes she saw by the littlc shocked start in
Allan's bow that the meeting was as unex-
pected to him as to her. ssYoii mustn't
stop to talk to Miss Ware now. !" cried Al
ice, there is so much to do y and the
next moment they were busy at the other
end of the chancel rail. 1t was over
Allan and she had met as strangers. She
might 60 on with her task now as beet she
could aa9l4 bsisis i aiii la 9ea1adf
There was no one to watch the ytremu-
i 9ngers or the flushing and paling of
the fair face. whose eyelids mover lifted
from their task, The Others had gone a.
way to the far end of the church, whence
came great buzzing and consulting as
the festoons we're lifted to the organ gale
ry. The waning light warned everybody
unusual exertion Hatty and Jack, the
only idle ones, had retired to a distant
pew to study the effect. as they said.
And there were shs and Allan at either
end of that long text, drawing nearer to-
each other with every word--she and Al
Ian and Alice Jamesl Il was like dread
full dream to stand there, SO outwardly
composed, SO inwardly miserable, and hear
them chattering gayly. TO be sure the
badinage on Allan's side was uneasy and
forced enough but she was not sufficient
ly mistress Of her thoughts to detect il. II
was heartless, insulting, she said to her.
self; and once she stopped short with a
little sudden gasp. and then, startled. re-
sumed her task furiously. Only one per-
son noted the short pause Mr.. Beckwith
was, not too much epgrossed with his fair
neighbor to glance occasionally at their
co-worker, and the brief Struggle did not
escape him. Something rose in his throat
for minute and choked the gay sally on
his lips, and just then, Alice Alice
we want you p resonnded from the other
,and of tha asia and xy;fh an ayalooat;,
look Alice laid down her leaves and van
ished. Allan and Georgia we're left alone
with only three words Of the Christmas
message to separate them These words
we're, Peace Good Will"
With qaiveripg touch George fastened
the FIRST leaf on, the great capital ',P.nl
Peace--hew alien the idea seemed to her
feeling l-how far away and disturbed the
impression of that blessed birth might Of
~ haoa cam, IL ,wae54he h,..la~f Al -.